Surrealism first emerged as a way to react to waves of political upheaval and violence crashing across Europe. In the early 1900s, the movement was the Surrealists’ opportunity to look beyond the boundaries of order and reality for solutions. Today we see contemporary artists looking for solace in Surrealism again; using Surrealist drawings to approach contentious issues such as politics and climate change.
Greek artist Alexandros Antoniadis uses surreal elements to expose what he sees as the irony of the contemporary world. His piece By a Thread depicts a house hanging by a string off the end of another house. The shadowy black and white tones create a sense of foreboding as the artist hints to the precariousness of modern existence.
In Jean-Luc Lacroix's sketch Picorette, the French artist alludes to the industrialisation of our planet’s food cycle with his cheery portrayal of a creature that is half chicken-half wheel. Jean Luc says he uses surrealism 'to free himself from the useless, a thrilling path to inner cleaning'.
