Jeeyoung Lee
2010s Surrealist Figurative Photography
Archival Pigment
2010s Surrealist Figurative Photography
Archival Pigment
People Also Browsed
2010s Canadian Art Deco Lounge Chairs
Brass
Early 2000s Contemporary Landscape Prints
Mezzotint, Aquatint
Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Figurative Sculptures
Terracotta
Early 2000s Italian Modern Figurative Sculptures
Ceramic
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Iron
Antique 1820s French Restauration Chairs
Walnut
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Lounge Chairs
Velvet, Wood
19th Century Landscape Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings
Mixed Media, Paint, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Pen
1980s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary American Chairs
Bronze
Early 2000s Italian Modern Figurative Sculptures
Ceramic
20th Century Contemporary Landscape Paintings
Oil
2010s Contemporary Color Photography
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment...
1990s Dutch Minimalist Chairs
Birch, Plywood
Early 2000s Italian Modern Figurative Sculptures
Ceramic
A Close Look at surrealist Art
In the wake of World War I’s ravaging of Europe, artists delved into the unconscious mind to confront and grapple with this reality. Poet and critic André Breton, a leader of the Surrealist movement who authored the 1924 Surrealist Manifesto, called this approach “a violent reaction against the impoverishment and sterility of thought processes that resulted from centuries of rationalism.” Surrealist art emerged in the 1920s with dreamlike and uncanny imagery guided by a variety of techniques such as automatic drawing, which can be likened to a stream of consciousness, to channel psychological experiences.
Although Surrealism was a groundbreaking approach for European art, its practitioners were inspired by Indigenous art and ancient mysticism for reenvisioning how sculptures, paintings, prints, performance art and more could respond to the unsettled world around them.
Surrealist artists were also informed by the Dada movement, which originated in 1916 Zurich and embraced absurdity over the logic that had propelled modernity into violence. Some of the Surrealists had witnessed this firsthand, such as Max Ernst, who served in the trenches during World War I, and Salvador Dalí, whose otherworldly paintings and other work responded to the dawning civil war in Spain.
Other key artists associated with the revolutionary art and literary movement included Man Ray, Joan Miró, René Magritte, Yves Tanguy, Frida Kahlo and Meret Oppenheim, all of whom had a distinct perspective on reimagining reality and freeing the unconscious mind from the conventions and restrictions of rational thought. Pablo Picasso showed some of his works in “La Peinture Surréaliste” — the first collective exhibition of Surrealist painting — which opened at Paris’s Galerie Pierre in November of 1925. (Although Magritte is best known as one of the visual Surrealist movement’s most talented practitioners, his famous 1943 painting, The Fifth Season, can be interpreted as a formal break from Surrealism.)
The outbreak of World War II led many in the movement to flee Europe for the Americas, further spreading Surrealism abroad. Generations of modern and contemporary artists were subsequently influenced by the richly symbolic and unearthly imagery of Surrealism, from Joseph Cornell to Arshile Gorky.
Find a collection of original Surrealist paintings, sculptures, prints and multiples and more art on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right figurative-photography for You
Life becomes art in figurative photography. Shared moments are captured and history is recorded in images of people and their lives.
Figurative photography is often used to describe a kind of photography in which people are the subject. Early black and white photography of people can be a glimpse into a past century — witness the celebrated work of photographers such as Ansel Adams or lesser-known artists like Berenice Abbott, for example. The cultural and social standards of the time are captured in these figurative photographs.
Mid-century photos might show the life and fashions of the day, sometimes with the shared thread of humanity, joy and love. Indeed, figurative photographs can be a source of inspiration and wonder, speaking of common life experiences and beauty. Vintage photos of celebrities and iconic actors can be valuable keepsakes as snapshots of a bygone era.
Just as if you were bringing paintings, prints or drawings into your space as part of the decor, there are many ways to arrange your figurative photography. Large photos can be statement pieces in a room. Smaller photographs can be placed on bookcases or on compact wall spaces to add an artistic element to a living room or a bedroom.
Find a collection of figurative photography on 1stDibs today.