Massurrealism is a portmanteau term coined in 1992 to describe a trend among certain postmodern artists who combine the visual language of surrealism with imagery and techniques drawn from mass media, including pop art. The style reflects the pervasive influence of technology, advertising, and consumer culture, merging dreamlike or irrational elements with familiar symbols from everyday media environments. Massurrealist works often blur the boundary between the subconscious and the mediated reality shaped by contemporary visual culture.Adam. "massurrealism", Intute:arts and humanities (University of Oxford and Manchester Metropolitan University), 17 October 2003. Retrieved 8 March 2008.
History
Massurrealism is a development of surrealism that emphasizes the effect of technology and mass media on contemporary surrealist imagery. James Seehafer who is credited with coining the term in 1992 said that he was prompted to do so because there was no extant definition to accurately characterize the type of work he was doing, which combined elements of surrealism and mass media, the latter consisting of technology and pop art—"a form of technology art."Seehafer, James. "Discussions: The Artist and Modern Society." , lecture on Massurrealism at Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg Russia, 20 June 2000. Retrieved 8 March 2008. He had begun his work by using a shopping cart, and then incorporating collages of colour photocopies and spray paint with the artist's traditional medium of oil paint.
In 1995, he assembled a small group show near New York City and found a local cyber-cafe, where he started to post material about massurrealism on internet arts news groups. The next year he started a dedicated web site, www.massurrealism.com and began to receive work from other artists, both mixed media and digitally-generated. He credits the World Wide Web with a major role in communicating massurrealism, which spread interest from artists in Europe"Lexikon", Ketterer Kunst Auction House, Munich Germany. Retrieved 21 December 2016."1990s subgenres", Ketterer Kunst Auction House, Munich Germany. Retrieved 03 July, 2017."Sommerach Art",Retrieved 25 May, 2021."Art Projekt notSKY",Retrieved 25 May, 2026. and in Latin America"Conoce más sobre el MASSURREALISMO? - Mexico City" Retrieved 21 December 2016. Seehafer has stated:
The differentiating factor, according to Seehafer, between surrealism and massurrealism is the foundation of the former in the early 20th century in Europe before the spread of electronic mass media. A common characteristic is the use of modern technology to fuse surrealism's traditional access to the unconscious with pop art's ironic contradictions."Selected examples of massurrealism", Retrieved 29 October 2022.
Massurrealism also combines mass media imagery with the artist's subconscious, recontextualizing elements from advertising and popular culture to create new associations and meanings. It uses both digital and traditional media to explore the here and now, individual perception, and the human condition, often seeking beauty, understanding and personal meaning amid modern life. Rather than being defined by a particular political or ideological doctrine, massurrealism emphasizes artistic freedom and individual expression. Its development has been described in terms of aesthetic values and an exploration of beauty, understanding, and personal perception. In this sense, it may be understood as an art genre concerned primarily with artistic and human experience rather than the advancement of a specific political program, and may encompass the creation of “art for art's sake.”Lantzen, Sean (2004). Massurrealism: A Dossier. Zurich: Novus Haus. .Seehafer, James; Morris, Michael; Kocsis, Philip (2013). Three Essays About Massurrealism. Princeton: University Plaza Press. .
In 2005, graffiti artist Banksy illicitly hung a rock in the British Museum showing a caveman pushing a shopping cart, which was described as "a nice tribute to James Seehafer and Massurrealism."Esaak, Shelley. "Banksymus Maximus", about.com, 22 May 2005. Archive originally retrieved 8 March 2008.
Artists British artist Alan King started to experiment with a combination of digital and traditional art methods in the 1990s, producing a majority of his works with photography and using computer techniques combining digital images with a multitude of traditional methods including oils, ink, acrylic, and watercolour.Impressions Cover artist bio article - overview of Alan King & massurrealism - April 2010 (printed edition – Virginia, USA).
Photographer Chip Simons incorporates both his photo images with digital collage.Chip Simons photography / digital collage
German artist Melanie Marie Kreuzhof, who describes her work as massurrealistic, was commissioned in 2004 by the editor of the Spectakel Salzburger Festsiele Inside magazine to produce an artwork about Erich Wolfgang Korngold's opera Die tote Stadt at the Salzburg Festival.Dixon, Troy. "'Die tote Stadt', 2004", korngold-society.org. Retrieved 8 March 2008. To make her work she took 9 digital photographs, composed them in a computer and printed the result directly onto canvas, which was then attached to a wooden frame, worked on with acrylic paint and had objects attached—3 guitar strings, a strand of hair and a silk scarf. The images and elements were derived from themes in the opera.
Other artists include Cecil Touchon who works with sound collage & poetry, and conceptual artist / film set designer Jean Pierre Trevor describes his 'massurreal approach' to his multi-media work.
American Southern artist John R. Adams / Johnny Ramage's Johnny Ramage select works. Retrieved 8 November 2018. work consists of digital media, photography, and random Google images chosen through an automatic style and rendered in unsophisticated photo editing software. Ramage's work often focuses on ominous, absurd images inspired by frightening childhood events all depicted in style that suggests a low-fi, or 8-bit and contemporary aesthetic.North Louisiana Arts Council - Retrieved 21 December 2016.
In popular culture
Hyperreality // Massurrealism is a New England IPA beer sold by Hourglass Brewing Company. It is shipped from Longwood, Florida.Hyperreality // Massurrealism - customer reviews, Retrieved 9 September 2022.
In the 2013 indie movie "45 RPM", the protagonist, Charlie, describes her work as massurrealism while applying for an artist grant.45 RPM (2013) - IMDb, - Retrieved 9 September 2022.45 RPM (2013) - excerpt, - Retrieved 9 September 2022.
See also Metaphysical art
Notes and references
Further reading Andreja Velimirović, "90s Art and Its Bequest to Contemporary Art" Widewalls Dallas Simms, "The Digital Psyche: Disembodied Embodiment, Massurrealism and Social Media" University Of Virginia, Charlottesville Ese Atakpu, "7 Art Styles" Kurating.com Retrieved 20 August 2019. Archived at the Wayback Machine
University of Birmingham, Burmingham, UK TURING ARTS SYMPOSIUM 2012 with the AISB/IACAP WORLD CONGRESS - discussion and visualizations of man/machine similarities and differences in select art works of surrealism e.g. Matta 1938 and Massurrealism of the 21st century. "The Inevitability Of Massurrealism" - Mark Daniel Cohen Wegway No:7 page 52 (Printed edition - Toronto Canada) November, 2004. "Avant Garde Under Net Conditions" - Perspektive (Printed edition - Austria) German text only.available online Retrieved June 2000. "What is new In The Surreal World" - Art and Antiques Magazine, (USA) March 2006. Celia Fernández, Contemplando el Massurrealismo Contemplating Massurrealism, Instituto Superior de Danza Alicia Alonso de La Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Mardrid, Spain - text in both Spanish and English "Massurrealism Yields New Unique Vision" - Computer Artist . (USA) August/September 1996 Brunner, Dr. Cornelia & Tally, William (1999). The new media literacy handbook. Anchor Books . Hoffman, Barry Howard (2002). The fine art of advertising: irreverent, irrepressible, irresistibly, ironic. Stewart, Tabori & Chang. Original from the University of Michigan Touchon, Cecil (2007). Happy Shopping - Massurrealist Spam Poetry. Fort Worth: Ontological Museum Publications. . King, Alan (2009). A Room Of Illusions - the Massurreal & Illusionary art of Alan King. Fort Worth: Ontological Museum Publications. ASIN: 0615263054 External links massurrealism.org homepage