In Paris 1924, poet André Breton wrote the Surrealist Manifesto, a call to arms for artists, thinkers and writers, which promoted creative freedom, without much concern for reason or logic.
What followed was art that possessed a dreamlike quality, where proportion is manipulated and subject matter strange, unsettling and illogical. Surrealist paintings in particular often include unexpected associations between objects. Surrealism has always sought to challenge the status quo and authority, often driving towards revolution. In this way, Surrealism has always been political.
It’s easy to understand why, for so many people, Surrealism is Paris-centric with a singular narrative: Breton and Surrealism are synonymous for good reason. But it’s not the full story, as a new show at Tate Modern aims to reveal. reframes Surrealism as a complex movement – rather than a style or cultural moment – which connected countries all over the world from Mexico to Japan and continues to influence and inform painters
