The Case for Surrealism | The Art Assignment | PBS Digital Studios

Surrealism, emerging post-World War I, was a revolutionary movement aimed at liberating the individual through art. It drew from romanticism and Dada, emphasizing automatism and the unconscious. Surrealists used chance, found objects, and the uncanny to challenge norms. Despite disbanding post-World War II, surrealism's techniques and ideas continue to influence art and culture, advocating for creative freedom and collective liberation.

What was the initial purpose of surrealism when it emerged in Europe?

• To provide an escape from reality

• To imitate nature

• To serve as a revolutionary force

• To promote traditional art forms

Who first used the term 'surrealism' and in what context?

• André Breton in the Surrealist Manifesto

• Guillaume Apollinaire to describe a ballet

• Sigmund Freud in his psychoanalytic theories

• Salvador Dalí in his paintings

What is automatism in the context of surrealism?

• A method to control artistic expression

• A style of painting with strict rules

• A technique to imitate nature

• A process of creating art without conscious control

Which of the following techniques did surrealists use to unleash the unconscious?

• Realistic painting

• Automatic writing and drawing

• Traditional storytelling

• Classical sculpture

What role did chance operations play in surrealist art?

• They allowed for unexpected artistic results

• They were avoided to maintain control

• They were used to create predictable outcomes

• They were only used in literature

How did surrealists view non-Western cultures?

• As a source of primitive art

• As irrelevant to their movement

• As a timeless other

• As an alternative set of values

What is the uncanny, according to Freud, and how did surrealists use it?

• A purely rational concept

• A blend of the familiar and strange

• Something entirely unfamiliar

• A traditional artistic technique

What impact did World War II have on the surrealist movement?

• It caused surrealism to become more traditional

• It led to the dispersion of surrealists

• It strengthened the movement in Europe

• It had no effect on surrealism

How did surrealism influence modern art and culture?

• By focusing solely on political themes

• By rejecting all forms of modern art

• By integrating surrealist techniques into commercial art

• By promoting strict artistic rules

What did surrealists believe about the connection between individual creativity and collective liberation?

• They are irrelevant to art

• They are unrelated

• They are the same

• They are opposites