# Off-Topic Discussion > Artists' Corner >  >  Absolutely Awesome Surreal Paintings

## Bearsy

Add your favorites.






These ones are by Jacek Yerka.

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## Universal Mind

Very, very cool stuff.  I am a major fan of Jacek Yerka and surreal painting.  I was thinking about starting a thread on surreal paintings because of their relevance to the dream world.

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## Bearsy

> Very, very cool stuff.  I am a major fan of Jacek Yerka and surreal painting.  I was thinking about starting a thread on surreal paintings because of their relevance to the dream world.



I edited it. Now you can add your favorites

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## Mes Tarrant

Omg those are amazing!!!  ::o:  Serious talent right there.

Does he have any in desktop wallpaper sizes?

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## Universal Mind

Georgio De Chirico:  _The Double Dream of Spring_

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## Spartiate

I love the first one.

Anything made by Escher is a classic.

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## Universal Mind

Rene Magritte:  _The Rape_

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## Universal Mind

Salvador Dali:  _Swans Reflecting Elephants_

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## Universal Mind

Rob Gonsalves:  _On the Upswing_

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## Universal Mind

Dominic Appia:  _Entres Les Trous De La Memoire_

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## Universal Mind

Alan Aldridge:  _There's a Place_

(It is an illustration of John Lennon and his "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" line "Climb in the back of your head in the clouds and you're gone.")

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## nina

Wow I think I have a new favorite artist. Where can I find higher res images of his work?

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## Clairity

Those are truly amazing!  :smiley:

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## Infinityecho



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## Bearsy

> Wow I think I have a new favorite artist. Where can I find higher res images of his work?







> Omg those are amazing!!!  Serious talent right there.
> 
> Does he have any in desktop wallpaper sizes?





_I DON'T KNOW!_  ::cry::  I've been looking for them. They're awesome, and I think that his collections on Amazon are gonna be the first coffee-table/art book that I'm ever gonna buy.

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## kichu

These are rad.  I love the very first one for some reason.

Edit -  and the fourth one.

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## Spartiate

> These are rad.  I love the very first one for some



Yeah, it's my favorite too.  I think it has to do with something about the bonfires and the huge wooden structure  :tongue2: .

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## Universal Mind

> _I DON'T KNOW!_  I've been looking for them. They're awesome, and I think that his collections on Amazon are gonna be the first coffee-table/art book that I'm ever gonna buy.



I have a book of a lot of Yerka's paintings, and the surreal writer Harlan Ellison has a very short surreal story written to illustrate each painting.  It is called _Mind Fields_.

http://www.amazon.com/Mind-Fields-Fi...8884751&sr=8-1

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## Bearsy

> I have a book of a lot of Yerka's paintings, and the surreal writer Harlan Ellison has a very short surreal story written to illustrate each painting.  It is called _Mind Fields_.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Mind-Fields-Fi...8884751&sr=8-1



Yea, I was looking at that one, I'll probably buy that and this one together.

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## Moonbeam

Those are really cool.  I like the bed on the railroad tracks and the water-maze one with the swans.  I liked them all but I stopped for a long time on those so I guess I like them better.

I remember Roger Dean, the Yes album cover guy--he had some really cool paintings.  They don't seem to show up good on the computer tho; I looked at some and they looked better on the albums, it seems like.

Surreal art is the coolest kind because it is like photorealism of something that doesn't exist.

Thanks for posting this; I had never seen his stuff.

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## Universal Mind

I think we should keep the surreal art topic alive on this site because of its theme of dream imagery.  These are videos of paintings by three of my favorite artists, and all three are surreal artists.  

Rene Magritte:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=0hAxUTGincM

Georgio De Chirico:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=d_yh0rruFg4

Max Ernst:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=pfs_Wh-a0Nk

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## dragonoverlord

awsome thread!

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## Xaqaria

> Surreal art is the coolest kind because it is like photorealism of something that doesn't exist.



Once the camera was invented, Surrealism became the only valid form of realism (in painting) as far as I'm concerned.

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## Universal Mind

Let's immortalize this thread.  I think maybe even Dream Views should have a Surreal Art forum.  The paintings in this thread make me want to have lucid dreams where I go to the represented worlds.

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## no-Name

yay.  ::D: 

i love this thread, great pictures.

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## Robot_Butler

Of the classics, Max Ernst has always been my favorite



If we're talking about pop surrealism, I've been really into Amy Sol



And of course, Audrey Kawasaki







I'm involved with a group of surreal artists, here in the SF Bay Area if anyone is interested in joining us  ::D:

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## Bearsy

Awesome bump UM, thanks!








Zdzisław Beksiński
Very dark and disturbed, but awesome.



Edit: RB, Amy Sol is awesome!



I've always liked the effect of painting directly onto wood.

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## Shark Rider

WOWOWW!!!!! those are amazing!!!!!!!

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## kichu

> Zdzisław Beksiński
> Very dark and disturbed, but awesome.



As most of us Polaks are.   :tongue2: 

Awesome thread guys.

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## Universal Mind

> Awesome bump UM, thanks!



Glad to do it.  This is about the coolest thread on the whole site.

I just deleted the painting I posted in the bump because I looked back at everything and saw that I posted it twice.  Woops.

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## CryoDragoon

Though I like all surreal paintings, one that stood out for me was one of the classic Salvador Dali.

Though paintings rarely make me feel a certain way, this one did. It somehow made me feel a bit anxious. Like the nervous tickles you get in your stomach sometimes, with a slight feel of creepiness.

It's called "Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory"

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## shannyball

I absolutely LOVE Yerka he is my favorite artist, I have a couple of his books.  Check this place out, it is a site dedicated to up and coming artists and old ones too.  morpheusgallery.com Here are a few of my favorite ones though not all Yerka, it would be impossible for me to post all of my favorites since I have a huge folder pertaining just to Surreal Art.

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## Universal Mind

I love that Rob Gonsalves painting on the far right.  He is one of the modern surrealists, and he has a unique and really brilliant style.  

http://images.google.com/images?sour...-8&sa=N&tab=wi

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## Bearsy

That picture absolutely captures the essence of dreaming.


Win.

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## tommo

You all fail.  Salvador Dali is the one and only true Surrealist.  Proof, you say?

Look how people copy him.

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## Techno

The second one is my favorite. :3

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## Universal Mind

> You all fail. Salvador Dali is the one and only true Surrealist. Proof, you say?
> 
> Look how people copy him.



Salvador Dali was not even close to being the first surrealist.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrealism

_In addition to Breton, Aragon and Soupault the original Surrealists included_ _Paul &#201;luard__,_ _Benjamin P&#233;ret__,_ _Ren&#233; Crevel__,_ _Robert Desnos__,_ _Jacques Baron__,_ _Max Morise__, Marcel Noll,_ _Pierre Naville__,_ _Roger Vitrac__, Simone Breton,_ _Gala &#201;luard__,_ _Max Ernst__,_ _Man Ray__,_ _Hans Arp__,_ _Georges Malkine__,_ _Michel Leiris__,_ _Georges Limbour__,_ _Antonin Artaud__,_ _Raymond Queneau__,_ _Andr&#233; Masson__,_ _Joan Mir&#243;__,_ _Marcel Duchamp__,_ _Jacques Pr&#233;vert__ and_ _Yves Tanguy__._


_Later the idiosyncratic Salvador Dal&#237;_...

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## siderea

Thanks for posting these! I've been looking for surreal/fantasy artwork for a long time!

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## tommo

> Salvador Dali was not even close to being the first surrealist.  
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrealism
> 
> _In addition to Breton, Aragon and Soupault the original Surrealists included_ _Paul luard__,_ _Benjamin Pret__,_ _Ren Crevel__,_ _Robert Desnos__,_ _Jacques Baron__,_ _Max Morise__, Marcel Noll,_ _Pierre Naville__,_ _Roger Vitrac__, Simone Breton,_ _Gala luard__,_ _Max Ernst__,_ _Man Ray__,_ _Hans Arp__,_ _Georges Malkine__,_ _Michel Leiris__,_ _Georges Limbour__,_ _Antonin Artaud__,_ _Raymond Queneau__,_ _Andr Masson__,_ _Joan Mir__,_ _Marcel Duchamp__,_ _Jacques Prvert__ and_ _Yves Tanguy__._
> 
> 
> _Later the idiosyncratic Salvador Dal_...




He was actually among the first.  But that's not what I said.  I said he was the only true one.  I should clarify that, since I was drunk.  What I should have said was, he blew surrealism into space.  He made it.  His work surpasses all others of the type.  Of course this is open to debate.  But that's my opinion and if you look at it, you will probably agree.  But maybe not.

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## dylanshmai

My brain started to ache about half way through looking at those art pics while trying to understand and comprehend them. I love it though! I have got to get both  of this guy's books. Looks like a mixture of MC Escher and Dali dipped in a psychadelic, science defying dream.

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## Bearsy

You don't look at surrealism with the goal of understanding or comprehending it.

You view surrealism for it's beauty and mystery. You need to have a suspension of disbelief to grasp it.

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## Universal Mind

> He was actually among the first. But that's not what I said. I said he was the only true one. I should clarify that, since I was drunk. What I should have said was, he blew surrealism into space. He made it. His work surpasses all others of the type. Of course this is open to debate. But that's my opinion and if you look at it, you will probably agree. But maybe not.



When I said Dali is "not even close to being the first surrealist", I meant in terms of people, not time.  He is one of the firsts if you look at it from the standpoint of how many there have been since the 1920's, but he was relatively far away in terms of the first wave of surrealists.  Dali did become part of the major bunch from the 30's that got so famous, but he was not one of the founders.  It is sort of like how Jimi Hendrix was "among the first" classic rock musicians, but he was not a member of The Beatles, The Who, or The Rolling Stones.  He got big a little bit later and joined the club.  That is how Dali is with surrealist painters.  Also, Hendrix is arguably the best classic rock guitarist just like Dali is arguably the best surrealist painter or surrealist anything.  He is definitely the most famous and respected.  I think he is phenomenal, but my personal opinion is that Magritte and Chirico are the best.


European surrealists in 1930.  Front row: Tristan Tzara, Salvador Dali, Paul Eulard, Max Ernst, Rene Crevel.  Back row: Man Ray, Jean Arp, Yves Tanguy, Andre Breton


*Not all "surrealists" have been painters.  Some, like Andre Breton, were writers who do not have any famous paintings.  Some have been sculptors, etc.

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## dylanshmai

> You don't look at surrealism with the goal of understanding or comprehending it.
> 
> You view surrealism for it's beauty and mystery. You need to have a suspension of disbelief to grasp it.



excuse me, I meant "grasping the concept"

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## tommo

Ok then, UM, agree to disagree.

Elis D.  I don't think that's it.  You just don't try to understand what the painter was thinking.  Coz it's pointless.  But, for me at least, I always bring a meaning out of it.

Like for those first ones you posted, it would be a representation of how we are just inhabiting every possible nook and cranny of the world.

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## dylanshmai

exactly, if you can dream it, you can understand it.

Most of these paintings are extremely metaphorical, and philosophical too. You practically need those elements to create something as psychedelic as this. 

You can't just look at these paintings for 5 seconds and move on to the next one without you're thought process "understanding" it from you're thought process and point of view.

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## tommo

True.  Otherwise they would be boring.  If you draw a pretty flower, you and people who see it are gonna get bored of it quickly.  However if you draw a pretty flower in between two mountains, you will be able to look at it for much longer.

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## Universal Mind

> Ok then, UM, agree to disagree.



I thought I sort of agreed.   ::?:

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## Serkat

> European surrealists in 1930.  Front row: Tristan Tzara, Salvador Dali, Paul Eulard, Max Ernst, Rene Crevel.  Back row: Man Ray, Jean Arp, Yves Tanguy, Andre Breton



Lol alpha males

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## Xaqaria

> He was actually among the first.  But that's not what I said.  I said he was the only true one.  I should clarify that, since I was drunk.  What I should have said was, he blew surrealism into space.  He made it.  His work surpasses all others of the type.  Of course this is open to debate.  But that's my opinion and if you look at it, you will probably agree.  But maybe not.



I think the only reason why most people think Dali exemplifies surrealism is because he was just such a surreal person. His artwork is matched by Ernst's and Duchamp's, etc. but he exploded into society as a character almost completely seperate from his work.

Another factor that might influence you is Dali's realist influences. He was an excellent realist, so his surrealism is that more unsettling.

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## tommo

> but my personal opinion is that Magritte and Chirico are the best.



That's what I disagree with lol.  Sorry, should have quoted.





> I think the only reason why most people think Dali exemplifies surrealism is because he was just such a surreal person. His artwork is matched by Ernst's and Duchamp's, etc. but he exploded into society as a character almost completely seperate from his work.
> 
> Another factor that might influence you is Dali's realist influences. He was an excellent realist, so his surrealism is that more unsettling.



I think that could have, part, to do with it.
His paintings actually looked like they could be real as well.
When you looks at say, Rene Magritte, just off the top of my head, the painting with the apple the size of the whole room; I just think 'yeah and?.... so what?'.  Dali has amazing landscapes and many meanings within each painting.

Anyway, kind of digressing here, but I just looked up Rene Magritte again because I had only really seen his paintings when studying Surrealism in class, so I just wanted to make sure I wasn't making dumb points lol, but anyway, I saw this painting.

and I'd never seen this before but I had thought of the same sort of image in my head before.  I started painting it a while ago but it never got finished.  It's interesting because we probably thought of them for totally different reasons.

This is why Surrealism in general is so good.  With most other art you can only get a general idea of what the artist was trying to convey and there isn't much more to it.  With Surrealism you can get many meanings because you sort of have to dig in to your subconscious to figure it out.

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## Marvo

I remember seeing a picture once, of a farm kind of place. There was a living tractor and the roof of the farm house just turned into a field into the horizon. I believe the artist who made it was called something with Y, but from what I could find, it was not Jacek Yerka.

edit: Actually kinda like this  but from a different angel, and with a living tractor  :tongue2: 

edit2: I found it!

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## Black_Eagle

This is one of my favorite pictures I found off of Deviant Art. Not sure this constitutes as surreal art, so I'll let you be the judge.

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## slayer

There are some really awesome paintings here! Keep them coming!

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## Universal Mind

_Le Therapeute_ by Rene Magritte (English title: _The Healer_)

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## Chaostitan90

These are all SOOO awesome! im an art geek, and i love this kinda stuff. so im subscribing to the thread. i might even post some i find someday. keep it coming!

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## Universal Mind

_Yellow Submarine_ by Alan Aldridge, from _The Beatles: Illustrated Lyrics_

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## no-Name

http://thebutcheress.deviantart.com/gallery/

Lovely Dev-art gallery.

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## WakataDreamer

Elis: http://www.zuzafun.com/surreal-paintings-of-jacek-yerka

 ::wink:: 

By jason77 on DeviantArt:



By Iron Maiden cover artist Derek Riggs:



By surrealistic artist Joseph Cusimano:





Cusimano’s work is nigh impossible to find, I had to upload those images to Imageshack 
myself. (I also uploaded Futureal after “resizing” because it was _way_ too big.)

Hope you guys enjoy!  ::goodjob2::

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## no-Name

Bump

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## Supernova

try some of the stuff in the Erowid visionary arts vault

Also, anything by Alex Gray.  Surreal in a different sort of way, but very good nonetheless

like this


this


and JamesLD's avatar  :tongue2:

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## ninja9578

> 



Love it.

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## Marvo

Yea, the art for some of Tool's album is really good. Kinda weird though.

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## SnakeCharmer

My favorites:




Snake charmer  ::shock::

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## Xox

no-name, those are superb.

Pictures.

les miroirs du temps 


The Fall of Pisa




Onus


Edit: just wanted to say I love René Magritte.

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## O'nus

Hey I like that one

~

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## Tarsier

Zdzislaw Beksinski

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## Flashdance

This thread is AMAZING.  ::banana:: 

Thanks to the OP for starting it.  ::bowdown::

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## Taosaur

> This thread is AMAZING. 
> 
> Thanks to the OP for starting it.



Bump seconded--I just found this thread about a month ago and it's incredible.

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## cygnus

roger dean is pretty great... i'd like to visit these places  :smiley:

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## panta-rei

Heh, second one is cool.  ::D:

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## grasshoppa

I love surreal art. My wallpaper has changed.

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## slayer



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## Dizko

I want to go to these places.

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## panta-rei



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## Universal Mind

1000 points to whoever can tell me who painted that. I found it on a forum I am not a member of, and the guy who posted it didn't say who the artist is. I am thinking about joining the site just so I can send that guy a message and find out. If you search under "surrealism" on Google Images, you will see it on the first page, at least as of now. It looks like a cross between a Yerka and a Magritte.

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## tommo

That would be Arnau Alemany  :smiley:

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## Universal Mind

> That would be Arnau Alemany



Damn, nice going!  Never heard of him until I read your post. I just looked up that painting and saw a bunch of his others, and I have a new artist to be a big fan of.  Thanks!  1000 points for you.

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## tommo

yay! ::banana:: 
hehe
Yeah he does have a unique style for sure.

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