Modules

Surrealism and Its Legacies (EAF3233)

30 credits

From its inception in Paris in the 1920s to contemporary works of art, film and literature, Surrealism has revolutionised the ways in which the ordinary world can be imagined and represented artistically. This module investigates the history of Surrealism tracing its impact and longevity within the modernist avant-garde and into popular culture; as well as the bold aesthetic choices made by its key practitioners and followers. You will discover how a small group of artists collaborated on films, art projects, books and events in order to see the world anew after the terrors of the First World War. The second half of the module will concentrate on a range of international films that have been influenced by Surrealism, for example, from Chile, Japan, and the Soviet Union to Hollywood and American television networks. The module asks, What is Surrealism? And why is it still relevant almost a century later?