Surrealism

The term and expression of surrealism was originally developed as a backlash against excessive rational thought and previously established techniques of creating art of all forms in the 1920’s. Improvisation was a key to their creativity, constructing art on the spot, without extensive forethought was at the heart of their values.

The creators of the movement believed in automatic writing and painting, where the artist creates without mindful thought and intent, letting their subconscious run free. Free association, dream analysis and bringing to the surface the hidden unconscious, all utilizing Freudian concepts, was of the utmost importance to true Surrealism in developing methods to liberate imagination.

When we think of surrealism and surrealist painting, we can’t help but to conjure up some of the more universally recognized works that portray this movement, like those of Dali and Miro and Ernst. Like Miro’s “Portrait of Mrs. Mill” shown here, their works are ambiguous and suggestive rather than strictly figurative.

Looking at Robert D. Harris’ paintings brings to mind many of these core surrealist themes, the slight distortion of reality, the unraveling of spontaneous thought and the challenging of rational standards. His artwork possesses the uninhibited and stimulates the imagination, summoning inspiration from its viewers. His original piece, “Left Hand Envy," shown above, displays this free thought and renouncing of artistic norms. To see Harris paint live truly is to witness this improvisation and impulsive creation in its purest form and beings to mind the central premise on which true surrealism was created upon.