From Automatism to Bricolage. Exploring Contingency in Surrealist Painting

Abstract

This paper seeks to explore a contingency-based approach in Surrealist painting. This approach to organizing images based on contingency is not static, but has evolved over time, from the early 20th century to the present, in the practices of various artists. This article traces the methods of organizing and appropriating images based on contingency along the timeline of Surrealist development. It also examines why some contemporary figurative paintings, while no longer categorized as Surrealist, has largely adopted Surrealism’s contingency-based methods of organization. With the development of modern art history, this essay primarily describes a visual shift inherent to Surrealism, which is particularly evident in the transition from the early Surrealist method of „automatism“ to the Pop Surrealist painting method of „bricolage“. This visual progression has been naturally integrated into the image-making methods of contemporary artists, incorporating chance into the systems of appropriation of the screen image. Nowadays, the definition of Surrealism is extremely broad; it seems that any image that transcends conventional reality as a visual anchor can be considered surrealistic. However, when we try to trace this artistic movement, we find that Surrealism is much more complex. In some ways, the Surrealist movement is a rebellious ideology rooted in Dadaism that has influenced various fields such as literature, music, and theater. However, the focus of this article is on Surrealist imagery in painting, which is only a small part of the broader movement. The element of contingency in Surrealism arises in part from a rebellious spirit, particularly as a form of resistance to the grand narratives of social capitalism. In painting, this phenomenon often manifests itself in artists deconstructing, reconstructing, and appropriating reference images. The following discussion chronologically examines the development of contingency methods in Surrealist painting. It also attempts to explore how this contingency, applied to painting practices, interacts with various technological media, materials, and spaces to create a chemical reaction. Furthermore, this research presents numerous case studies of artists as a basis for new insights and knowledge.