In 1935, Salvador Dalí called his paintings “color photography done by hand,” signaling the immense importance of photography as a Surrealist medium. Debuting in relation to the movement’s literary production, photography came to define a range of avant-garde practices around the world. In the hands of Surrealists and the experimental photographers they inspired, the camera became a mechanism for discovering visual poetry, and seeing the world in a new way. With a dizzying array of tactics, including multiple exposure, unusual perspectives, cropping, and solarization, Surrealists rapidly made the medium their own and their procedures radiated throughout Western and Eastern Europe, the Americas and Japan.
In celebration of the centennial of the founding of Surrealism in 1924, this exhibition features 100+ works by 50 artists, highlighting the movement’s original aims in the medium of photography and its far-reaching influence. By exploring the capacities of the medium, it highlights how artists have ultimately used photographic techniques to question the nature of seeing itself, delving deeply into the inner realm.
Notable artists include Eileen Agar, Eugène Atget, Joseph Bartuska, Hans Bellmer, Brassaï, Manuel Alvarez-Bravo, Robert Capa, Georges Hugnet, Clarence John Laughlin, Dora Maar, Lee Miller, Lucia Moholy, Osamu Shiihara, Man Ray and Wols. Dora Maar is represented by no less than eighteen rare vintage prints. Importantly, the exhibition explores the numerous ties between Surrealist ideas and Eastern European, German and Japanese experimental practices.
The exhibition is curated by William Jeffett, Sr. Curator at The Dalí Museum, with works on loan from artist and art collector David Raymond. Since 1985, Raymond has pushed the boundary of the definition of “the surreal,” working to expand the canon in his collecting practice. Beginning in 2007, when over 160 works gathered by Raymond became part of the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, he found his passion for collecting became even stronger. This will be the first exhibition in a decade to debut the fruits of his labor.
Visitors may also become part of the artistic process in the interactive “photo studio” and learn how to recreate surrealist techniques featured in the exhibit on their smartphones. Additionally, the AI-powered Dream Tapestry experience offers the ability to transform a written dream into a one-of-a-kind image in the genre of black-and-white surrealist photography.
This special exhibition is included in the price of Gallery Admission. To reserve your ticket for this exhibit, book your visit during the exhibit timeframe (Nov 16, 2024 – May 4, 2025). Tickets are typically available up to 30 days in advance.
Presenting sponsor of The Subversive Eye is Marion R. Rich, with a deep appreciation for Surrealist photography.
Thank you to our supporting sponsors Ingrid and Jake Jacobus and Adele Visaggio.
Thank you to our Airport Partner: St. Pete Clearwater International Airport (PIE) and Hotel Partner: TradeWinds Resort on St. Pete Beach.
