Term paper

Applications of Surrealistic Techniques in the Art of

Photography

KIRTI RANJAN
22MAENGS25
Literary cricism
Dr. Prithviraj
Abstract
This paper tries to analyse surrealism as an art movement that emerge in the early 20th
century. Th movement was started by Andre Breton and is characterized by its use of
symbolism, visual metaphors, and fantasy elements. Further the paper also tries to study the
application of surrealism in the art of photography. It also talks about the scope of surrealistic
art in modern photography to explore themes such as dreams, sexuality, identity, and the
human psyche without strictly confining to real world elements.
Keywords: Photography, Surrealism
Introduction
Surrealism is an artistic movement that emerged in the early 20th century as a response to the
traditional art forms of the time. Surrealism is a type of art that blurs the lines between reality
and fantasy. It is a combination of dream-like imagery, unexpected juxtapositions, abstract
shapes and forms and sometimes bizarre or absurd elements. It has been a major influence on
modern art and culture, inspiring generations of artists to explore their innermost thoughts
and feelings in their work.
The movement was started by French poet André Breton in 1924 and has since grown to
include a wide range of artists from all over the world. Surrealist art is characterized by its
use of symbolism, visual metaphors, and fantasy elements. The surrealist movement was
influential in many other artistic movements such as abstract expressionism, pop art, and
postmodernism. Its influence can still be seen today in contemporary art, fashion, film,
literature, music, theatre and other forms of popular culture. It has been used to explore
themes such as dreams, sexuality, identity, and the human psyche. Surrealism is still relevant
today because it allows us to explore our innermost thoughts and emotions in a creative way.

Surrealist Techniques Applied to art of Photography

Surrealism is an art movement that has been around since the early 20th century. It is a style
of art that combines elements of reality and fantasy to create unique, dream-like images. The
art of photography is constantly evolving, and modern photographers are using surrealism to
explore new ways of expressing themselves through their work. By taking advantage of
digital technology, they are able to manipulate light, colour, and composition to create images
that evoke strong emotions in viewers. Modern photography has taken this concept and
brought it into the 21st century with surrealist art. Photographers are now able to capture
stunning images that look like they could be from a dream or a painting. By combining
traditional photography techniques with digital manipulation, photographers are able to create
surrealist works of art that push the boundaries of what is possible in photography. By
combining elements from different sources, they can craft scenes that are both familiar and
strange at the same time.
Surrealist techniques applied to photography are becoming increasingly popular in the
modern art world. These techniques provide photographers with a unique way of creating
images that are both visually stimulating and thought-provoking. Photomontages, double
exposures, and other surrealistic elements can be used to create dream-like images that
capture the essence of surrealism. Through these techniques, photographers can explore the
boundaries between reality and imagination by creating images that challenge our perception
of reality. By incorporating surrealist elements into their photographs, photographers can
create unique works of art that invite viewers to explore a new world full of possibilities and
can explore their own creativity and express their innermost feelings.

Strange shapes, floating body parts and bizarre landscapes: the Surrealists sought to
challenge notions of normality through the power of photography

Surrealism began in the wake of the First World War, when the horror and violence
experienced by so many had shifted perceptions of sanity and reality. The movement was
immortalised by the French writer André Breton. This rejected rational ways of seeing the
world, looking instead to dreams and the imagination for inspiration. Breton believed that
creativity had been weighed down by the drudgery of the day-to-day and sought to release the
subconscious power of the dream-like state. Surrealism embraced the absurd, the
unconventional, and the shocking.
Surrealist principles presented an exciting challenge for photographers – while a painter can
pluck from their imagination with brush and paint, a photograph is derived from the real,
material world. Using a variety of processes and techniques such as photomontage
(combining diverse photographic images to produce a new work), solarisation (exposing a
partially developed photograph to light), and photograms (a camera less photographic
technique), photography soon emerged as a powerful medium for demonstrating Surrealist
ideology.
Trailblazers of this approach included canonical figures from the history of photography,
such as Man Ray (1890 – 1976), who made photograms depicting household objects which
looked more like creatures conjured from the future than simple domestic implements. But
Surrealism did not always involve the strange and absurd. For example, the photography
of Eugène Atget (1857 – 1927), which focussed on seemingly ordinary sights on the streets of
Paris – a door knocker, a mannequin, a window rail – is seen as a forerunner of Surrealist and
modern approaches to photography.
Eugène Atget
Eugène Atget was a French and a pioneer of documentary photography, noted for his
determination to document all of the architecture and street scenes of Paris before their
disappearance to modernization. Most of his photographs were first published by Berenice
Abbott after his death. Though he sold his work to artists and craftspeople, and became an
inspiration for the surrealists, he did not live to see the wide acclaim his work would
eventually receive.
Only a year before his death, in 1926, Atget was approached by Man Ray for approval to use
his photograph, L'Eclipse - Avril 1912 for the front cover of the publication La Révolution
Surréaliste. Despite protestations that, "these are simply documents I make", Atget's rejection
of artistic self-consciousness combined with his pictures of an old, often hauntingly deserted
Paris, appealed to Surrealists. The V&A purchased around 600 photographs from Atget
himself for the National Art Library. These were originally destined to be used as reference
photographs for students and historians. Today, Atget is admired less as a documentary
photographer and more for his modern perspective, which offered a new and at times
humorous interpretation of the city.

  Avenue des Gobelins, Eugène Atget, 1923 

Man Ray

Man Ray (1890-1976) was an American visual artist who spent most of his career in Paris.
He was a significant contributor to the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to
each were informal. He produced major works in a variety of media but considered himself a
painter above all. He was best known for his pioneering photography, and was a
renowned fashion and portrait photographer.

He was a successful fashion and portrait photographer, but is most famous for his
photograms, which he called 'rayograms'. These are made by placing an object in contact
with a photosensitive surface in the dark and exposing both to light. One features the female
torso of another well-known artist, Lee Miller.
(Lee miller’s torso) Man Ray, 1931

Lee Miller
American artist Lee Miller (1907 – 77) rejected a successful modelling career, moving to
Paris in the late 1920s and becoming involved with the Surrealist movement. She is credited
with discovering the solarisation process with Man Ray, a darkroom technique which creates
partly or wholly reversed tones. Her photograph Exploding Hand (1930) plays with
composition and reflections to reimagine an otherwise ordinary scene.
 Exploding Hand, Lee Miller, 1930, France.

Lee Miller (American, 1907-1977)

Floating Head (Mary Taylor), New York Studio, New York, USA
1933

John Havinden
John Havinden (1908 – 87) was a commercial photographer influenced by Surrealism and
Modernist ideals. The false starry background combined with the superimposed geometric
shapes in Per Annum (1936) suggests a representation of outer space which speaks to
Surrealist principles of exploring the subconscious.
 Per Annum, John Havinden, 1936, UK

Rods of light, John Hayinder

Florence Henri
As a child, Florence Henri (1893 – 1982) travelled between relatives in Europe following the
death of her mother. She turned to photography after enrolling at the Bauhaus in 1927 where
she studied under László Moholy-Nagy, who famously experimented with photograms. Henri
often played with mirrors to subvert traditional compositions and question reality. In this still
life from the series Mirror Compositions the viewer is unable to distinguish the real object
from the reflected.
 Photograph from the series Mirror Compositions, Florence Henri, 1929.

Claude Cahun
Claude Cahun (1894 – 1954) is the pseudonym of Lucy Schwob, a French artist and writer.
She was an active Surrealist, participating in a number of exhibitions including the London
International Surrealist Exhibition and Exposition surréaliste d'objets, both in 1936. Best
known for her self-portraits, Cahun's work deconstructed traditional concepts of gender and
sexuality.
Angus McBean
Angus McBean (1904 – 90) first worked as a mask maker and scenery designer in theatre, the
influence of which is clear in his photographs. He became a well-known portrait
photographer, capturing the stars of stage and screen such as Vivien Leigh and Audrey
Hepburn. He would build sets and stage scenes in his studio to create Surrealist pictures, but
also experimented with multiple negatives and dramatic lighting.
A Day Dream, Angus McBean, 1938, UK.
Conclusion
Surrealism is an art movement that has been around since the early 20th century. It began in
the wake of the First World War, when the horror and violence experienced by so many had
shifted perceptions of sanity and reality. It is a style of art that combines elements of reality
and fantasy to create unique, dream-like images. Modern photography has taken this concept
and brought it into the 21st century with surrealist art. Photographers are now able to capture
stunning images that look like they could be from a dream or a painting. By combining
traditional photography techniques with digital manipulation, photographers are able to create
surrealist works of art that push the boundaries of what is possible in photography. By
incorporating surrealist elements into their photographs, photographers can create unique
works of art that invite viewers to explore a new world full of possibilities and can explore
their own creativity and express their innermost feelings.