A Trippy New Book Surveys 100 Years of Art Since the Birth of the Surrealist Movement

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  • Dec 7.

Glenn Brown, “When We Return You Won’t Recognise Us.” Image © Glenn Brown. All images courtesy of Monacelli, shared with permission

Next year marks the 100th anniversary of surrealism, an enduring movement the poet André Breton sparked in 1924. Countless artists across disciplines have been inspired by the uncanny, unconscious, and fantatstic, a few of which are celebrated in a forthcoming book written by Robert Zeller.

New Surrealism: The Uncanny in Contemporary Painting, published by Monacelli later this month, chronicles the history of the artistic and political movement from its birth amid World War I to more contemporary interests. Featuring major influences like the aforementioned Breton, Sigmund Freud, and the Dadaists, the 336-page primer travels through the century to highlight the artists, exhibitions, and events that profoundly impacted the genre. The book highlights surrealist icons like Remedios Varo, Salvador Dalí, and Leonora Carrington, along with artists working in the tradition today, including Arghavan Khosravi, Miles Johnston, and Ewa Juskiewicz, whose portrait of a swathed woman graces the cover.

An insightful survey that illuminates the connections between art and politics, New Surrealism is a valuable overview of one of the most influential movements in Western art history. Pre-order your copy on Bookshop.

 

Arghavan Khosravi, “Ascension.” Image courtesy of Rachel Uffner Gallery

Miles Johnston, “The Would”

Lenz Geerk., “The Game.” Photo by Robert Wedemeyer, image © Lenz Geerk

Alessandro Keegan, “Lumen”

Pierre Roy, “Danger on the Stairs.” Image © MOMA, Artists Rights Society, New York

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article A Trippy New Book Surveys 100 Years of Art Since the Birth of the Surrealist Movement appeared first on Colossal.