Surrealism

Surrealism is a revolution, a cultural, artistic, and intellectual movement oriented toward the liberation of the mind by emphasizing the critical and imaginative faculties of the "unconscious mind" and the attainment of a state different from, "more than", and ultimately truer than everyday reality: the "sur-real", i.e. more than real. For many Surrealists, this orientation toward transcending everyday reality toward one that incorporates the imaginative and the unconscious has manifested itself in the intent to bring about personal, cultural, political and social revolution, sometimes conceived or described as a complete transformation of life by freedom, poetry, love, and sexuality. In the words of Andr? Breton, generally regarded as the founder of surrealism: "beauty will be convulsive or not at all." At various times individual surrealists aligned themselves with communism and anarchism to advance radical political and social change, arguing that only transformed institutions of work, the family, and education could make possible a general participation in the surreal. More recently some surrealists have participated in feminist and radical environmentalist activities for similar reasons.

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The word "surreal" is sometimes used to describe unexpected juxtapositions or use of non-sequiturs in art or dialog, particularly where such juxtapositions are presented as self-consistent. It is also used in everyday language to describe experiences that are highly unusual, that breach the conventions of everday life, that are dreamlike, or that manifest the logic of the unconscious. These usages are often independent of any direct connection to Surrealism the movement and are used in both formal and informal contexts. This usage has frequently been criticised, often strongly, by Surrealists.

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Surrealism: Surrealism is a revolution, a cultural, artistic, and intellectual movement oriented toward the liberation of the mind by emphasizing the critical and imaginative faculties of the "unconscious mind" and the attainment of a state different from, "more than", and ultimately truer than everyday reality...

Unconscious mind: :This article refers to the psychological notion of an aspect or 'layer' of the psyche separate from but coexisting with 'consciousness'. This, it will be realised, is not the same as the unconsciousness or state of "being unconscious" that the medical doctor diagnoses when a person is no longer awa...

Communism: :This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. For issues regarding Communist organizations, see the Communist party article. For issues regarding Communist Party-run states, see Communist state....