Human psyche Essay Example for Free

Human psyche Essay The urge to compete is a large part of the human psyche. When this sense of competitiveness is taken to the extreme, a war may erupt. Throughout the history of humanity wars have been waged, even before the advent of writing, when poets where there to capture their essence. The epic poem The Iliad by Homer describes a war that took place almost two thousand, seven hundred years ago. The Greek society in which Homer lived was considered more violent than any in existence today. This gave him all the inspiration needed to create an epic war poem. By revealing to the reader the futility and horror of war, Homers Iliad offers an excellent critique of society, more specifically the fragility of human civilization and the savagery of human nature, when under the extreme pressures of combat. This masterful piece of literature, although written in many centuries ago, has much insight on ancient Greek society that can still be applied, with a modern twist, to todays world. The style Homer used in his epic poem was unconventional and highly successful. Compared to many other novels or poem of its time, as well as most modern pieces of literature, The Iliad is much longer. This both helps and hinders the texts ability to convey the messages and meanings of war. In order to capture and preserve the audiences interest during such a long poem, Homer took the reader on adventures beyond the Trojan battle field and into the life of each individual solider. By doing this, the reader feels drawn into the story and shares the horrors and futility the Greeks faced during the Trojan War. A large part of Homers work is dedicated to war and battle scenes. The main reason for this is because many believed Greek society, which took place seven hundred years before Christ, was brutally violent. Fighting was an everyday occurrence and brought honour among the warriors. The Greek gods did not dissipate the violent society; in fact they encouraged it by demanding animal s acrifices as part of daily rituals. It is this bloodlust, along with Homers original style, that has made The Iliad popular and highly influential to this day. War stories depict, through their graphic imagery, the horrors and tragedies taking place during a battle and The Iliad is no exception. The Iliad is most effective at portraying the futility and horrors of war throughout the text with all the gory details. Homer does an excellent job at capturing the realism of each battle scene in over five thousand lines of prose, nearly one third of the poem. As critic Martin Muller points out in Fighting in the Iliad the poet and his audience like such [battle] scenes and their periodic occurrence require no greater motivation then bar-room brawls in a Western. The following quote illustrates Homers ability to evoke graphic images during a battle:  The shaft pierced the tight belts twisted thongs,  piercing the blazoned plates, piercing the guard  he wore to shield his loins and block the spears,  his best defense-the shaft pierced even this,  the tip of the weapon grazed the mans flesh,  and dark blood came spurting from the wound. (pg149, p2) This quote gives the reader a clear image of what is happening as the shaft wounds the unfortunate soldier. Homer also adds to the horrors of the war by telling us about the history of each individual solider before their death. With about two hundred and fifty names in the text, all with individual stories behind their life or death, the story may become murky but never unemotional. Many times a character will be introduced only to be killed off within the same chapter. This adds to the death, destruction and ultimately the horror of the war the Greeks and the Trojans are fighting. As well as reminding the reader of the horrors of war, Homer tells of the futility of fighting such a bloody battle. The sense of frustration and futility of the war is clearly sown as the Greeks fight the Trojans for more than nine years on end. With war comes death, a fact that resounds throughout the Iliad:  While Euchenor knew that boarding the ships for Troy  meant certain death: his father told him so  time and again the strong old prophet said that  hed die in his own halls of a fatal plague  or go with the ships and die at Trojan hands. (pg362, p3) In this quote, describing the life of a solider before he is killed, we see that his efforts during the war appear pointless. He could have met a similar dishonourable death by staying home and enjoying his life. Death represents the futility of fighting a war because it is the only guaranteed result. Monarch Notes tells that since death is a constant presence in life we may better see how men value their lives when they are close to that presence. Homer does an excellent job of bringing the reader down to the battle so that the futility of war can be closely felt.

to build a fire :: Papers

To Build a Fire To Build a Fire A Paper Jack London?s short story, ?To Build a Fire?, incorporates the struggle for a man and his dog to survive the forces of nature. The story also demonstrates how man is a creature of intellect and dog is a creature of instinct. Ignoring advice about traveling alone in the brutal Alaskan winter, the man begins his journey with his dog. Never realizing the ramifications of exposure to such brutal weather when temperatures are fifty degrees below freezing, he pushes forward, thinking he can beat nature and reach the camp before dark. As he continues his excursion, chances for survival diminish when many mistakes are made attempting to build a fire. Also, the ignorance and conceit of this man would not allow him to follow the dog?s instincts in the freezing weather. Therefore, he succumbs to mother nature and dies. Consequently, the forces of nature are greater and can outsmart a foolish man. In the story called ?The Necklace?, Guy de Maupassant wrote about an unhapp y woman, Mathilde Loisel, who desired the riches of life. However, she was married to a man with minimal wealth. One day Loisel, her husband, surprised her with an invitation to an exclusive social gathering. Instead of responding with glee, she only could worry about how she would look for the event. She took the little bit of money they had and purchased a gown. Then Mathilde borrowed a beautiful necklace from a friend of hers. At the end of this special evening she realized that the necklace had been lost. Her and her husband took out many loans to pay for the replacement. All of their earnings went to pay these loans. After ten years of hardship the loans are paid and she meets the friend who lent her the necklace. Mathilde finally finds out that the original necklace was not even made of real gems.

Comparative Analysis of Elizabeth Bennett and Emma Bovary Essay

Elizabeth Bennett and Emma Bovary are two of the most famous literature female protagonists of the 19th century. They are both known for their strong personalities and beautiful physical appearances. Elizabeth Bennett is the beautiful young heroine in Jane Austen’s well known romantic novel Pride and Prejudice while Emma Bovary is Gustave Flaubert’s protagonist in the much controversial French novel Madame Bovary. These two novels include two of the most talked about female protagonists in English Literature. Despite the two characters’ distinguished characteristics and principles, there are remarkable similarities in their stories’ settings and social situation. Comparison between Elizabeth Bennett and Emma Bovary The comparison between Elizabeth Bennett and Emma Bovary is not merely limited to the physical appearances but also to the extent of their social status and role as women. Both Bennett and Bovary live in a setting when social status is considered a basic need of an individual. It is noticeable that both Pride and Prejudice and Madame Bovary include the setting of a gathering or a ball where people of high status gather and meet. In Pride and Prejudice, the story starts off in a ball where Elizabeth Bennett meets the seemingly proud and cold Fitzwilliam Darcy. Pride and Prejudice is one of the most popular novels written by Jane Austen which was first published in 1813. It is more than a story of love which revolves around the lives of the Bennett family and the wealthy male visitors of Hertfordshire. The wide variety of personalities in the story contributed to the novel’s attractive and compelling features to date. In this regard, Elizabeth Bennett’s character speaks much of a strong personality which is extremely opinionated and bold. Unlike her younger sisters, she does not allow social status and wealth to interfere with her standards for love. However, in her statement, prejudices toward Darcy are evident for she has already judged him without knowing him well first. However, at the end of the story, she regrets having misjudged the man upon knowing the real Fitzwilliam Darcy. Thoroughly reviewing the whole context of the story, the diverse personalities of the characters are what made it possible to arrive in a certain character transformation. Each character is provided a characteristic that is distinct to other characters. Elizabeth Bennett, an interesting character indeed, possesses traits which are very much different from her sisters. Here is one of her statements to Darcy included in Chapter 19 where she rejects him the first time he proposed to marry her and considered to be one of her most famous line which establishes her personality as a dignified woman: I do assure you, Sir, that I have no pretension whatever to that kind of elegance which consists in tormenting a respectable man. I would rather be paid the compliment of being believed sincere. I thank you again and again for the honor you have done me in your proposals, but to accept them is absolutely impossible. My feelings in every respect forbid it. Can I speak plainer? Do not consider me now as an elegant female, intending to plague you, but as a rational creature, speaking the truth from her heart (Austen 97). Meanwhile, Emma Bovary represents the immaturity that Elizabeth Bennett least possessed. Bovary is portrayed as a woman who is fond of romantic novels and hopes despairingly for a magical romance. With this mindset, she resorts to adultery upon getting bored with the kindhearted but dull husband, Charles Bovary. In Chapter 9, Flaubert describes Bovary’s disgust and resentment towards the tiny details of their worn-out kitchen: Mealtime was the worst of all in that tiny room on the ground floor, with the smoking oven, the creaking door, the damp walls, and the moist flagstones; all the bitterness of her existence seemed to be served up to her on her plate, and the steam from the boiled beef brought up waves of nausea from the depths of her soul. It took Charles a long time to eat; she would nibble a few hazelnuts, or leaning on her elbow, would assume herself by drawing lines on the oilcloth with the tip of her knife (Flaubert 81-82). The way Flaubert presented the kitchen in Bovary’s eyes; it becomes clear that Bovary feels trapped in the duties of domesticity. She longs for something more than being just a housewife which is why she engages in extramarital affairs with wealthier men because she thinks she can achieve such imaginary romance by staying with a rich man. Clearly, this premise is very contradictory with Elizabeth Bennett’s principles. Despite their similar poor status in the society, Bennett is more satisfied with her life than Bovary. Bennett accepts the life she is living and does not immediately grants Darcy’s marriage proposal for the sake of wealth and status. It is true, though, that Bovary and Bennett have their similar standards for love. Even Bennett dreams of the man whom she would love dearly however, the difference is Bennett is rational and is willing to wait. On the contrary, Bovary is more impulsive in her decisions that her efforts are mostly in vain. Conclusion There are many similarities and differences between the characters of Elizabeth Bennett and Emma Bovary. Both women live with poor social status in the society which is the very reason of the conflicts in their love stories. However, it is important to note that despite their similar poor situations, their stories end up differently. Bovary’s end becomes tragic while Bennett lives the fulfilled life. The reason for these endings is dependent on the personal characteristics and attitudes of the two women towards poverty. Clearly, between the two heroines, it is Bennett’s dignified principles and rational thinking that earned her the much favorable ending than Bovary’s. Works Cited Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice: A Novel. London: R. Bentley. 1853. Flaubert, Gustave. Madame Bovary. Trans. Mildred Marmur, Evelyn Gendel. New York: Signet Classic, 2001.

Surrealism - The Movement and Artists Who Defied Logic

Surrealism defies logic. Dreams and the workings of the subconscious mind inspire surrealistic art (French for super-realism) filled with strange images and bizarre juxtapositions. Creative thinkers have always toyed with reality, but in the early 20th century Surrealism emerged as a philosophic and cultural movement. Fueled by the teachings of Freud and the rebellious work of Dada artists and poets, surrealists like Salvador Dalà ­, Renà © Magritte, and Max Ernst promoted free association and dream imagery. Visual artists, poets, playwrights, composers, and film-makers looked for ways to liberate the psyche and tap hidden reservoirs of creativity. Features of Surrealistic Art Dream-like scenes and symbolic imagesUnexpected, illogical juxtapositionsBizarre assemblages of ordinary objectsAutomatism and a spirit of spontaneityGames and techniques to create random effectsPersonal iconographyVisual puns  Distorted figures and biomorphic shapesUninhibited sexuality and taboo subjectsPrimitive or child-like designs How Surrealism Became a Cultural Movement Art from the distant past can appear surreal to the modern eye. Dragons and demons populate ancient frescos and medieval triptychs. Italian Renaissance painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo  (1527–1593) used trompe l’oeil effects (fool the eye)  to depict human faces made of fruit, flowers, insects, or fish. The Netherlandish artist Hieronymus Bosch  (c. 1450–1516) turned barnyard animals and household objects into terrifying monsters. Did Salvador Dalà ­ model his strange rock after an image by Hieronymus Bosch? Left: Detail from The Garden of Earthly Delights, 1503–1504, by Hieronymus Bosch. Right: Detail from The Great Masturbator, 1929, by Salvador Dalà ­. Credit: Leemage/Corbis and Bertrand Rindoff Petroff via Getty Images Twentieth-century surrealists praised The Garden of Earthly Delights and called Bosch their predecessor. Surrealist artist Salvador Dalà ­ (1904–1989) may have imitated Bosch when he painted the odd, face-shaped rock formation in his shockingly erotic masterpiece, The Great Masturbator. However, the creepy images Bosch painted are not surrealist in the modern sense. It’s likely that Bosch aimed to teach Biblical lessons rather than to explore dark corners of his psyche. Similarly, Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1526–1593)’s delightfully complex and freakish portraits are visual puzzles designed to amuse rather than to probe the unconscious. Although they look surreal, paintings by early artists reflected deliberate thought and conventions of their time. In contrast, 20th-century surrealists rebelled against convention, moral codes, and the inhibitions of the conscious mind.The movement emerged from Dada, an avant-garde approach to art that mocked the establishment. Marxist ideas sparked a disdain for Capitalist society and a thirst for social rebellion. The writings of Sigmund Freud suggested that higher forms of truth might be found in the subconscious. Moreover, the chaos and tragedy of World War I spurred a desire to break from tradition and explore new forms of expression.   In 1917, French writer and critic Guillaume Apollinaire (1880–1918) used the term â€Å"surrà ©alisme† to describe Parade, an avant-garde ballet with music by Erik Satie, costumes and sets by Pablo Picasso, and story and choreography by other leading artists. Rival factions of young Parisians embraced surrà ©alisme and hotly debated the meaning of the term. The movement officially launched in 1924 when poet Andrà © Breton (1896–1966) published the First Manifesto of Surrealism. Tools and Techniques of Surrealist Artists Early followers of the Surrealism movement were revolutionaries who sought to unleash human creativity. Breton opened a Bureau for Surrealist Research where members conducted interviews and assembled an archive of sociological studies and dream images. Between 1924 and 1929 they published twelve issues of La Rà ©volutionsur rà ©aliste, a journal of militant treatises, suicide and crime reports, and explorations into the creative process. At first, Surrealism was mostly a literary movement. Louis Aragon (1897–1982), Paul Éluard (1895–1952), and other poets experimented with automatic writing, or automatism, to free their imaginations. Surrealist writers also found inspiration in cut-up, collage, and other types of found poetry. Visual artists in the Surrealism movement relied on drawing games and a variety of experimental techniques to randomize the creative process. For example, in a method known as decalcomania, artists splashed paint on to paper, then rubbed the surface to create patterns. Similarly, bulletism  involved shooting ink onto a surface, and à ©claboussure involved spattering liquid onto a painted surface that was then sponged. Odd and often humorous assemblages of found objects became a popular way to create juxtapositions that challenged preconceptions. A devout Marxist, Andrà © Breton believed that art springs from a collective spirit. Surrealist artists often worked on projects together.The October 1927 issue of La Rà ©volution surrà ©aliste featured works generated from a collaborative activity called Cadavre Exquis, or Exquisite Corpse. Participants took turns writing or drawing on a sheet of paper. Since no one knew what already existed on the page, the final outcome was a surprising and  absurd composite. Surrealist Art Styles Visual artists in the Surrealism movement were a diverse group. Early works by European surrealists often followed the Dada tradition of turning familiar objects into satirical and nonsensical artworks. As the Surrealism movement evolved, artists developed new systems and techniques for exploring the irrational world of the subconscious mind. Two trends emerged:  Biomorphic (or, abstract)  and Figurative. Giorgio de Chirico. From the Metaphysical Town Square Series, ca. 1912. Oil on canvas. Dea / M. Carrieri via Getty Images Figurative surrealists produced recognizable representational art. Many of the figurative surrealists were profoundly influenced by Giorgio de Chirico (1888–1978), an Italian painter who founded the  Metafisica, or Metaphysical, movement. They praised the dreamlike quality of de Chiricos deserted town squares with rows of arches, distant trains, and ghostly figures. Like de Chirico, figurative surrealists used techniques of realism to render startling, hallucinatory scenes. Biomorphic (abstract) surrealists wanted to break entirely free from convention. They explored new media and created abstract works composed of undefined, often unrecognizable, shapes and symbols. Surrealism exhibits held in Europe during the 1920s and early 1930s featured both figurative and biomorphic styles, as well as works that might be classified as Dadaist. Great Surrealist Artists in Europe Jean Arp:  Born in Strasbourg, Jean Arp (1886–1966) was a Dada pioneer who wrote poetry and experimented with a variety of visual mediums such as torn paper and wooden relief constructions. His interest in organic forms and spontaneous expression aligned with surrealist philosophy. Arp exhibited with Surrealist artists in Paris and became best known for fluid, biomorphic sculptures such as Tà ªte et coquille (Head and Shell). During the 1930s, Arp transitioned to a non-prescriptive style he called Abstraction-Crà ©ation. Salvador Dalà ­:  Spanish Catalan artist Salvador Dalà ­ (1904–1989) was embraced by the Surrealism movement in the late 1920s only to be expelled in 1934. Nevertheless, Dalà ­ acquired international fame as an innovator who embodied the spirit of Surrealism, both in his art and in his flamboyant and irreverent behavior. Dalà ­ conducted widely-publicized dream experiments in which he reclined in bed or in a bathtub while sketching his visions. He claimed that the melting watches in his famous painting, The Persistence of Memory, came from self-induced hallucinations. Paul Delvaux:  Inspired by the works of Giorgio de Chirico, Belgian artist Paul Delvaux (1897–1994) became associated with Surrealism when he painted illusionary scenes of semi-nude women sleep-walking through classical ruins. In L’aurore (The Break of Day), for example, women with tree-like legs stand rooted as mysterious figures move beneath distant arches overgrown with vines. Max Ernst:  A German artist of many genres,  Max Ernst (1891–1976) rose from the Dada movement to become one of the earliest and most ardent surrealists. He experimented with automatic drawing, collages, cut-ups, frottage (pencil rubbings), and other techniques to achieve unexpected juxtapositions and visual puns. His 1921 painting Celebes places a headless woman with a beast that is part machine, part elephant. The title of the painting is from a German nursery rhyme. Alberto Giacometti: Sculptures by the Swiss-born surrealist Alberto Giacometti (1901–1966) look like toys or primitive artifacts, but they make disturbing references to trauma and sexual obsessions. Femme à ©gorgà ©e (Woman with Her Throat Cut) distorts anatomical parts to create a form that is both horrific and playful. Giacometti departed from Surrealism in the late 1930s and became known for figurative representations of elongated human forms. Paul Klee. Music at the fair, 1924-26. De Agostini / G. Dagli Orti via Getty Images Paul Klee: German-Swiss artist Paul Klee (1879–1940) came from a musical family, and he filled his paintings with a personal iconography of musical notes and playful symbols. His work is most closely associated with Expressionism and Bauhaus. However, members of the Surrealism movement admired Klee’s use of automatic drawings to generate uninhibited paintings like Music at the Fair, and Klee was included in surrealist exhibitions.  Ã‚   Renà © Magritte. The Menaced Assassin, 1927. Oil on canvas. 150.4 x 195.2 cm (59.2 Ãâ€" 76.9 in). Colin McPherson via Getty Images Renà ©Ã‚  Magritte: The Surrealism movement was already well underway when Belgian artist Renà © Magritte (1898–1967) moved to Paris and joined the founders. He became known for realistic renderings of hallucinatory scenes, disturbing juxtapositions, and visual puns. The Menaced Assassin, for example, puts placid men wearing suits and bowler hats in the midst of a gruesome pulp novel crime scene. Andrà © Masson: Injured and traumatized during World War I, Andrà © Masson  (1896-–1987) became an early follower of the Surrealism movement and an enthusiastic proponent of  automatic drawing. He experimented with drugs, skipped sleep, and refused food to weaken his conscious control over the motions of his pen. Seeking spontaneity, Masson also threw glue and sand at canvases and painted the shapes that formed. Although Masson eventually returned to more traditional styles, his experiments led to new, expressive approaches to art. Joan Mirà ³. Femme et oiseaux (Woman and Birds), 1940, #8 from Mirà ³Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Constellations series. Oil wash and gouache on paper. 38 x 46 cm (14.9 x 18.1 in). Credit: Tristan Fewings via Getty Images Joan Mirà ³: Painter, print-maker, collage artist, and sculptor Joan Mirà ³ (1893–1983) created brightly colored, biomorphic shapes that seemed to bubble up from the imagination. Mirà ³ used doodling and automatic drawing to spark his creativity, but his works were carefully composed. He exhibited with the surrealist group and many of his works show the influence of the movement. Femme et oiseaux (Woman and Birds) from Mirà ³Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Constellations series suggests a personal iconography that is both recognizable and strange. Meret Oppenheim: Among the many works by Mà ©ret Elisabeth Oppenheim (1913–1985) were assemblages so outrageous that the European surrealists welcomed her into their all-male community. Oppenheim grew up in a family of Swiss psychoanalysts and she followed the teachings of Carl Jung. Her notorious Object in Fur (also known as Luncheon in Fur) merged a beast (the fur) with a symbol of civilization (a tea cup). The unsettling hybrid became known as the epitome of Surrealism.   Pablo Picasso: When the Surrealism movement launched, Spanish artist Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) was already lauded as a forefather of Cubism. Picasso’s Cubist paintings and sculptures were not derived from dreams and he only skirted the edges of the Surrealism movement. Nevertheless, his work  expressed a spontaneity that aligned with surrealist ideology. Picasso exhibited with surrealist artists and had works reproduced in  La Rà ©volution surrà ©aliste. His interest in iconography and primitive forms led to a series of increasingly surrealistic paintings. For example, On the Beach (1937) places distorted human forms in a dream-like setting. Picasso also wrote surrealistic poetry composed of fragmented images separated by dashes. Here’s an excerpt from a poem that Picasso wrote in November 1935: when the bull–opens the gateway of the horse’s belly–with his horn–and sticks his snout out to the edge–listen in the deepest of all deepest holds–and with saint lucy’s eyes–to the sounds of moving vans–tight packed with picadors on ponies–cast off by a black horse Man Ray. Rayograph,1922. Gelatin silver print (photogram). 22.5 x 17.3 cm (8.8 x 6.8 in). Historical Picture Archive via Getty Images Man Ray: Born in the United States, Emmanuel Radnitzky (1890–1976) was the son of a tailor and a seamstress. The family adopted the name â€Å"Ray† to hide their Jewish identity during an era of intense anti-Semitism.  In 1921, â€Å"Man Ray† moved to Paris, where he became important in the Dada and surrealist movements.Working in a variety of media, he explored ambiguous identities and random outcomes. His rayographs were eerie images created by  placing objects directly onto photographic paper. Man Ray. Indestructible Object (or Object to Be Destroyed), Oversized reproduction of 1923 original. Exhibition at Prado Museum, Madrid. Atlantide Phototravel via Getty Images Man Ray was also noted for bizarre three-dimensional assemblages such as Object to Be Destroyed, which juxtaposed a metronome with a photograph of a woman’s eye. Ironically, the original Object to Be Destroyed was lost during an exhibition. Yves Tanguy: Still in his teens when the word surrà ©alisme  emerged, French-born artist Yves Tanguy (1900–1955) taught himself to paint the hallucinatory geological formations that made him an icon of the Surrealism movement. Dreamscapes like Le soleil dans son à ©crin (The Sun in Its Jewel Case) illustrate Tanguy’s fascination for primordial forms. Realistically rendered, many of Tanguy’s paintings were inspired by his travels in Africa and the American Southwest. Surrealists in the Americas Surrealism as an art style far outlived the cultural movement founded by Andrà © Breton. The passionate poet and rebel was quick to expel members from the group if they didn’t share his left-wing views. In 1930, Breton published a Second Manifesto of Surrealism, in which he railed against the forces of materialism and condemned artists who didn’t embrace collectivism. Surrealists formed new alliances. As World War II loomed, many headed to the United States. The prominent American collector Peggy Guggenheim (1898–1979) exhibited surrealists, including Salvador Dalà ­, Yves Tanguy, and her own husband, Max Ernst. Andrà © Breton continued to write and promote his ideals until his death in 1966, but by then Marxist and Freudian dogma had faded from Surrealistic art. An impulse for self-expression and freedom from the constraints of the rational world led painters like Willem de Kooning (1904-–1997) and Arshile Gorky (1904–1948) to Abstract Expressionism. Louise Bourgeois. Maman (Mother), 1999. Stainless steel, bronze, and marble. 9271 x 8915 x 10236 mm (about 33 feet high). On exhibit at the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. Nick Ledger / Getty Images Meanwhile, several leading women artists reinvented Surrealism in the United States. Kay Sage (1898–1963) painted surreal scenes of large architectural structures. Dorothea Tanning (1910–2012) won acclaim for photo-realistic paintings of surreal images. French-American sculptor Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010) incorporated archetypes and sexual themes into highly personal works and monumental sculptures of spiders. Frida Kahlo. Self-Portrait as a Tehuana (Diego on My Mind), 1943. (Cropped) Oil on Masonite. Gelman Collection, Mexico City. Roberto Serra - Iguana Press / Getty Images In Latin America, Surrealism mingled with cultural symbols, primitivism, and myth. Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907–1954) denied that she was a surrealist, telling Time magazine,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality.† Nevertheless, Kahlos psychological self-portraits possess the other-worldly characteristics of surrealistic art and the literary movement of Magical Realism. The Brazilian painter Tarsila do Amaral (1886–1973) was midwife to a unique national style composed of biomorphic forms, distorted human bodies, and cultural iconography. Steeped in symbolism, Tarsila do Amaral’s paintings might be loosely described as surrealistic. However the dreams they express are those of an entire nation. Like Kahlo, she developed a singular style apart from the European movement. Although Surrealism no longer exists as a formal movement, contemporary artists continue to explore dream imagery, free-association, and the possibilities of chance. Sources Breton, Andrà ©. , 1924First Manifesto of Surrealism.  A. S. Kline, translator. Poets of Modernity, 2010.Caws, Mary Ann, ed.. Surrealist Painters and Poets: An Anthology. The MIT Press; Reprint edition, 2002Greet, Michele. â€Å"Devouring Surrealism: Tarsila do Amaral’s Abaporu.† Papers of Surrealism 11(Spring 2015)Golding, John. â€Å"Picasso and Surrealism† in. Harper Row, 1980.Picasso in RetrospectHopkins, David, ed. A Companion to Dada and Surrealism. John Wiley Sons,  2016Jones, Jonathan.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Its time to give Joan Mirà ³ his due again.†Ã‚  The Guardian, 29 Dec 2010.  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Paris: The Heart of Surrealism.† Matteson Art.  25 March 2009 La Rà ©volution surrà ©aliste [The Surrealist Revolution], 1924–1929. Journal Archive.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mann, Jon. â€Å"How the Surrealistic Movement Shaped the Course of Art History.†Ã‚  Artsy.net. 23 Sept  2016  Ã‚  MoMA Learning. â€Å"Surrealism.†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Paul Klee a nd the Surrealists.† Kunstmuseum Bern - Zentrum Paul Klee  Rothenberg, Jerome and Pierre Joris, eds.  A Picasso Sampler: Excerpts from:  Ã‚  (PDF) The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, Other PoemsSooke, Alastair. â€Å"The Ultimate Vision of Hell.† The State of the Art, BBC. 19 February 2016Surrealism Period. Pablo Picasso.net  Surrealist Art. Centre Pompidou Educational Dossiers. Aug  2007