Automatism as a technique of surrealism

Automatism is a technique used by surrealist  to create their artwork apart from other techniques. This technique is about accessing materials from subconscious mind in producing a creative artwork.
Its about free association when coming to create an artwork. (Tate, 2016)

"Pure physic automatism the dictation of thoughts in the absence of all control exercise by reason and outside all moral or aesthetic content". (Andre Breton, 1924) (founder of surrealism movement)

Example:

     Figure 1: Number 23 (Jackson Pollock, 1948) 

My idea come from subconscious mind when I see my surrounding where trees are cut and left like that. I give a soul to the tree and start to think how a tree will look if it has human quality. 

Technique: Automatism

Material: A2 paper, black pen, black marker

                                            

Figure 2: Sketch

The tree has a hand and holding a flower( her child) with a sad look because she dont know until when she is going to survive before she is going to be cut for city development or other production uses.

 

Figure 3: Materials

 

 

Figure 4: Developing on the sketch 

 

Figure 5: Drawing more random lines 

 

 

Figure 6: Drawing lines and shades 

 

 

Figure 7: Developing on the artwork

 

 

Figure 8: Inserting more random lines with different angles and shapes

 

 

Figure 9: Finished artwork [The sacrifice of a tree (Menagha, 2016)]

The tree is trying her hard to protect her child and waiting for the time she will be cut. Nearby there is a tree trunk which shows her family has died. This art shows the sacrifice of the tree toward human because during its life it gives many benefit and also after die. From flower, will be born the fruits and seeds that are beneficial for humans. Also after it dies, it give us many materials, from paper, wooden materials and so on. This also can be related with parents and their sacrifice to their children. Because every parents worry about their death and hoping their children to adapt to the world with growing up and settle in their life before they can leave the world.

Reference:

Tate, 2016. Automatism, Tate,accessed on 4 November 2016, url:  http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/a/automatism

Surrealism artwork (task)

I came up with something that born from my mind. I did not follow any realism because surrealism is all about anything apart from real life.

Technique used: decalcomania, transfer texture through print-making, collage
Materials: stem, tree bark, stone, leaf, tissue, poster colour, plastic, A2 paper

Sketch:

 

Figure 1: Sketch 

 

Figure 2: Materials: found object

 

 

Figure 3: Poster colour

 

 

Figure 4: Putting paint on a plastic randomly

 

 

Figure 5: Pressing the plastic on the paper

 

 

Figure 6: The effect

 

 

Figure 7: painting on a leaf 

 

 Figure 8: Getting texture from a leaf

 

Figure 9: Getting stone texture

 

 

Figure 10: The effect

 

 

Figure 11: Wood texture

 

 

Figure 12: Stem texture

 

 

Figure 13: Tree bark texture 

 

 

Figure 14: Progress 

 

Figure 15: Tissue texture

 

 

Figure 16: Painting sky using tissue texture

 

 

Figure 17: Using thumb to create effect 

 

Figure 18: Finished work (Riding on a sea creature)

I used different textures and collected everything to produce this. I used blue and purple to give a harmony feeling. Red and orange of body of the sea creature is contrasted with blue to make it stand out from surrounding. The sea creature has a snake like body, tail of lion, chicken head, and swimming in ocean. Two people are drawn using hand, to show they are sitting on the sea creature and riding on it. In reality, no one can ride on a sea creature like that, because such thing dont exist. So, surrealism is totally all about dream-state like, fantasy and imagination. Imagination unlocks the creativity of a person.

Surrealism sketches and techniques

-Melting the candles and dripping technique

 

 Figure 1: pink droplets (Menagha, 2016)

-Mixture of charcoal from burned plant stem and poster colour

 

 

Figure 2: Pineapple man (Menagha,2016)

- Smudge from a match stick and burning the edge of paper

 

Figure 3: Smudge (Menagha, 2016) 

Putting paint on a plastic and printing on a paper, after that draw back the shapes, human face or animals that I can see.

 Decalcomania technique

 

Figure 4: Decalcomania

                                        

Fold the plastic into 2 and apply paint on one side. Fold and press the plastic and spread the paint all over.

 Sketches of surrealism:

Surrealism in digital arts

Surrealism, sur means beyond, realism means real.So, surrealism is an art movement that describes something beyond the real or hyper-realism.
 Below is the photo manipulation technique used to create the artwork.
Software such as Adobe Photoshop and Krita are used.

 

Figure 1.0: Escalator found in Suria KLCC                   Figure 1.1: Climbing up the waterfall          

                                                                                                           (Menagha, 2016)

 The girl in the picture climbing up and touch the water falling from waterfall . She climbing up using an escalator showing the unrealism and something that happen in our dream so far.

   

Figure 2.0: My leg (Menagha, 2016)                   Figure 2.1: great artist (god) (Menagha, 2016)

The picture shows a person sitting on a world painting everything with a brush. This is unrealistic since there is a giant human sitting on an earth is impossible. He also creates the world with painting. 

Visit to petronas gallery

Last wednesday, the art and graphic schools threw a visit to Petronas Gallery. It is situated at Suria KLCC, near the Twin Towers.

 

Figure 1: Suria KLCC (Menagha, 2016)

 

 

Figure 2: Twin tower view ( Menagha, 2016)

 

 

Figure 3: Petronas Gallery (Menagha, 2016)

In Petronas Gallery, we had chance to see many artworks from variety of mediums, paintings, installation, sculptures and etc. Some of the artworks are as below:

 

 

Figure 4: Ectasy ( Eng Tay, 2000)

 

Figure 5: Some of the paintings (Menagha, 2016)

 

 

Figure 6: Tour (Menagha, 2016)

 

 

Figure 7: Installation of dove as peace (Petronas Art Collection, 2016)

 

Figure 8: Students viewing the photo manipulation artworks (Petronas Art Collection, 2016)

 

 

Figure 9: Take a cloud and fly (Khoo Sui Hoe, 1970) 

 

Figure 10: Lamuria #2 (Ali Mabuha Rahamad, 1987)

 

 

Figure 11: Nightfall (Ali Mabuha Rahamad, 2002)

 

 

Figure 12: Emcee is giving introduction talk (Menagha, 2016)

 

 

Figure 13: Some of the artist that contributed in this gallery (Menagha, 2016) 

(from left: Bayu Otomo, Hayati Moktar, Ali Mabuha, Sabri) 

This visit gives the students inspiration and motivation to create an artwork in future. Other than that, this tour also gives the students and lecturers an opportunity to contribute ideas, and strengthen relationships with each other as well as with the artists and Petronas gallery staffs.