New Surrealism

New Surrealism introduces an overview of the history of Surrealism and then shows how the themes explored by the early Surrealists are still present in contemporary drawing and composition. Alongside a survey of contemporary Surrealism, the book also features a special section devoted to the working methods of fourteen artists from today, taking you into their studios to see how they create their artwork. The Surrealist movement may be over a hundred years old, but it is still relevant to the wide swath of contemporary artists working in seemingly unlimited variations of its original themes. Not all the artists brought together in this book self-identify as Surrealist per se, but each uses some variation on the primary themes of Surrealism in a personal and diverse manner. Many of the modalities of Surrealism still maintain contemporary currency: presenting the familiar as unfamiliar and uncanny, the juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated imagery and the use of absurdity to critique political or social issues, as well as the use of erotic imagery in an irrational, non-linear context. A seemingly ordinary scene can be alternately absurd, exotic, and sensual, allowing a window into the artist’s subconscious. Another distinguishing aspect of the Surrealist movement was its use of dream landscapes, constructing a world of one’s own, from an internal headspace within, populated by a cast of characters and themes unique to that particular artist’s vision. There are many contemporary artists who still work within that convention today. Beginning with Hieronymus Bosch and other visionary artists who were precursors of Surrealism, the book sweeps forward to Paris in 1919 to Andre Breton, the Dadaists, and the early Surrealists. The book surveys the over one hundred years of Surrealist composition, featuring a wide range of diverse artists, from the early and mid-20th century to today. The historical artists featured include Kay Sage, Leonora Carrington, Paul Delvaux, Giorgio de Chirico, Max Ernst, and many others. It also features the work of some of the most renowned contemporary artists including Inka Essenhigh, Ginny Casey, Adrian Ghenie, Anna Weyant, Vincent Desiderio, and many others who are influenced by Surrealism. In the second section, the book offers a look at their work and unique methods. Unique in its combination of critical history, up-close survey of top contemporary practitioners, and detailed art instruction, this book aims to have the same broad appeal to museum-goers, collectors, and art enthusiasts that the author’s first book, The Figurative Artist’s Handbook (Monacelli, 10.8K sold), enjoyed. And given the 2021−22 Surrealist exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Surrealism Beyond Borders) and at MOMA (Sophie Taeuber-Arp), and the recent addition by the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) of a new grant category, “New Surrealism,” the moment is ripe for such a book.