The Paranoid Critical Method

Andre Masson, Automatic Drawing, 1924

The Surrealism movement is a unique intersection of fine art and psychology. Originally influenced by Freud, artists of the movement attempted to tap into and materialize the unconscious, to push past the real and portray the surreal (Gordan, 230). Surrealist works held equal value as both pieces of art and incites to the human mind, “surrealist works are not important as poems, as pictures, as objects, but as being the residue left when we have strip down our souls to the bare framework of the unconscious which is beneath all our selves and from which we never escape” (Gauss, 39). But the question was: how does one discover the surreal? The consensus among artists is that one must free the self from the rational and release any resemblance of rational control (Gauss, 39). However, there are differing opinions in how to do so. The surrealist’s proposed two methods of surrealist creation. The first was the passive method of automatism. This method stemmed from Andre Breton’s automatic writing and dream experiments, which he began in 1919 (Gordon, 234).  The early Surrealists methods were forms of pure psychic automatism, such as Masson’s Automatic Drawing. The method of automatism as the most pure way to express the real process of thought was challenged by Salvador Dali in the 1930’s through his counter theory of paranoia-criticism (Harris, 727). This split in methods and underlying ideas is the basis for Breton’s renowned, Second Surrealists Manifestos.

Automatism is known as the passive phase of Surrealism, whereas paranoia-criticism, or paranoiac-critical, is known as the active method. With the active method, Dali achieves the symptoms of paranoia through simulation of various mental diseases and then utilizes this altered state of mind to create his unconscious images (Gordon, 235). Dali believed this method was the most pure and accurate way to tap into the unconscious. In his mind, the active process would trump automatism as the primary method of Surrealists because, “…it was the systematic character of paranoia, the way in which it was itself an interpretation of reality, rather than subject to interpretation, that made it superior to automatism and dream accounts that were all too subject to rationalization after the fact, and thus recuperation” (Harris, 731). Dali believed the reality one interprets in a paranoid state of mind is a pure representation of their unconscious; it was not subject to rationalization and thus freed ones mind from rational control to reach the surreal.

Salvador Dali, Le grand paranoiaque, 1936

            Dali believed the whole ambition of the artists was to “materialize the images of concrete irrationality”. To achieve this ambition he painted very realistically. He believed that our unconscious vision was comprised of unrealistic visions of reality and therefore needed to be depicted accurately; he “…recorded the interior model as faithfully and as clearly as any realist or academic painter would copy his exterior model” (Gauss, 41). For example, when you dream, your dreams look like reality; the scenarios may not be realistic but the images are derived from everyday life. That is precisely why Dali believed the unconscious should be realistically represented, since it derives from the conscious.

           In addition to painting images realistically, Dali also employed the tactic of double images. He believed the ability to portray and see a double image epitomized the paranoiac. He argued that the work paranoia is able to perform on already existing images is the proof of its active character and opposed the invention of new images in the passive, automatic method (Harris, 732). Many of Dali’s paintings contain double images, including his famous Visage Paranoiaque, Dormeuse, cheval, lion invisibles, and Le grand paranoiaque. 

The multiple interpretations present in these images are a result of ones paranoia. Dali makes sure that no single reading dominates; he creates “…a multiple image which can never settle into a single interpretation” (Harris, 734); this to Dali is a pictorial representation of the unconscious. Although some scholars argue that there can be no such thing as an unconscious painting since it is so planned out and formulated, Dali argues that such elements as double-images are directly tapping into the unconscious.

Salvador Dali, Visage Paranoiaque, 1935

Salvador Dali, Dormeuse, cheval, lion invisibles, 1930

            Although surrealists may argue in favor of a certain artistic method, the aim of both the passive and active methods is the same. They both try to deliberately tap into the unconscious, which the Surrealists consider to be “the prime source of artistic inspiration” (Gordon, 230). The Surrealist movement is a manifestation of the self-reflective questions that have plagued, and continue to puzzle humankind. We ask: what is really going on inside our minds? Scholars in all fields from psychology and neurobiology to sociologists and artists tackle this question; everyone believes they have the closest thing to the answer. Dali was a victim to this conceited pattern and believed his paranoid critical method was the true way to tap into the unconscious, the prime source of artistic expression. Whether he was correct in his theory or not, he created works that resonated with people around the world and fueled an artists movement that renounced the previous norms of aesthetics and morals.

Works Cited

Gauss, Charles E. "The Theoretical Backgrounds of Surrealism." The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 2.8 (1943): 37-44. JSTOR. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. <http://www.students.sbc.edu/evans06/Gauss%20reading.pdf>.

Gordan, Donald A. "Experimental Psychology and Modern Painting." The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 9.3 (1951): 227-43. Wiley-Blackwell. JSTOR. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/425884 .>.

Harris, Steven. "Beware of Domestic Objects: Vocation and Equivocation in 1936." Art History 24.5 (2001): 725-57. Wiley. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1111/1467-8365.00293/asset/1467-8365.00293.pdf?v=1&t=ha2w6ebt&s=c717d060f1d8e7f2100c7ea2771882f3aebe5cb8>.

Representing the Unconscious

            Surrealism in its purist state is the representation of the mind, that of the flow of ideas, conceptions and memories. Surrealism aims to represent what cannot be represented, aims to capture something that is just beyond the reach of the conscious mind. Andre Breton aims to lay the foundation of Surrealism in the First and Second Manifestos of Surrealism, primarily in this conversation the First Manifesto will be referred to. Breton lays out the aim of Surrealism to represent in literature and in art a true manifestation of thought, thought without control and without rational boundaries, thought that is experienced in the dream state. Breton argues that these thoughts and these conceptions should be and can be realized through the flowing of thoughts onto paper, the representations of dreams, which while dreaming man does not find to be so insane, but while awake seem to be unfathomable and irrational. Breton defines surrealism as, “Pure psychic automatism by which it is intended to express, either verbally or in writing, the true function of thought. Thought dictated in the absence of all control exerted by reason, and outside all aesthetic or moral preoccupations.” Though Breton makes large claims that surrealism is the key to unlocking the dream state, and that this can be represented in various forms did not go uncontested.

            Max Morise and Pierre Naville both critiqued the idea of surrealism, and respond to Breton’s manifesto with the question, can the unconscious truly be represented? Pierre Naville simply states, “Everybody knows that there is no surrealist painting.” Naville argues that the unconscious cannot be represented, at least not in painting. Is this true? Can the unconscious be represented in painting? Can the unconscious be represented in any medium? Max Morise addresses the representation of the unconscious in his critique The Enchanted Eyes (translated from French) and posits that the unconscious and the surrealist goal of representing it can be realized perhaps in writing, but not in pictures. Morise suggests that this goal to represent the psychological state and the seemingly irrational dream state can perhaps be realized, however the images of dreams and memories are inherently tainted by the conscious mind. Morise also states that stream of thought cannot be viewed statically and is ever changing. Morise brings to light the inherent relationship between pictorial systems and ideas, pointing to Picasso’s use of pictorial language. Morise even states that cubism is in way “automatic” in line with that of surrealism. Keeping in mind Picasso’s Ma Jolie, 1911 pictorial language is challenged and the intellectual relationship removed in a sense. This precursor to surrealism took the idea of representation and turned it on its head in an effort to deconstruct pictorial language. In a similar way surrealists aim to represent what has not been represented, to represent thought and ideas without control.

            The aim of surrealism is bold, and in fact Breton’s argument, his call to represent that which is inherently not representable, to imagine and produce what in fact has never before been seen with a conscious mind is almost oxymoronic. Who is to say whether or not Dali's The Persistence of Memory, 1931 is truly a representation of his unconscious mind?Morise makes a stand against Breton in the sense that he claims the unconscious is immediately tainted by the conscious, and though Breton argues that the artist should open up their mind to all possibilities and that the unconscious mind can conceptualize everything, even those things that remain in memory from dreams are tainted by the conscious mind, tainted by rational, by society, by the ever changing nature of the human mind. So I posit that the unconscious can only be represented in part, or rather can only be represented in images to an extent, the conception of dreams a remnant of memory almost gone combined with the fluid nature of the human mind and perception of the individual lack certainty in creating a painting. Surrealism sets out to represent the unconscious and realize dreams that overcome rationality and transcend the already set pictorial language we know. 

Sources:

Breton, Andre. "The Manifesto of Surrealism." The Autobiography of Surrealism. Ed. Marcel Jean. New York: Viking, 1980. 117-32. Print.

Morise, Max. "The Enchanted Eyes." The Autobiography of Surrealism. Ed. Marcel Jean. New York: Viking, 1980. 193-96. Print.

Breton and the Surrealist Split pt. 2

"The simplest Surrealist act consists
 of dashing down into the street,
pistol in hand, and firing blindly,
 as fast as you can pull the trigger,
into the crowd."
-Andre Breton, Second Manifesto of Surrealism

When I envision Andre Breton writing Second Manifesto of Surrealism, I picture him enraged and constantly shaking his head and cursing those he excommunicated. Around 1928, while enduring a year of fellow surrealists (such as Pierre Naville) whispering in his ear, Breton gets the itch for revolution. After writing to his surrealist friends and asking “for an account of their present ideological position with a view to individual or collective action,” Breton doesn’t receive the feedback he has been hoping for (Nadeau 155). Rather than hear from serious surrealists and those willing to “accept the established order, install oneself in that order, and finally put oneself in the service of the enemy,” Breton gets NADA-ZIP-ZILCH (Nadeau 158). Right off the bat he counters such disappointing responses in his second manifesto written in 1930, where he critiques the general population for its “lethargy” and submissive behavior towards “higher authorities” (Second Manifesto of Surrealism 120). (He must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed!) Essentially, in this manifesto he proposes to create a collective action (towards communism) and asks those who he has not already excommunicated to prove their commitment to the movement. It seems as if Breton is bored with his exploration of the psyche and becomes obsessed with “the question of the social regime under which we live” (Second Manifesto of Surrealism 139). It is important to note that Breton isn’t proposing to abandon surrealism, but rather to “orient surrealism in the direction of revolutionary action” (Nadeau 131). It is his support for the communist party that I believe to be the main cause of “the split”. After listing names and pointing fingers (a specific finger if you catch my drift) at those who he felt were disloyal to surrealism, he goes a bit further on his lengthy tangent (also known as the Second Manifesto) by stating, “I would like to make it very clear that in my opinion it is necessary to hold the cult of men in deep distrust” (Second Manifesto of Surrealism 127). Lexi’s post will dive deep into Breton’s involvement with the idea of paranoia, however, this quote epitomizes the divide between Breton and fellow thinkers at the time. Between the first and second manifesto, Breton asks his peers to channel their surrealist thoughts, art and writing towards a cause-the communist revolution. When faced with little support, he lashes back with the Second Manifesto of Surrealism somewhat declaring, “If you aren’t with us-you’re against us!”

Bringing parts 1 and 2 of this blog post full circle, a key difference in regards to Dadaism and Surrealism are their roles as movements. Dadaists are deconstructionists, meaning they aim to break down (societal) boundaries. Surrealists on the other hand, specifically Andre Breton, view themselves as constructionists. When I say constructionists I am referencing Andre Breton’s focus on the need to define a moral constant to develop an avant-garde transformation. I hate to admit it, but I find his ambition admirable (how many of us will have written multiple manifestos by the age of 30?). However, his ideas are expressed in a hypocritical, vague and immature manner. Who is Andre Breton to label my thoughts as “limited”? Isn’t he stifling his unconscious with his meticulously thought out manifestoes? In my opinion, his excommunication in his Second Manifesto of Surrealism is a mode of self-rationalization that lacks reason (how fitting for a surrealist!).

FIN

-Alexa Hankard

Works Cited:

Breton, Andre. Manifestoes of Surrealism. N.p.: Ann Arbor, 1972. Print.

Nadeau, Maurice. The History of Surrealism. New York: Macmillan, 1965. Print.

Witkovsky, Matthew S. "Dada Breton." Dada 105 (2003): 125-36. JSTOR. The MIT Press. Web.

*All images were found on Google. I do not claim them as my own.*

Breton and the Surrealist Split pt. 1

The cover of the book I used to study and analyze Breton's Manifestoes!

To understand the surrealist split, a little background might be helpful for us common folk. In my opinion, as well as Matthew Witkovsky’s, Dada was the start of Andre Breton's restless avant-garde formation (otherwise known as surrealism). In order to follow these proceeding thoughts, I ask you to view Dadaism and Surrealism as overlapping movements. (Rather than Dadaism leading to Surrealism, the two share a common space. Melanie thinks so too! Read her post to see the two movements' relationship!) However, despite these movements' similar characteristics of spontaneity and resistance to any form of regulation, Breton seemingly wanted to create and declare his own artistic rebellion. (This is hypocritical we will soon see, considering Breton critiques the common “incurable mania of wanting to make the unknown, known, classifiable.” [Manifesto of Surrealism 9]). Perhaps it might be best to begin the story and analysis of “Breton and the Surrealist Split” like a trial in court. I’ll analyze each manifesto individually, and then explain my take on this contradictory conflict.

Something to keep in mind in regards to the first manifesto: "No rules exist, and examples are simply life-savers answering the appeals of rules making vain attempts to exist." -Andre Breton

A French copy of the first manifesto (everything looks cooler in French...hmmm why is that?)

Surrealism can be defined as “the true functioning of thought” and exists in a state of limitless imagination (Nadeau 89). Andre Breton and his posse attack realism on the basis that it is “hostile to any intellectual and moral advance” (Nadeau 87). The purpose of his 1924 Manifesto of Surrealism is to explain the basic tenets of surrealism and to advocate its applicability. Breton critiques the “realistic” attitude for its “lusterless fate” and “clarity bordering on stupidity” (Manifesto of Surrealism 1, 6). I must confess that I appreciate his honesty-for the most part. How else is he going to grab the attention of the avant-garde in a time where movements are popping up left and right? However, he continues to bash on the idea of “living under the reign of logic,” which as a result makes me turn on my breaks (Manifesto of Surrealism 6). As mentioned previously, Breton despises classification and human’s obsession with organization, however my question is: Then what is he doing that is so radically different in his manifesto? Isn’t he writing a public declaration of ORGANIZED thoughts, in which he CLASSIFIES them into segments? (Clearly these manifestoes are not written in experimentation with spoken thought. I’ll touch more on this in 3…2…) Meanwhile, he continues to praise Freud and his theory on dreams because despite the notion that only our conscious actions matter, what we do in our sleep is just as important too. (After I read this in his manifesto I am embarrassed to admit that I am one of those people who could care less about what happens in my slumber. Who remembers their dreams from two nights ago? I can’t even recall mine from last night!) I think one of the most important concepts to remember in reference to Manifesto of Surrealism is that it advocates lifting the chains off of your unconscious. (When was the last time any of us expressed what we REALLY thought, right when we felt it?) In the section “Secrets of the Magical Surrealist Art” within the manifesto, he is persistent on experimenting with spoken thought. While he recommends to “write quickly, without any preconceived subject; fast enough so that you will not remember what you’re writing and be tempted to reread what you have written,” I can’t help but ask myself how this method of writing is “surreal” if we are consciously following Breton’s instructions (Manifesto of Surrealism 29-30)? Read Kara’s post for more on this! The first manifesto ends with a statement I find relevant to the second. He declares, “surrealism does not allow those who devote themselves to forsake it whenever they like” (Manifesto of Surrealism 35). This idea will be a core motivator and a foreshadowing statement for Breton’s second manifesto, in which he SLAMS some of the ancestors of surrealism for abandoning their commitment to the movement.

-Alexa Hankard

(All bibliographical information can be found on my second post!)

Peggy Guggenheim by Sienna van Alphen

When looking at the works produced by Surrealist artist, I had a hard time finding something that draws me to the images.  Yes I find that surrealist art was brilliant and still is to this day but I certainly would never attempt to collect it.  This thought brought me to thinking about the collectors during the surrealist movement and asking myself why would they choose surrealist art? Is it just because it was the “it” thing to do or is there more meaning behind the art that collectors had a connection with? 

            Peggy Guggenheim was one of the most famous collectors of surrealist art.  Her interest in it has made many of the surrealist artists famous to this day.  Peggy was born into a wealthy family and when her father died she grew up having a troubled childhood.  She married her first husband, Laurence Vail, who was a Dadaist himself he introduced Peggy to new ways of thinking, which in return slowly sparked her interest in the movement.  Vail had over the course of time, introduced Peggy to various Dadaist groups, which introduced her to many new artists including Marcel Duchamp. Dada was a leading factor that started surrealism and Peggy’s taste also started to shift towards surrealism.  Though Peggy was first drawn to more historical art, she was able to collect modern art because it fit her budget.  Her knowledge of modern art was minimal when she started to take an interest in it but because Vail was involved in it and had brought her along to many social events, she did have some experience.   Peggy was interested in modern artists that include Picasso, de Chirico, Chagall, Picabia, and Duchamp. 

            Peggy’s first purchase was a sculpture by Jean Arp titled Head and Shell; she was guided by Marcel Duchamp.  The connection that she had made with Arp had brought her a connection to Kandinsky and Bauer.  Her connection to surrealism came a bit later in her life.  While she was with one of her many lovers she was introduced to the founder of surrealism André Breton.  This being the start for her love of surrealism it led to findings such as Jackson Pollock.  She considered Jackson Pollock as one of her most honorable achievements and started him off on a high career path. 

            Now that there is a brief history on Peggy Guggenheim I would like to explore the question of why she chose surrealist art.  Besides the fact that it was easier to collect because it did not cost as much as collecting works by the Old Masters.  It was difficult at first to find one exact reason that stated Peggy’s interest in the art world of surrealism but after reading through Charlotte Gere and Marina Vaizey’s book Great Women Collectors a couple reasons were uncovered.  When reading through the chapter on Peggy Guggenheim, Gere and Vaizey wrote that Peggy “started to collect art so that she wouldn’t disappoint artists whose works were shown in her galleries.”  In other words she would buy at least one painting from each artist displayed in her galleries so that those artists would not be let down.  Another reason that came up was that she started collecting surrealist art because she felt that she was “serving the future instead of the past” (Gere/Vaizey, 197).  This really sparked my interest and was exactly what I was looking for.  After reading that quote it made more sense why Peggy Guggenheim wanted to collect surrealist work, to concentrate on these modern works meant producing the future while focusing on previous pieces of art meant focusing on something that would not and can not be changed.  Because of this outlook that Peggy had on modern art, including surrealism, and the future, she helped artist such as Jackson Pollock and Max Ernst become some of the most famous artist in the world. 

Citations:
1st Image: Peggy Guggenheim

2nd Image: Head and Shell, Jean Arp, 1933

3rd Image: The Antipope, Max Ernst, 1942

Gere, Charlotte, and Marina Vaizet. "Patrons and Collectors of Surrealism." Great Women Collectors.
London: Philip Wilson Limited, 1999. 191-97. Print.

Gill, Anton. Art Lover: A Biography of Peggy Guggenheim. New York: HarperCollins, 2002. Print.