Age of Surrealism

Wallace Fowlie

• Publisher: Paeroa House
• Year: 2026
• eBook ISBN:
  9781779795564
• Topic: Art
• Subtopic: Art General

When reality crumbles and dreams become more vivid than waking life, a revolutionary artistic movement emerges to capture the chaos and wonder of the human psyche. In this penetrating exploration, Wallace Fowlie takes readers deep into the heart of Surrealism, revealing how a band of rebellious artists and writers shattered conventional boundaries to create a new language of the unconscious. From the shocking canvases of Salvador Dali to the automatic writings of Andre Breton, this is the story of how creativity itself was reimagined in the aftermath of a world torn apart by war and disillusionment. Fowlie masterfully weaves together the personal struggles, philosophical upheavals, and artistic breakthroughs that defined this extraordinary period. He illuminates the mysterious processes behind surrealist creation, exploring how artists learned to tap into the hidden reservoirs of the mind where logic dissolves and pure imagination reigns supreme. Through vivid portraits of key figures and incisive analysis of their most provocative works, readers witness the birth of a movement that would forever change how we understand art, literature, and the very nature of human consciousness. The author reveals the profound connections between surrealist techniques and the emerging sciences of psychology and psychoanalysis, showing how artists became explorers of inner worlds as vast and dangerous as any uncharted continent. This remarkable study offers contemporary readers an essential understanding of how Surrealism continues to shape modern culture, from advertising and cinema to digital art and virtual reality. Fowlie's insights illuminate why these revolutionary ideas remain urgently relevant in our own age of technological transformation and social upheaval. For anyone seeking to understand the creative forces that drive human innovation, or simply curious about one of history's most fascinating artistic movements, this book provides an unforgettable journey into the landscapes of the imagination where anything becomes possible and the impossible becomes art.

Table of contents

• Title page
• TABLE OF CONTENTS
• DEDICATION
• I—ORIGINS
• II—LAUTRÉAMONT: the temperament
• III—RIMBAUD: the doctrine
• IV—MALLARMÉ: the myth (Hérodiade)