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Welcome to the website of SURREALISM NOW! The Official Website of Surrealism and The International Surrealist Movement in the 21st Century and all its affinities. My name is Keith Wigdor. I am the Owner and Gallery Manager of SURREALISM NOW! I am a Surrealist and Artist and I work in the medium of Photomontage besides other media as well, painting, drawing, working with filters, etc. I am just one of many artists creating, working, experimenting and exploring in this era of the 21st century. This website is the only site on the Internet that specializes in Surrealism and its affinities that are all recognized as one movement, a radical force to transform life itself through Surrealist, Fantastic and Visionary Art, etc.
SURREALISM NOW! evolved out of the online Surrealist, Fantastic and Visionary website, THE HAMMOND GALLERY, where I was working as Gallery Manager for Ian Eade, who created NOW SURREAL UK. Since HAMMOND went offline, there was a huge void that desperately needed to be filled to exhibit The International Surrealist Movement, Fantastic Realism and Visionary Art Movement all together online. Many artists who were also members of AOI, THE SOCIETY FOR THE ART OF THE IMAGINATION, needed to exhibit with other fellow travelers and comrades all in one setting. THE HAMMOND GALLERY was originally NOW SURREAL UK, the brainchild of Ian Eade, who funded and paid for the entire online project out of his own pocket. A truly thankless job, Ian is a saint, the only surrealist with a vision that the Internet could be used as a setting for online galleries that specialize in these movements all recognized as one force.
Art is just one facet of Surrealist activity, there is writing, theory, poetry, performance, and action. The best method of approach to the marvelous, I believe is art, in and of itself, because in my view, Art is Action. That philosophy is the main driving force behind this project, which is the reason why I decided to go forward with the mission to merge and unite all the above movements into one powerful dynamic force. I do believe that I have successfully accomplished this task. Look at who is already exhibiting on this website and you will see that SURREALISM NOW! is the Main Driving Force in online art exhibition,
that unites the above mentioned movements into one, with emphasis on the IMAGINATION. Also, this website has the largest Surrealism and Surrealist Art Resources list on the Internet to be used by students, scholars, galleries, museums, educators, and the art loving public!
We live in man-made programmed world, and a dangerous one too. The Threat of Global Warming, the ongoing failure of Foreign Policy in the Middle East and the War in Iraq, along with International Terrorism, GATT and NAFTA Trade Agreements that wreck economic havoc on the Third World, show the beginning of this century as extremely difficult if not completely morbid. The IMAGINATION and THE REVOLUTION OF THE MIND (as implemented by Andre Breton, Max Ernst, Salvador Dali and all members of The International Surrealist Movement in the 20th Century) as revolt towards the forces behind WW1 and WW2 is more relevant and important today than ever before. The task before us is to use our art as the alternative to the narrow spectrum of reality and logic that is enforced on to us by the external forces that are in total conflict with our humanity. The IMAGINATION and The MIND that we all possess cannot be subject to "utility" that is intended to DENY the VISIONS and REVELATIONS of our comrades in art! We have illuminated the world with our art! ART IS ACTION!!!!!!!
Its obvious that the pantheon of modern art during the last century holds the memorial of vacant ornaments, blind objects of the capitalist's lance, breeding the profits for the economic season of Retrospective Surrealism and the countless other "isms". 20th Century Art has become regulated to another market of economic activity and has come close to becoming void of any real meaning. This unfortunate outcome is reflected in practically anything relative to the power of Revolution and Revelation from the last century. "LUST FOR LIFE" being used as a soundtrack for cruise ships on television, get the picture?
You see, Surrealism does not want to run away from reality, nor does it want to escape from it. In reference to the last century as I mentioned in the above paragraph, there were great industrial and technological accomplishments created by man, but at what cost? Look around you, look at the news, look at the current state of affairs in the world. I call this the age of, "TECHNOCHIVALRY", where the investor-banker absentee landlords of corporate martial law, are the masters of our lives and have slowly taken control of our minds through the use of machines, the factory, industry and technology! My convictions stand firm. We are slowly becoming an isolated species of beings alienating ourselves from the marvelous, which is everywhere that is everywhere! You still can see further with open eyes.
Lets examine where we are now. Why is Surrealism important? Is it an Art Movement? If it is, then is it aligned with those few who are still within the grasps of the 'occultation' phase of Surrealism of the past? Is Surrealism really addressing the problems of reality, from its inception during its beginning as revolt towards ALL the forces that were responsible for the horrors of the First World War, and also WW2? Before I keep asking too many questions that I myself already know the answers to, I propose these questions to you, the viewer, the public. Surrealism is Revolution! A REVOLUTION OF THE MIND!!!
Sigmund Freud's contribution to the world was major, there is no denying it. We humans are complex, though we are governed primarily by involuntary needs (food, shelter, survival,etc) we possess something so unique from the other species we share existence with: MIND! Well, let me make this more clear, Mind, as we reflect and understand it. Mysteries are contained within our minds, from the Fantastic, to the Visionary, to the Dark, to the Complex, to the Abstract, they must be examined and explored. When we as Surrealists, Artists, Visionaries, Mystics, Shamans, etc, produce the materials of Mind (and universe, or relation to it), its worthy of investigation, let me reiterate, eternal investigation! Priceless, yet Psychic, full of Power and Wonder! Freud explored this and produced a method of investigation that is essential to our lives.
Now, where does Surrealism stand with its affinities? That is, with Fantastic Realism, Visionary Art and other related genres. I know the marvelous is really one and the same. Well, let me be more clear. You can find Surrealism in the artwork of a Visionary Artist, the same way that you can find Surrealism in Looney Tunes, and The Marx Brothers. OR let me be more clear and DIRECT: You can find Surrealism in the efforts of those who want to overcome the forces that make up the constitution of oppression. What I am saying is, you can find Surrealism in Anarchist Theory, in the Labor Movements, in great Revolutionaries, like Angela Davis, or great Thinkers, like Noam Chomsky, even in the music of the blues, jazz, rock, and rap, etc. Rock and Jazz musicians as diverse as David Bowie, Marilyn Manson, Trent Reznor, Frank Zappa, Alice Cooper, Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, Miles Davis, Brian Eno, Robert Fripp, Syd Barret, Jim Morrison, Jerry Garcia, Sun Ra and Les Claypool can be considered Surrealist!!!
There does exist an abundance of online blogs, freebie do-it-yourself websites, forums, message boards and newsgroups that claim to be the real voice of authentic traditional Surrealism. However, upon closer examination, it's just the typical rants, marginalized rhetoric and weak substance from these self proclaimed "surrealist groups" that really do not exist in the traditional sense at all. Some claim that Surrealism is not an art movement and show no interest in art or anything related to art at all. That is just another example of a weak and invalid argument. For example, when you review the actual output from these "surrealist groups", upon doing the research on their activities, there exists SO many gaps in the records and histories of these "surrealist groups" from the late 1960's up to the present day, to be properly validated and authenticated. Also take into consideration that there is SO much doubt about the actual organizational integrity that these current "surrealist groups" claim to possess. The lack of any credible record of consistent production and exhibition, etc, proves that fact. Also, who are they really? Do you ever wonder why many scholars, galleries, and museums only focus on Surrealism mainly between the years, 1924 to 1969? Go Figure. It is a very hard task to have a solid presentation of Surrealism between the years 1969 to 1999, due to the poor record and flood of misinformation from these "surrealist groups" who claim to be the authentic surrealists chosen by Andre Breton, who died in 1966. What was left of The Paris Surrealist Group was disbanded in 1969 by Jean Schuster. What you have left today and what you will find online from those claiming to be the real surrealists and comrades of Andre Breton is really weak information.
Also, consider the impact of Surrealism from these people for a moment. If the argument that is presented from this particular contingent of "surrealists" that Surrealism is a Revolution that has nothing to do with art and expression, that Surrealism is an Activity of REVOLT, well, where is the substance to this "REVOLT" as proposed by these "surrealists"? These people are really "self-labeled surrealists" engaged in the business of self-promotion and attaching their names to the legacy of Andre Breton. Also, what has been accomplished by these people who claim to be the "real surrealists" and heirs to the legacy of Andre Breton and Surrealism today? Ask yourself this question when you do your own research into these people and their activities. You will find nothing but a large amount of bogus material and replication of Breton's masterful thought from those claiming to revitalizing the Surrealist Revolution in this present day. More Inertia. The lines of demarcation have already been drawn!
This website recognizes those whose contributions to Surrealism, Fantastic Realism, Visionary Art, The Society for the Art of the Imagination, are as one and the same. All are bound by the unique drive to engage the marvelous, the wonders of the mind, its relation to the universe and beyond! Look, let me be even more DIRECT: To those few that feel that the only true Surrealist is the one who stays within the confines of the 'occultation' of the past, well, they have become obsolete, void of the revolutionary drive to engage the marvelous with open eyes that is so desperately needed in this day and age! Enjoy this site with open eyes!
Keith Wigdor, Surrealist/ June 30,2006
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