Surrealism between psychological investigation and artistic commitment

Abstract

Deciphering the mysteries of the unconscious was one of the central aims of Surrealists who, in order to achieve this goal, experimented with the most different techniques. The unconscious, displaying the contents that then can be painted, turned to be both a way to embark on inner exploration and a source of creativity. My paper firstly sheds light onto this marriage of art and psychology which, in Surrealism, harmoniously blended generating a fascinating and fruitful combination between creation and self-creation - art as a tool of self-knowledge and even inner evolution is one of the main consequences. Lastly, this study examines the surrealist scene today, considering how and why, through the decades, the painters'aims changed and why we should or shouldn't still call them "Surrealists".