Surrealism's Century: A Wild Ride Through Dreams and Reality

Surrealism is turning 100, and it's still as confusing and fascinating as ever. This art movement, known for its love of dreams and the bizarre, started as a writing project but soon took over the art world.

The Exhibition

People often think of Salvador Dalí and René Magritte when they hear "Surrealism," and you can see their work in the "Dreamworld: Surrealism at 100" exhibition at the Philadelphia Art Museum.

This show is different from others because it uses many pieces from Philadelphia's own collection, which is one of the best in the U.S. It also has loans from famous places like the Pompidou Center in Paris.

The curator, Matthew Affron, arranged the art by themes that Surrealists cared about:

• Dreams
• Strange nature scenes
• World War II
• Magic
• Sex

It's a lot to take in, and some important artists like Meret Oppenheim and Dora Maar aren't included. But overall, it gives a good look at what Surrealism did well and where it fell short.

The Origins

Surrealism began after World War I as a reaction to the chaos of the time. It started with writing, but soon artists like Dalí and Magritte made it famous with their detailed, dreamlike paintings. However, their careful work might not have fully captured the raw, unconscious ideas that the movement's founder, André Breton, wanted. He wrote the "Manifesto of Surrealism" in 1924, which is why we're celebrating its 100th anniversary now.