Page 55 - Studio International - October 1970
P. 55

together only surrealist artists in the strictly   defined by the means used, but by a new and   which seizes the images seen in the dreamlike
          `Surrealist' sense of the word, that is to say,   revolutionary concept of existence extended   state and its goal is to show the `sur-real'
          those who adhered intellectually and morally to   to include the individual's moral behaviour   relationship which links objects between
          Surrealism. Intentionally, we decided to put,   before applying it to his creative behaviour.   themselves. It must therefore suggest and not
          side by side, not only the artists who 'created'   For Marcel Lecomte,2  the surrealist artist   state. It does not define anything, 'it is the
          Surrealism in our country, but also those who   is the one who 'does not consider himself   springboard, the magic wand, the spring in the
          bear the surrealist label. Furthermore, we have   as a writer or a painter destined for creative   box of tricks. After it, the deluge ...When the
          included those who at a certain moment—   individuality, but as part of a shared     image links two extremes, two opposites of
          sometimes a very brief one—of their existence   psychological and ethical climate'. As a result,   reality; it shows the cohesion, the constant
          did belong to this new form of knowledge which   surrealist works —be they poetry or painting—  co-operation of the individual parts (in concrete
          shook the world. And those too, still closer to   must not be considered as the 'creative outcome   terms) of a whole, which is, furthermore,
          our time, who in turn sought to discover the   of a man marked by individual solitude, but,   itself accidental'.5   All real objects being
          intangible and the wondrous. Most of them   on the contrary, as works influenced by the   linked by invisible strands, the surrealist
          belong to movements which after the Second   shared lyrical and poetic climate'. Within the   image exploits the latent bond which transforms
          World War brought together men whose ideas   surrealist experience itself, other forms of   reality into something `sur-real'. When
          were very often close to those of a Magritte   Surrealism should also be distinguished.   Magritte paints a bird in flight and a nest full
          or of a Mesens at the height of the surrealist   René Passeron3   speaks of doctrinal Surrealism   of eggs, there is but a step from one to the
          period. This exhibition does not, in any way,   which may be grasped by reading tracts   other, yet they are bound by a `sur-real'
          attempt to be homogeneous. We do not pretend   and magazines; of the Surrealism of poets in   relationship. He explains this relationship while
          to do more here than put the works displayed in   which the individual personality plays a more   at the same time withdrawing behind its
          historical perspective, to give them their   prominent role; of the Surrealism of manners   mystery: 'My concept of painting is narrowly
          rightful place in the history of art as seen   and morals which deals with the kinds of life   limited to the juxtaposition of colours in such a
          through the surrealist movement. Despite   Surrealists led as a group; and finally of   way that their obvious aspect disappears and
           misfortunes Surrealism did not disappear after   pictorial Surrealism which deals exclusively   lets an image, that I call poetic, appear and
          1940, but instead grew and, as Marcel      with painting but whose international     which corresponds to the natural curiosity we
           Havrenne wrote 'though its flashes of     language has enabled Surrealism to spread like   have for the unknown. In this image familiar
          lightning no longer have the same brilliance,   a large oil slick. Throughout his writings,   forms of the visible are brought together. This
           it may nevertheless be surmised that they will   Breton speaks of chance, of desire, of   image is the complete description of an
           never die out'.                           dream, of imagination, of the domination of   efficient way of thinking which justifiably brings
                                                     the subconscious and of mystery as the    mystery directly to mind. I am not concerned
           WHAT IS SURREALISM ?                      keys to the surrealist universe.          with wresting secrets but with discovering
           From its inception, the word 'Surrealism'   Living as it did in a dream world, reaching   means for painting images whose unknown
           became a household word; it has been used and   close to the subconscious and challenging   cannot be reduced to the known'.6
           abused. Today, it can be found in advertising   chance, Surrealism was bound to surround
           contexts as well as in art books. We ordinarily   itself with a halo of mystery sustained by the   SURVEY OF BELGIAN ACTIVITY
           speak of surrealist, surrealising, sur-real ... but   mystification of everything connected with   a) The adventure of the surrealist group of Brussels.
           if an accurate definition is required, we   its method. When Magritte, in an attempt to   For Paris, the year 1924 was marked by
           quickly see that the problem needs clarification.   be explicit wrote, three months before his   the publication of Breton's manifesto
           Surrealism is more than just a school or   death:4   'The Surrealists have never refused to   which heralded the official birth of Surrealism.
           movement, for according to Marcel Duchamp   define their thoughts ... and what are they if   For Belgium, it was also a significant year.
           `movements begin with the formation of a   not mysterious ? Mystery is their very nature',   In Brussels, a handful of avant-garde artists
           group and end with the scattering of the   he for a moment suggested the possibility of   carried on a discreet, mysterious, even secret
           individual members' and yet the surrealist   clarification, lifted a corner of the curtain, but   activity. Paul Nougé was the instigator and
           movement remains very much alive. Rather, it   quite rapidly retracted himself: 'Of mystery, I   unquestioned leader. Around him we find
           can be defined as the attitude man takes when   cannot deduce anything, it would be to fail to   Camille Goemans and Marcel Lecomte,
           faced with life's problems; above all it is the   recognize its true nature. The similarity of the   two other poets.
           acceptance of rules of life which put one   individual figures of familiar visible forms do,   Nougé immediately suggested to his two
           outside and beyond the world. One 'is surrealist',   in fact, evoke their mystery.'   friends that the ideas and opinions they had
           one belongs, not to a movement or a group but   After having attempted to define Surrealism   during their discussions concerning books by
           to specific ethics or moral rules. That is why   and its ethical philosophy, we should deal   Breton, Paulhan, Eluard, Valery or Proust
           Surrealism is not the work of a single individual   specifically with creative Surrealism and the   be given a wider audience through leaflets.
           but rather that of a collective experience, even   ideas determining the formulation of the   This endeavour seemed very attractive to them
           if at the beginning, it started as the venture of a   so-called surrealist image. Let us first lay down   and the first issue of Correspondance was
           handful of men. To be a Surrealist, André   the guiding principle: the artist reveals in   published on 22 November 1924. It was written
           Breton was to say in 1929, is to have     broad daylight what he has seen in the 'night' of   by Nougé himself as `A reply to an investigation
           `unwavering faith in the commitments of   his mind. Let us recall that he does so quite   on modernism'. Correspondance was to be
           Surrealism' which implies 'a detachment, a   freely, without any hindrances or taboos,   published three times a month, written in turn
           contempt of risk, a refusal to compromise—an   trusting the unbridled imagination and the   by Nougé, Goemans and Lecomte. They
           attitude that very few men, in the long run,   surrealist credo :                    were one-page tracts, printed on loose sheets
           show themselves capable of'. Thus he who                                             of paper of different colours, each bearing as a
           claims to be a Surrealist must give up making   L' esprit contre la raison (R. Crevel)   title the name of the colour, followed by the
           small concessions in everyday life and as the   (The mind against reason)            number of the issue, thus : blue 1, pink 2,
           demands of purity become more and more                                               green 3, etc.
           imperious the pressure which has built up will   L'oeil existe à l' état sauvage (A. Breton)   The second significant fact for
           often require that an irreversible choice be   (The eye exists in an untamed state)   Correspondance was represented, not by a
           made.                                                                                departure but by an arrival, i.e. that of André
              Surrealism should not, therefore, be      The surrealist image is the trompe l'oeil    Souris who brought the musical element to a
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