[[surrealism]] thrives on the interplay of the **ordinary** and the **otherworldly**, a fusion that creates a tension inviting viewers to reimagine reality. The observation that life often feels more mundane than it should speaks to Surrealism’s core mission: to disrupt this normalised perception by awakening a sense of wonder, strangeness, and possibility. By juxtaposing the familiar with the bizarre, Surrealism not only reconfigures how we see the world but also reflects the duality of human existence—anchored in the everyday yet yearning for transcendence. ![[Otherworldly02.jpg]] ### **Surrealism and the Juxtaposition of the Mundane and the Unusual** ##### 1. **Juxtaposition as a Tool**: • In Surrealism, the ordinary serves as a reference point, grounding the viewer in the recognisable. The introduction of the otherworldly—unexpected, dreamlike elements—shifts this perception, forcing a reevaluation of both components. • André Breton, the founder of Surrealism, highlighted this in his _Manifesto of Surrealism_ (1924), where he described Surrealism as “pure psychic automatism,” allowing the subconscious to infiltrate the mundane. ##### 2. **Living Life as Surreal**: • Your idea aligns with the Surrealist belief that life itself is inherently strange, though this strangeness is often concealed by routine and societal norms. • By bringing the subconscious and fantastical into everyday life, Surrealist art mirrors the peculiar duality of human experience: the coexistence of rationality and [[imagination]], routine and wonder. #### **Examples of Works That Align with This Idea** ##### 1. **René Magritte** • Magritte’s works are quintessential examples of juxtaposition. In _The Treachery of Images_ (“This is not a pipe”), he challenges perception by combining the ordinary (a pipe) with the [[Conceptual]] ([[Language]] negating its reality). • In _Time Transfixed_, a mundane living room is disrupted by the absurd placement of a train emerging from a fireplace, capturing the surreal notion of “what shouldn’t belong yet does.” ##### 2. **Salvador Dalí** • In _The Persistence of Memory_, Dalí transforms ordinary objects (clocks) into melting, dreamlike forms. The piece blurs the boundary between reality and the subconscious, inviting viewers to reflect on the fluidity of [[Time]] and perception. • Dalí’s combination of the hyperreal and the absurd embodies the notion of life as both mundane and extraordinary. ##### 3. **Frida Kahlo** • Kahlo’s self-portraits, such as _The Two Fridas_, juxtapose the personal and the symbolic, merging her lived experiences (her physical pain and emotional struggles) with fantastical and spiritual imagery. • Though not formally a Surrealist, her work resonates with the movement’s ethos of merging reality with dreamlike, otherworldly visions. ##### 4. **Max Ernst** • In _The Elephant Celebes_, Ernst places bizarre mechanical and animal-like forms into an ordinary landscape, creating a collision of industrial and organic, everyday and alien. • His use of [[collage]] amplifies the tension between the recognisable and the absurd. ### **The Mundane as a Gateway to the Unusual** Surrealism suggests that to challenge the monotony of everyday life, we must first engage with its banality—its objects, routines, and settings. Only through their transformation or distortion can the strangeness of existence be revealed. • This concept is evident in **modern Surrealist-inspired works**, such as [[David Lynch]]’s films (_Blue Velvet_, _Eraserhead_), where ordinary suburban life becomes sinister and dreamlike through subtle, unsettling shifts. • Similarly, contemporary installations like Yayoi Kusama’s infinity rooms transform ordinary spaces into immersive experiences, reminding us of the extraordinary within the everyday. ![[Otherworldly01.jpg]] ### **The Role of Juxtaposition in the Surrealist Experience** Juxtaposition forces us to confront the duality of existence, where the ordinary and the strange coexist. • **Emotionally**, this creates both dissonance and wonder, reminding us of the limits of rationality and [[Control]]. • **Culturally**, it critiques the societal inclination to normalise and commodify life, reawakening a sense of amazement and [[Ambiguity]]. **Conclusion** Surrealism, through its union of the mundane and the extraordinary, challenges the perception of life as purely routine. By merging the recognisable with the fantastical, it reflects life’s hidden strangeness, inviting us to see the world anew. This duality—a reflection of both reality and imagination—continues to inspire 21st-century [[Culture]], encouraging us to embrace [[Ambiguity]] and rekindle our sense of wonder. [[surrealism]] is the combination of the ordinary with the otherworldly. I’ve said before that living life feels like it should feel more weird, unusual and amazing, yet we live it as though it’s mundane. One cannot challenge this without bringing in the ‘mundane’ and juxtapositioning it with the unusual.