Jeffery Silverthorne, Untitled, 2001, Photo-based collage, Courtesy of PDNB Gallery, Dallas, TX

A Bit of Surrealism presented by Photographs Do Not Bend Gallery

Written by Alexander Loukopoulos

Surrealism's greatest strength is its inherent ability to disregard logic. Though rational thought is necessary for the advancement of society at large, an overabundance of sense-making can often lead to emotional and creative gridlock, ironically resulting in the inability to achieve any sort of progress. Thank the Surrealists, then, for realizing that the subconscious mind is a near-limitless breeding ground for unconventional artistic beauty and for using that realization to found one of the most important artistic movements of the 20th century. The Photographs Do Not Bend Gallery is honoring these pioneers with works from their gallery collection at A Bit of Surrealism, an exhibition lasting from May 11th to June 15th, celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Surrealism

Angus McBean, Ivor Novello and Mary Ellis ‘surrealized’ for The Dancing Years, 1939, Gelatin Silver Print, Courtesy of PDNB Gallery, Dallas, TX.

A Bit of Surrealism profiles two artists in particular: Angus McBean (work pictured above) and Alfred Gescheidt. Angus McBean (1904-1990) was a British photographer known for his theater portraits, in which he often incorporated surrealistic elements through photo montage and multiple exposures. As a founder and early adopter of the techniques we have come to associate with Surrealism, his work is the purest testament to the defining characteristics of the movement. The scene above of a couple dancing inside an hourglass immediately elicits feelings of love, longing, and the inevitable passage of time - a combination of emotions that may not be as readily apparent had the artist tried to achieve them through more conventional means.

Alfred Gescheidt (1926 - 2012), charmingly referred to as the Charlie Chaplin of the camera, was an American street photographer who experimented heavily with photo collage. As evidenced by the work pictured below, his take on surrealism often had a humorous twist. Influenced by the surrealists who preceded him, his unique style of surrealistic photography was characterized by outrageousness and originality, which would become his trademark throughout his decade-spanning career. Though rooted in the uncanniness that surrealism is known for, his humor-infused oeuvre would further progress surrealism’s legitimacy as an art form that could continually carve out new and unexpected spaces for itself.

Alfred Gescheidt, Statue of Liberty Mooning, 1971, Gelatin Silver Print, Courtesy of PDNB Gallery, Dallas, TX.

Also included in A Bit of Surrealism are three more artists: Chema Madoz (b. 1958), Jeffery Silverthorne, and Vilem Kriz (1921-1994). Madoz, similarly influenced by the Surrealists, creates new meaning from the unusual combination of everyday objects and natural elements (see his work below). Silverthorne, who has exhibited at PDNB for the past two decades, continues to showcase his melancholic and outlandish photo collages. Finally, a single work by Kriz, an immigrant and student of the modernist movement, rounds out the exhibit.

Chema Madoz, Untitled, 1998, Gelatin Silver Print, Courtesy of PDNB Gallery, Dallas, TX

Step into the thought-provoking world of A Bit of Surrealism. This exhibition, though small, is a potent reminder of Surrealism’s legacy and its continued relevance in the art world. It is guaranteed to stimulate both the rational and irrational self - the rational for its remembrance of the talented artists who have come before and continue to explore the surrealism of today, and the irrational for the content it highlights, evoking emotions kindled by the ephemeral to the absurd to the macabre. A Bit of Surrealism is a toast to both the past and the future, a celebration of the surreal sure to inspire for another century.