Thread: Absolutely Awesome Surreal Paintings

Awesome bump UM, thanks!








Zdzisław Beksiński
Very dark and disturbed, but awesome.



Edit: RB, Amy Sol is awesome!



I've always liked the effect of painting directly onto wood.

WOWOWW!!!!! those are amazing!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Elis D.

Zdzisław Beksiński
Very dark and disturbed, but awesome.

As most of us Polaks are.

Awesome thread guys.

Originally Posted by Elis D.

Awesome bump UM, thanks!

Glad to do it. This is about the coolest thread on the whole site.

I just deleted the painting I posted in the bump because I looked back at everything and saw that I posted it twice. Woops.

Though I like all surreal paintings, one that stood out for me was one of the classic Salvador Dali.

Though paintings rarely make me feel a certain way, this one did. It somehow made me feel a bit anxious. Like the nervous tickles you get in your stomach sometimes, with a slight feel of creepiness.

It's called "Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory"

I absolutely LOVE Yerka he is my favorite artist, I have a couple of his books. Check this place out, it is a site dedicated to up and coming artists and old ones too. morpheusgallery.com Here are a few of my favorite ones though not all Yerka, it would be impossible for me to post all of my favorites since I have a huge folder pertaining just to Surreal Art.

I love that Rob Gonsalves painting on the far right. He is one of the modern surrealists, and he has a unique and really brilliant style.

http://images.google.com/images?sour...-8&sa=N&tab=wi

That picture absolutely captures the essence of dreaming.


Win.

You all fail. Salvador Dali is the one and only true Surrealist. Proof, you say?

Look how people copy him.

The second one is my favorite. :3

Originally Posted by tommo

You all fail. Salvador Dali is the one and only true Surrealist. Proof, you say?

Look how people copy him.

Salvador Dali was not even close to being the first surrealist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrealism

In addition to Breton, Aragon and Soupault the original Surrealists included Paul Éluard, Benjamin Péret, René Crevel, Robert Desnos, Jacques Baron, Max Morise, Marcel Noll, Pierre Naville, Roger Vitrac, Simone Breton, Gala Éluard, Max Ernst, Man Ray, Hans Arp, Georges Malkine, Michel Leiris, Georges Limbour, Antonin Artaud, Raymond Queneau, André Masson, Joan Miró, Marcel Duchamp, Jacques Prévert and Yves Tanguy.


Later the idiosyncratic Salvador Dalí...

Thanks for posting these! I've been looking for surreal/fantasy artwork for a long time!

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

Salvador Dali was not even close to being the first surrealist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrealism

In addition to Breton, Aragon and Soupault the original Surrealists included Paul Éluard, Benjamin Péret, René Crevel, Robert Desnos, Jacques Baron, Max Morise, Marcel Noll, Pierre Naville, Roger Vitrac, Simone Breton, Gala Éluard, Max Ernst, Man Ray, Hans Arp, Georges Malkine, Michel Leiris, Georges Limbour, Antonin Artaud, Raymond Queneau, André Masson, Joan Miró, Marcel Duchamp, Jacques Prévert and Yves Tanguy.


Later the idiosyncratic Salvador Dalí...

He was actually among the first. But that's not what I said. I said he was the only true one. I should clarify that, since I was drunk. What I should have said was, he blew surrealism into space. He made it. His work surpasses all others of the type. Of course this is open to debate. But that's my opinion and if you look at it, you will probably agree. But maybe not.

My brain started to ache about half way through looking at those art pics while trying to understand and comprehend them. I love it though! I have got to get both of this guy's books. Looks like a mixture of MC Escher and Dali dipped in a psychadelic, science defying dream.

You don't look at surrealism with the goal of understanding or comprehending it.

You view surrealism for it's beauty and mystery. You need to have a suspension of disbelief to grasp it.

Originally Posted by tommo

He was actually among the first. But that's not what I said. I said he was the only true one. I should clarify that, since I was drunk. What I should have said was, he blew surrealism into space. He made it. His work surpasses all others of the type. Of course this is open to debate. But that's my opinion and if you look at it, you will probably agree. But maybe not.

When I said Dali is "not even close to being the first surrealist", I meant in terms of people, not time. He is one of the firsts if you look at it from the standpoint of how many there have been since the 1920's, but he was relatively far away in terms of the first wave of surrealists. Dali did become part of the major bunch from the 30's that got so famous, but he was not one of the founders. It is sort of like how Jimi Hendrix was "among the first" classic rock musicians, but he was not a member of The Beatles, The Who, or The Rolling Stones. He got big a little bit later and joined the club. That is how Dali is with surrealist painters. Also, Hendrix is arguably the best classic rock guitarist just like Dali is arguably the best surrealist painter or surrealist anything. He is definitely the most famous and respected. I think he is phenomenal, but my personal opinion is that Magritte and Chirico are the best.


European surrealists in 1930. Front row: Tristan Tzara, Salvador Dali, Paul Eulard, Max Ernst, Rene Crevel. Back row: Man Ray, Jean Arp, Yves Tanguy, Andre Breton


*Not all "surrealists" have been painters. Some, like Andre Breton, were writers who do not have any famous paintings. Some have been sculptors, etc.

Originally Posted by Elis D.

You don't look at surrealism with the goal of understanding or comprehending it.

You view surrealism for it's beauty and mystery. You need to have a suspension of disbelief to grasp it.

excuse me, I meant "grasping the concept"

Ok then, UM, agree to disagree.

Elis D. I don't think that's it. You just don't try to understand what the painter was thinking. Coz it's pointless. But, for me at least, I always bring a meaning out of it.

Like for those first ones you posted, it would be a representation of how we are just inhabiting every possible nook and cranny of the world.

exactly, if you can dream it, you can understand it.

Most of these paintings are extremely metaphorical, and philosophical too. You practically need those elements to create something as psychedelic as this.

You can't just look at these paintings for 5 seconds and move on to the next one without you're thought process "understanding" it from you're thought process and point of view.

True. Otherwise they would be boring. If you draw a pretty flower, you and people who see it are gonna get bored of it quickly. However if you draw a pretty flower in between two mountains, you will be able to look at it for much longer.

Originally Posted by tommo

Ok then, UM, agree to disagree.

I thought I sort of agreed.

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

European surrealists in 1930. Front row: Tristan Tzara, Salvador Dali, Paul Eulard, Max Ernst, Rene Crevel. Back row: Man Ray, Jean Arp, Yves Tanguy, Andre Breton

Lol alpha males

Originally Posted by tommo

He was actually among the first. But that's not what I said. I said he was the only true one. I should clarify that, since I was drunk. What I should have said was, he blew surrealism into space. He made it. His work surpasses all others of the type. Of course this is open to debate. But that's my opinion and if you look at it, you will probably agree. But maybe not.

I think the only reason why most people think Dali exemplifies surrealism is because he was just such a surreal person. His artwork is matched by Ernst's and Duchamp's, etc. but he exploded into society as a character almost completely seperate from his work.

Another factor that might influence you is Dali's realist influences. He was an excellent realist, so his surrealism is that more unsettling.

Originally Posted by UM

but my personal opinion is that Magritte and Chirico are the best.

That's what I disagree with lol. Sorry, should have quoted.

Originally Posted by Xaqaria

I think the only reason why most people think Dali exemplifies surrealism is because he was just such a surreal person. His artwork is matched by Ernst's and Duchamp's, etc. but he exploded into society as a character almost completely seperate from his work.

Another factor that might influence you is Dali's realist influences. He was an excellent realist, so his surrealism is that more unsettling.

I think that could have, part, to do with it.
His paintings actually looked like they could be real as well.
When you looks at say, Rene Magritte, just off the top of my head, the painting with the apple the size of the whole room; I just think 'yeah and?.... so what?'. Dali has amazing landscapes and many meanings within each painting.

Anyway, kind of digressing here, but I just looked up Rene Magritte again because I had only really seen his paintings when studying Surrealism in class, so I just wanted to make sure I wasn't making dumb points lol, but anyway, I saw this painting.

and I'd never seen this before but I had thought of the same sort of image in my head before. I started painting it a while ago but it never got finished. It's interesting because we probably thought of them for totally different reasons.

This is why Surrealism in general is so good. With most other art you can only get a general idea of what the artist was trying to convey and there isn't much more to it. With Surrealism you can get many meanings because you sort of have to dig in to your subconscious to figure it out.