Assignment 4: Surrealism - an interactive artform?

Was introduced to this art form, or rather an art movement recently.

In fact, it was closely linked to something which i learnt 2 semesters ago when i did a module in interactive media.

I was particularly interested in historical aspect of the art, how it originated and how it came abt.

We learnt abt artist like Marcel Duchamps and his "readymades" and also more contemporary artists like Yoko Ono, who did the infamous "Cut Piece", where she displayed herself as an art piece, and invited her audience to "interact" with her by cutting pieces off her clothing.

As i pondered further, surrealism is somewhat like an interactive art form.
Because of the fact that surrealistic art pieces go beyond the rationality of the human mind, it intriguingly invites its viewers to take a deeper look, look and relook, to decipher or appreciate its meaning (if any).

Therefore, in a large way, interactivity between the art piece and the viewer can be considered dynamic and engaging.

Having seen a few surrealistic art pieces, I would say that I am most deeply impressed by the works of Philippe Halsman. Most of his art works are made on the photographic medium.

source:http://www.kunsthausgraz.steiermark.at/

Titled "Dali Atomicus", it featured Salvador Dali and 2 of Dali's paintings.
Many had analysed the photograph and much had been attributed to the fact that when this picture was shot back then, the world had just been introduced the concept of "nature and atom."

Objects, which are made up of atoms and particles, would "float" and suspend in the air. We see this very interesting and surreal juxtaposition of real objects placed in a very unreal moment.

Interestingly, Philippe Halsman also did a series of similar shots which the subjects jumped and froze in the frame.

In my opinion, these images have captured the essence of photography, which is to capture "the moment". I believe too, that many photographers have since subscribed to this school of thought. Indeed, if we take a closer look at photographs around us, those that stand out usually have this wow factor which captures the very moment that flashed across the photographers' eyes.

Thus, i feel that developments in modern photography can be attributed to surrealism. Being students/learners in this field, it is definitely beneficial to explore and appreciate this particular artform as I believe it will enhance and trigger our brain cells into better crafting or conceptualising ideas and expressions.