The first “Manifesto of Surrealism,” issued in Paris in 1924, defined Surrealism as:
Dictation of thought in the absence of all control exercised by reason, outside of all aesthetic and moral preoccupation.
The international Surrealist movement emphasized dreams, chance, and the unconscious. Such sources of inspiration had the potential for both artistic and personal liberation. Not solely a style or movement, Surrealism is also a worldview or politics that believes in transforming daily life by challenging a viewer’s sense of reality.
100 years after Surrealism’s inception, explore its revolutionary contributions to art across mediums, geography, and time.
Drawn from the Blanton’s collection with select loans, the exhibition includes famed Surrealists such as Hans Bellmer, Leonora Carrington, Max Ernst, Wifredo Lam, and Man Ray, alongside artists inspired by its innovations, including Yayoi Kusama and Dorothy Hood, and contemporary artists working within its vocabulary. Long Live Surrealism! expands our understanding of one of the twentieth century’s most enduring ideas—and its continued relevance today.
Manuel Álvarez Bravo, “Los agachados [The Crouched Ones],” from “Fifteen Photographs by Manuel Álvarez Bravo, 1974,” 1934, Gelatin silver print, 7 1/4 9 5/8 in., Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, Archer M. Huntington Museum Fund, P1975.18.11 © 2024 Estate of Manuel Álvarez Bravo
Kenji Nakahashi, “Frustration,” 1978, Photoetching, 15 in. (38.1 cm), Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, Anonymous gift in memory of Kenji Nakahashi, 2020.201 © Center for Creative Photography, Arizona Board of Regents
Man Ray, “Man Ray,” from the series “Electro-Magie,” 1969, Etching and aquatint in color, 14 15/16 11 in., Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, Gift of Alvin and Ethel Romansky, G1972.7.2.4 © 2024 Man Ray Trust / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris
Federico Castellón, “Untitled,” 1935, Dry brush and ink on paper, 16 x 11 7/8 in., Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, Gift of Stephen Robeson-Miller in memory of Anne Clark “Pajarito Matta” Alpert (1914–1997), 2023.10 © Estate of Federico Castellón. Image Credit: Isabel Asha Penzlien
Dorothy Hood, “Untitled,” 1990, Collage, 20 × 16 in., Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, Bequest of John A. Robertson, 2017.172
Hans Bellmer, “Untitled,” from “Les Marionettes,” 1969, Hand-colored engraving with drypoint, 15 3/4 13 3/16 in., Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, Gift of Alvin and Ethel Romansky, G1972.7.1.3 © 2024 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris
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Long Live Surrealism! 1924–Today was organized by Claire Howard, Associate Curator, Collections and Exhibitions, Blanton Museum of Art.