Surrealism

- 1925-1930: The Surrealist movement expanded to include painters, sculptors, photographers, and filmmakers, who joined Breton's group or were influenced by its ideas. Some of the most prominent Surrealist painters of this period were Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, Yves Tanguy, and Joan Miró, who created stunning and memorable images of distorted objects, dreamlike landscapes, and impossible scenarios. Surrealist sculpture was represented by Alberto Giacometti, who created skinny and spooky figures, and Jean Arp, who used organic and abstract shapes. Surrealist photography was pioneered by Man Ray, who used techniques such as solarization, rayographs, and double exposure to create surreal effects. Surrealist film was exemplified by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí, who collaborated on two shocking and controversial films: Un Chien Andalou (1929) and L'Âge d'Or (1930). The first one featured a scene where a woman's eye was sliced by a razor blade, and the second one featured a scene where a couple tried to have sex in the mud while being interrupted by a cow, a band of musicians, and a bishop. Needless to say, these films were not very popular with the authorities, the church, or the public, and were banned or censored in many countries.

- 1931-1939: The Surrealist movement reached its peak of popularity and influence in the 1930s, as it spread to other countries and regions, such as Belgium, England, Mexico, and the United States. Surrealist exhibitions, publications, and events attracted public attention and controversy, as well as the admiration and criticism of other artists and intellectuals. Surrealism also became more diverse and complex, as different factions and tendencies emerged within the movement. Some Surrealists, such as Breton, Éluard, and Ernst, were involved in political activism and supported the Communist Party, while others, such as Dalí, Magritte, and Buñuel, were more interested in exploring the individual psyche and the irrational aspects of human nature. Some Surrealists, such as Dalí, Tanguy, and Magritte, adopted a realistic and detailed style of painting, known as veristic Surrealism, while others, such as Miró, Arp, and Masson, preferred a more abstract and spontaneous approach, known as biomorphic Surrealism. Some Surrealists, such as Dalí, Ernst, and Magritte, used symbols and metaphors to convey their ideas, while others, such as Miró, Tanguy, and Brauner, invented their own visual language and vocabulary. Some Surrealists, such as Dalí, were very famous and successful, while others, such as Tanguy, were very poor and obscure. Some Surrealists, such as Breton, were very strict and dogmatic, while others, such as Magritte, were very flexible and ironic. Some Surrealists, such as Dalí, were very loyal and faithful, while others, such as Ernst, were very unfaithful and scandalous. Some Surrealists, such as Miró, were very friendly and cheerful, while others, such as Giacometti, were very lonely and depressed. Some Surrealists, such as Buñuel, were very rebellious and provocative, while others, such as Magritte, were very discreet and polite. Some Surrealists, such as Dalí, were very egocentric and narcissistic, while others, such as Éluard, were very generous and altruistic. Some Surrealists, such as Dalí, were very flamboyant and extravagant, while others, such as Magritte, were very simple and modest. Some Surrealists, such as Dalí, were very original and innovative, while others, such as Dalí, were very repetitive and boring. (Just kidding, Dalí was awesome, but you get the point.)

- 1940-1966: The outbreak of World War II forced many Surrealists to flee Europe and seek refuge in the United States, where they encountered new artistic and cultural influences, such as Abstract Expressionism, jazz, and cinema. Some Surrealists, such as Breton, Ernst, and Masson, settled in New York, where they mingled with American artists, such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Robert Motherwell, who were inspired by Surrealism's emphasis on spontaneity, emotion, and gesture. Some Surrealists, such as Dalí, Magritte, and Buñuel, returned to Europe after the war, where they continued to produce remarkable works of art and film. Some Surrealists, such as Miró, Giacometti, and Arp, stayed in Europe during the war, where they faced hardship and isolation. Some Surrealists, such as Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Leonora Carrington, lived in Mexico, where they created vibrant and colorful works of art that reflected their personal and cultural identity. Some Surrealists, such as Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, and Dorothea Tanning, moved to different places and experimented with different media and styles. Some Surrealists, such as Breton, Dalí, and Magritte, died in the 1960s, while others, such as Miró, Ernst, and Buñuel, lived until the 1980s. Some Surrealists, such as Dalí, became icons of popular culture, while others, such as Tanguy, remained relatively unknown. Some Surrealists, such as Breton, were revered as the founders and leaders of the movement, while others, such as Dalí, were rejected and expelled from the group. Some Surrealists, such as Magritte, were celebrated as masters of art, while others, such as Buñuel, were acclaimed as masters of film. Some Surrealists, such as Miró, were loved by everyone, while others, such as Dalí, were hated by some and adored by others. Some Surrealists, such as Dalí, were very Surrealist, while others, such as Dalí, were not very Surrealist at all. (Again, just kidding, Dalí was the most Surrealist of them all, but you get the point.)