SURREALISM NOW! UPDATE: FRIDAY, FEB 24th, 2012: SURREALISM NOW!'s, SHAHLA ROSA was just interviewed and featured in the Fashion Magazine, INSTITUTE! Click on image!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SURREALISM NOW! UPDATE: WED. FEB.15th, 2012: SURREALISM NOW! has just joined promotional forces with the great new art magazine, "CATAPULT", which features many of SURREALISM NOW!'s artists, as well as features written by the great,  LANA GENTRY and others! I do strongly recommend that you check out and subscribe to CATAPULT, they are the BEST new art magazine online today!!!! Click on banner flyer below to go straight to their site...

SURREALISM NOW! UPDATE for JAN 2012: SURREALISM NOW! is back for the new year 2012 with many great plans in store for the future. There will be new additions and updates from the one and only, BLACK MASS, along with the addition of LANA GENTRY, who will be joining the SURREALISM NOW! family to contribute to a blog exclusively here on this site. Also, there will be more posting of new and exciting Surrealism and Dark Art, etc, shows and well as updates on various projects that artists and friends of SURREALISM NOW! are working on. Also, last but not least, over the next year, this website will be getting a graphic makeover, (with time) so that the site is more organized, and more graphically intense! More additions and updates will be made to THE KEITH WIGDOR COLLECTION as well as some exclusive art news too!!! Stay Tuned!!!!!!

               MAJOR NEWS!!!

Below is a video that was aired on Television in Portugal for the SURREALISM NOW! exhibition!

THE INTERNATIONAL SURREALIST MOVEMENT UNITES WITH ALL OF OUR FRIENDS and COMRADES in FANTASTIC REALISM & VISIONARY ART from ALL OVER THE WORLD in Coimbra, Portugal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

          SURREALISM NOW!!!

http://www.cgd.pt/Site/Galeria-Media/Responsabilidade-Social/Cultura/Pages/Exposicao-Surrealism-Now.aspx

    KEITH WIGDOR on EXHIBIT in SURREALISM NOW! 2010 INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION!

Keith Wigdor would like to dedicate his artwork to Aime Cesaire and also to Santiago Ribeiro, a surrealist who gave his heart and soul to the our movement and to The Marvelous!!!! VIVA SURREALISME! VIVA RIBEIRO!

PRESS COVERAGE FROM THE SHOW! see links:

http://www.parlamentoglobal.pt/parlamentoglobal/circulos/coimbra/2010/5/20/200510_Surrealismo+s%C3%A9culo+XXI.htm

http://sol.sapo.pt/PaginaInicial/Cultura/Interior.aspx?content_id=173095

http://www.asbeiras.pt/index.php?area=coimbra&numero=83096&ed=22052010

http://m.dn.pt/artigo.asp?id=1574483

http://dn.sapo.pt/cartaz/artesplasticas/interior.aspx?content_id=1574483

http://www.asbeiras.pt/?area=destaque&numero=83086&ed=21052010

         SURREALISM NOW! VIDEO CONFERENCE

OTTO RAPP, SHAHLA ROSA, OLEG KOROLEV, SANTIAGO RIBEIRO.

About video conference - Diário de Coimbra - Daily

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=1XvpLT6T2k6ezngS70AMtzFHI3b4gBCAfjAc1UCLqs7RFGS6wo4yWkMWPIkTt&hl=en

Also in Visionary Art
http://visionaryartgallery.weebly.com/international-exhibition-2010-page-4.html#4

A Release from our friends in The Fantastic Realism and Visionary Art Network:

A Portuguese artist SANTIAGO RIBEIRO ( and Fundação Bissaya Barreto )
has organized an International Art Exhibition 2010 Surrealism Now in Coimbra, Portugal

*Note: All Facebook Photographs are Copyright of SANTIAGO RIBEIRO and are protected by INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT LAW! Not to be used without permission of Santiago Ribeiro!

See the photo report:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30648338&id=1305023763&ref=mf#!/album.php?aid=2037350&id=1305023763&page=4 

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=1305023763&aid=2037356&s=80&hash=0786d4fb8e80864f70a12f6c860302e8#!/album.php?id=1305023763&aid=2037356&s=80&hash=0786d4fb8e80864f70a12f6c860302e8

Participant artists:

Otto Rapp, Oleg Korolev, Daniel Hanequand, Ton Haring, Viktor Safonkin, Peter van Oostzanen, Hikaru Hirata, Patricia van Lubeck, Dean Fleming, Christhopher Klein, Sergey Barkosky, Larkin, Carlos Aguado, Sonja Tines, Gerardo Gomez, Lv Shang, Alessandro Bulgarini, Pedro Diaz Cartes, Elizabeth Pantano, Egill Ebsen,Octavian Florescu, Dan Lydersen, Pavel Surma, Krzysztof Wlodarski (Kali), Shahla Rosa, Sampo Kaikkonen, Miguel Ruibal, Jo Rizo, Ludmila, Lourenço Gonçalves, Sergey Tyukanov, Mehriban Efendi, Carlos Godinho, Victor Lages, Meme, Hector Pineda, Gromyko Semper, Slavko Krunic, Adam Scott Miller, Roland Heyder, Vu Huyen Thuong, Santiago Ribeiro, Keith Wigdor.
more:
Fernando Araujo, Carel Verelgh, Maciej Hoffman, Nadide Gürcüoğlu, Rui Cunha, Francisco Urbano, Mirek Antoniewicz, João Duarte, Nazareno Stanislau, Rudolf Boelee, Madrigal Arcia, Ignacio Casanovas, Dijana Iva Sesartic.

***************************************************************************************************************

Keith Wigdor ( www.surrealismnow.com ) wrote an INTRODUCTION for The EXHIBITION CATALOGUE for SURREALISM NOW!

We are at a crossroads. At the time of this introduction, humanity is in dire need for the desire of surrealist revolution, that is, the revolution of the mind. The men and women of today, around the world, are all caught up in the dynamics of globalization, new-order imperialism, climate change (and the ongoing wars and occupations in the Middle East), illustrates that the reigns of logic, rationalism and the justification of the mechanisms of the past, need to be fought against at all costs, and the need to win is without question. Surrealism is that weapon, or shall I say, that ‘weapon of desire’ to liberate humanity from the clutches of empire, establishment, and the formula of capitalism, etc. It is not a matter of aesthetic or sensory pleasure that is going to be on exhibit here, what you, the visitor will see is the ongoing achievements (and possibilities) of the surrealist explorations that have been in effect since surrealism’s conception from the last century under the direction of our founder Andre Breton.

Surrealism DOES continue, in fact, at this epoch in human history, in the beginning of the 21st century, the dawn of the Internet Age, our movement has grown exponentially alongside our friends and comrades in other movements, that is, primarily the other art movements known as Visionary Art, Fantastic Realism, Dark Art, etc. Thanks to our very dear friend and surrealist comrade, Santiago Ribeiro, we now have a platform of united exhibition for our art and the need to continue Surrealism way ahead into the future. Surrealists, Artists, and Visionaries, etc from the website SURREALISM NOW! and from THE BEINART SURREAL ART COLLECTIVE and THE SOCIETY FOR ART OF IMAGINATION in the UK (founded by the great Brigid Marlin) are all here in this show. You are going to walk away from this exhibition knowing the principle motivating factor, and that is the urge of the human explorer to destroy the laws of arbitrary utility and to abandon the strict reigns of external commodity fetishism and to make distinct and very clear that mind, and mind only, is capable of TRUTH!!!

From the past days of the German Romantics, to the centuries past of Heraclitus and straight on up to our present day, the imagination does remain reactive, yet still regulated to either the examination of psychoanalysis or drawn to mysticism and myth, where even though it still possesses it’s magical glow, it remains mostly ignored, or shall I say subordinated to logic and rationalism. This was where Freud came in, and still to this very day, his brilliant analysis does hold its weight, but after much revelation and discovery of the mind’s ability to process the realistic and materialist attitudes and environments, the obvious is still far from our grasp, and that is the advancement of the imagination and its use value as the highest common denominator, the ability to achieve the means to an end via the imagination and go way beyond the parameters of readymade human life, do you understand?

It must be stressed that there has to be a great amount of FOCUS here, in regards to this exhibition and what is being presented. Its really not at all fitting and proper to categorize these masterpieces of art into the various clusters of aesthetic containment or to survey the diversity of art form and technique, for that would be very misleading indeed. You see, there exists a radiant power that does exist from within that is being exhibited and examined here, and the greatest of all forms of expression is true thought in search of itself, and the surrealists and artists on exhibit here are doing just that, its not fleeting, it can possess you just as much as it had possessed them, to justify the domain of their imagination and their creations produced as an act of pure desire. This art is greatly focused and not subjected to sentinels of common sense and what is also most aesthetically expedient in terms of commodity, etc. The art on exhibit here is the poetry of the marvelous that cannot be ignored any more!!! It is not by pure chance and the fleeting gesture of online social networking that brought us all together here either, it’s the passion to go forward with all of our ability to the highest degree and potential of what the human imagination can offer, is that so much to ask???

Keith Wigdor
April 20, 2010

SURREALISM NOW! UPDATE: MAY 11, 2010: WE ARE TAKING OVER!!!!!!

SANTIAGO RIBEIRO has informed me of the first stages of the news and media campaign for this historic event, SURREALISM NOW! in Coimbra, Portugal, where Surrealists from The International Surrealist Movement, Surrealism Now! Website, Beinart Surreal Art Collective, The Society for Art of Imagination have all descended upon Coimbra for this huge art event. Surrealism, Visionary Art, Fantastic Realism will unite in this one of a kind historic Surrealist show, to show the world that we are really united in the ongoing REVOLUTION OF THE MIND!!! The event has not even started yet, the opening reception is May 20th, but it has already been getting press in Coimbra, please see the pdf below......................

Our Dearest Surrealist Friend & Comrade, SANTIAGO RIBEIRO, has just informed me that he will be promoting the New International Surrealist Show in Portugal, that is upcoming in May, as SURREALISM NOW with my FULL SUPPORT and ENDORSEMENT!!!! THIS IS AN HISTORIC SHOW of THE INTERNATIONAL SURREALIST MOVEMENT exhibiting alongside our dearest friends and comrades in Art and The Revolution of The Mind from The Visionary Art Movement, as well as The Fantastic Realism Art Movement, with Surrealists and Artists from SURREALISM NOW! and also with Surrealists from The International Surrealist Movement as well.
This is the UNITY that our Surrealist Friend, SANTIAGO RIBEIRO is fully responsible for and he has MY FULL SUPPORT and ENDORSEMENT!!!!!
THIS IS THE REAL SURREALISM and SURREALIST MOVEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MAJOR NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SURREALISM NOW! UPDATE: APRIL 8, 2010: I have just received word from JON BEINART that his masterpiece, "OPEN WIDE" painting will be on public exhibition at COPRO NASSON GALLERY for the upcoming BEINART Group Art Show! What makes this news SO MAJOR for us all here at SURREALISM NOW! is that this is the VERY FIRST TIME that an Original Oil Painting from THE KEITH WIGDOR COLLECTION will be on public exhibit for all to see!!! Here is a link to the upcoming show:

                    http://www.copronason.com/beinart_pr.html

and below is the actual painting from THE KEITH WIGDOR COLLECTION!

 COMING IN OCTOBER

SURREALISM NOW! UPDATE: FEBRUARY 19th, 2010: Once in a lifetime does someone come along that is SO INTENSE and BRILLIANT, like the great Salvador Dali, or Frida Kahlo, or Pablo Picasso, that its such an honor to be graced with their artwork for eternity! I am talking about my dearest friend, SHAHLA ROSA, who I consider to be the Greatest Living Woman Surrealist of ALL TIME! I stand firm in my conviction and belief. 
I cannot rationally explain the JOY and WONDER that I get when I look at the art of this MASTER!!!!!!!!! Shahla Rosa IS the Living Embodiment of SURREALISM! Art Museums and Art Galleries around the world already know this fact and also, the RAVES and PRAISE that she has received from the Art World, Art Scholars, and Art Historians, Shahla Rosa is The GOLD OF TIME! For now and FOREVER!!! VIVA ROSA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is Shahla Rosa's exhibition schedule for 2010:

1- International Contemporary Masters Exhibition @ Southern
    Nevada Museum of Fine Arts. Las Vegas. NV. Feb/20  to 
    Apr/01/ 2010
2- Solo Exhibition, (the Hollywood connection) @ The Latino Art
    Museum, Pomona, Los Angeles. Mar/03  to  Mar/27/2010
3- 11 International Artists Exhibition @ FYR Gallery, Florence,
     ITALY. Apr/02  to  Apr/10/2010
4- International Exhibition 2010 Surrealism. Coimbra, Portugal.
    May/20  to  June/30/2010
5- Interview with FAULT MAGAZINE, UK
6- Group Exhibition, Artists Alley Fine Art Gallery, San Francisco. 
    May/07  to  Aug/7/2010
7- Art Fair, Utrecht, Holland, Sep/08 to Sep/12/2010
8- Group Exhibition @ Eduard Vilde Museum, Talinn. Stonia.
    Sep/2010

Shahla's upcoming solo show at The Latino Art Museum, Pomona, Los Angeles. Mar/03  to  Mar/27/2010 is the most highly anticipated show in The International Surrealist Movement! She is SURREALISM at its most MARVELOUS!!! Definitely make this show!!! SHAHLA ROSA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

The Art of the Possible and Impossible:
by SHOKA GOLSABAHI. ART HISTORIAN. VIENNA, AUSTRIA

Wittgenstein points out in his Tractatus-logico- philosophicus the following sentence [6.13]: “ Logic is no science, but a reflection of the world in the mirror”. A reflection of whatever in the mirror is always either concave or convex, it is not a reproduction of what is reflected and this is what turns this sentence said by Wittgenstein to a well done description of the surrealistic aim. Obviously Wittgenstein tried to point out the role of logic in philosophy, but still the way he points that out by using the relationship between world and its reflection, is because of its importance in the arts in general, no matter, whether any kind of art wants to dedicate itself in reflecting the world or not. The point is that what human beings are interested in is the structure of the world and by using the term “mirror” and its concave or convex relation to the real, this issue turns into something highly controversial.

Contemporary Art whatever it may be, has the aim of questioning everything that has been done until now, and as much as possible to renew and not to build on what is there already, which is one of the reasons why the vast majority of people have the feeling that visual arts is turning itself in a weird circle. But what if there is an artist who does not intent to reinvent the wheel but to connect on what is there already, to use this as a fundament and go further? What if after one art movement there is no need to negate it in order to bring another art movement into being? What would a surrealist artist of today paint, what would be his or her subjects? This question is not one of those which have no answer, if one gets in touch with the works of the female artist called Shahla Rosa.

Born 1953 Shahla Rosa impresses with her highly complex paintings which are outstanding. She uses a “language” that is well known since the surrealists, the unreal and the illogic turn into the visible, for what one hardly finds words is translated by her into different forms and figures on canvas. There is no border; neither the surreal objects and subjects of dreams are left outside her works nor the so-called sub consciousness. It seems as if the more illogic the thought and the more paradox, the more interesting is the performance of it on canvas done by Shahla Rosa. Therefore it is no surprise that Shahla Rosa told Giorgio Vaselli in an interview that the biggest influence in her works are by the works of Hieronymus Bosch, Fellini, Dali and Breton. The Surrealists themselves have not been homogenous, still Shahla Rosa’s works remind of Dali. Her works show the extraordinary power of her imagination and her intelligence which delights the viewer.

She was raised in the USA and has studied in the US and in Europe (Italy, Germany) where she followed different studies, which shows her high awareness of the topics that she uses, for example a series of her works that is dedicated to Breton under the title „ Andre Breton Ideology“ and when she has been asked what inspires her she answered with the name of Freud. She uses Freud as a source of inspiration which for itself is quite extraordinary. This may be the reason why her works are so well done on the basics of the illogic and unreal, female bodies that seem to be half with mysteriously closed eyes, spread wings which seem to hold everything, with a fish wide eyed underneath the female body, next to a male arm which is dressed…..many many details that seem to play an important role in every picture. One has to concentrate and look very carefully to grasp everything and then in the end to wonder how she puts all of these details together as one. It is unbelievable how many details she hides in her works which one has to find, and with how much creativity she puts them all together and makes connections from one to the other. This also is one of the reasons why every time one looks at her works it seems as if we see something else in it and you wonder because there seems no end to her detailed way of painting.

One of the impressive points about her is also the way she speaks about her works, that she follows a movement that has been there already without the aim to negate what has been done already. It is not about copying what is there but about building on the fundament of the surrealists, a way of expression that has been introduced by Dali and others. Therefore Shahla Rosa is someone who is able to “speak” through the “surrealist language” and go even further. She is also called “modern surrealist artist” but still staying loyal to the thought of not following any borders or limitations in order to show the irrational. Even this thought is quite contra dictionary, as Heraclites says; everything is an endless but fruitful battle between the contradictory.

Shahla Rosa’s works are more than just interesting; she is a “modern surrealist”, which is easily shown if one has a look at her works because she answers through the surrealistic vocabulary TODAY in order to unite the possible and impossible in a highly complex and extraordinary way.

SURREALISM NOW! UPDATES: JANUARY 12, 2010: I just received news from SHAHLA ROSA, that her new Masterpiece, "KEITH WIGDOR and THE SURREALIST REVOLUTION" painting, will be have its 1st new public debut at THE LATINO MUSEUM in LA in California, sometime in March and April of 2010. This is not written in stone as of yet, plans can change so please stay tuned for updates on this news! In the meantime, here is a new YouTube Video that Shahla made for her painting and it has some great background music by Ligeti to accompany it!!! VIVA ROSA!!!!!!!!!!!!

SURREALISM NOW! UPDATE: JAN 1, 2010: We are not stopping in our relentless pursuit of engaging Surrealism & The Revolution of the Mind into the 21st Century and beyond. Andre Breton was responsible for the establishment of this movement and it continues four decades after his passing away in 1966. I want to personally thank everyone that has been loyal to SURREALISM NOW! over the past decade, from its origins in its first stage at NOW SURREAL UK (from 1998 to 2003) to THE HAMMOND GALLERY (from 2003 to 2006) to SURREALISM NOW! (from 2006 on!!!)
I want to let everyone that is new to this site know that this is the official website of SURREALISM in the 21st Century and the project will continue to go on for a long, long, time! That being said, I want to thank most of all, our Surrealist Friend and Comrade, SHAHLA ROSA for her ongoing loyality to this movement and her creating the most INTENSE ART and MASTERPIECES OF SURREALISM ever created by a Female Surrealist!
Shahla painted a tribute painting to me and that will go tour throughout Europe and the rest of the world, "KEITH WIGDOR and THE SURREALIST REVOLUTION" by SHAHLA ROSA oil on canvas 2009. Here take a look:

Also, I want to personally thank all my friends who are active in the other art movements that share a united affinity with Surrealism, most of all, The Dark Art Movement, The Fantastic Realism and The Visionary Art Movements, and all those artists who are active in the Underground and the Experimental Arts as well. Over the next decade, I will continue to be very active in my obsessive collecting of all facets of art, especially what you now see on THE KEITH WIGDOR COLLECTION, which I will be hard at work expanding the art collection as much as I possibly can. Many new artists are also coming aboard to SURREALISM NOW! as time goes on and there will also be another INTERNATIONAL SURREALIST SHOW 2010 online here at SURREALISM NOW! making its official debut this next summer!!!!!!!!So please stay tuned to the site and project and keep coming back!!!!!!

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