The Quiet Influence Of Massurrealism
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(From "Daphne's Musings" April 2024 —> Download pdf - click here <—) - In 2016, the UK-based art magazine Widewalls published an article titled "90s Art and Its Bequest to Contemporary Art.” It provided an overview of the 1990s art scene, highlighting the influence beginning with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the digital revolution. Artists of this era started working with the cutting-edge media of their time, and this influence is still evident in how we experience art today. The author, Andreja Velimirović, also noted an interesting shift: "Many artists abandoned a commitment to any one medium and started creating objects, events, or experiences that directly engaged viewers. They also explored combining different movements, as seen in the case of Massurrealism.” I've encountered plenty of examples – in the arts and in advertising as well other platforms.
The roots of massurrealism go back to 1992 when James Seehafer coined the portmanteau expression. He struggled to define artwork that blended the aesthetics of surrealism and mass media, leading him to create this new term. Steeped in the early folklore of his New England roots, Seehafer's work embraced various artistic influences. He pursued painting and photography independently, and by the mid-1980s, began exhibiting his works in New York City's Lower East Side. He exhibited alongside other artists of his generation, including Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. In 1988, he attended Parsons School of Design in New York, where he further developed his style, which incorporates painting, photography, and mixed media. During the 1990s this art term began getting noticed by other artists via the internet, which piqued interest from artists in various parts of the globe.
This style of art can be seen everywhere in our lives. The influences of media, ranging from advertising to movies, television, and social media is undeniable, as it is ever-evolving. This versatility in massurrealism perfectly captures its essence in contemporary art. Similar to imagery that ranges from dreamlike artworks to whimsical, and at times strange and curious, it can appear in various forms, from unique narratives to subtle disruptions of visual expectations.
This genre isn't simply a revival of surrealism or an homage to that movement. It's also not just another attempt to introduce a conceptual art form. Massurrealism stands apart, offering a thought-provoking and visually stimulating alternative for a culture defined by its fast pace and intellectual curiosity. Arguably, massurrealism has had a butterfly effect that helped pave the way for the acceptance of computerized art and other cutting-edge media in the contemporary art world.
Technology has been a game-changer for artists. Even photography can come alive with movement, transformation, and metamorphosis. Massurrealists readily embrace it all; from traditional media such as painting and classic collage, to contemporary technology, utilizing its vast potential to craft entirely new realities that challenge our perception of the world. This allows them to produce intriguing artworks, with special effects and manipulation, creating experiences that were previously impossible. Videos capture reality on the fly, offering a shared experience for viewers. With video manipulation, real images and sounds are seamlessly crafted and replaced, creating a believable experience that surpasses traditional methods. Beyond the "cool" factor, this style challenges what we traditionally consider art and how it's created. It blurs the lines, even breaks down the very categories of art and visual culture, transcending borders.
This article only scratches the surface about an art form whose fitting definition extends beyond the 1990s and resonates today. I encourage anyone to google massurrealism and find a lot of examples out there, and more information about it. Massurrealism still remains well-timed for the current artistic tendencies. While it isn't about a single technique, instead it embraces a rich combination of creative expressions that are pushing boundaries and exploring new possibilities. What unites these artists is their shared ambition to transcend realism. They utilize the vast potential of contemporary technology to discover or model entirely new realities, challenging our perception of the world.•
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