Surrealism is the movement of art that balances reality with the unconscious power of dreams. Artists and writers of the 20th Century sought to release their creative potential with the irrational juxtaposition of images. Breaking away from realism, magic and strange beauty was found in the most unexpected and unconventional circumstances.
High School students in Art Exploration were given a challenge to dream a scene inspired by still life figurines.
Students learned representational drawing skills by observing still life subjects in class before choosing which tiny object they would use as inspiration for their scene.
While the object itself needed to be shaded realistically, the composition around this object was completely up to each artist's interpretation.
Each artwork started to come to life as one-of-a-kind pieces when students began inventing their dream-like scenes.
"Through Her Glass Eyes" by 11th Grade Student
Artist Statement: This artwork was inspired by my mom who kept her childhood baby doll. It made me think about all the dolls left behind when little girls grow up.
"Fish Out of Water" by 12th Grade Student
Artist Statement: I created this artwork by drawing the contour lines of the fish in pencil and then using colored pencils to shade the background as if the fish was sailing off into the clouds.
"Alphabet Soup" by 11th Grade Student
Artist Statement: The alphabet soup has letters of all shapes and sizes until one notices the happy puffer fish swimming in the noodles.
"Astronaut" by 12th Grade Student
Artist Statement: In my artwork, there is an astronaut standing in the desert while holding the world in his hands. He survives the elements with a fish tank as his helmet in the parched landscape.
"The Performance of a Lifetime" by 9th Grade Student
Artist Statement: In my artwork, a Tasmanian Devil hangs from puppet strings on roller skates while a winged hippo gives a performance to the audience. They both are singing and have qualities they usually wouldn't have. The audience is filled with all different types of animals all sitting together (prey and predator.) This artwork has taught me the importance of shading and value.
"Butterfly Girl" by 10th Grade Student
Artist Statement: My inspiration for this artwork was the butterfly's protection that it gave to the girl, shielding her from the world. I enjoyed creating a portrait but it was a challenge to draw the chin from that angle and perspective.The first thing I did on this artwork was draw from a classmate posing in class. I was very surprised with how much passion and effort I put into this project. I decided to draw the butterfly much larger than life to make it more prominent. Even though it was a challenge, I feel very proud of my work overall.
"Beyond the Ocean" by 12th Grade Student
Artist Statement: In this art piece, my inspiration was to do something outside of my comfort zone. In the making of this piece, I imagined the scuba diver reaching through the depths of the ocean into a portal to another galaxy. Drawing the scuba diver was a great experience; however, challenging to draw. I’m absolutely amazed how the scuba diver turned out. This art piece is probably one of my favorites, and I plan on doing something like this again in the future. I always love stepping outside of my comfort zone and trying different things.
"Star-Studded Decades" by 11th Grade Student
Artist Statement: The Cat and the Otter reunite in the old diner reminiscing on the decades passed between them. Time stands still as they converse for hours.
This surrealist unit gave my students the opportunity to think creatively with how to represent their still life objects. Their artist statements reflect the learning process and their inspiration either from dreams or their personal interests. Each student created a unique story just by looking at these tiny plastic toys.
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