Assignment #13: Surreal:

What is the difference between surreal and real?

To me, I think that being real is something that is right in front of you, and raw. Whereas when I think of surreal it is unusual and not really possible, except in an imagination setting.

What does it mean when someone says: "That's so SURREAL!"?

When I hear someone say, "That's so SURREAL!" or just surreal, I think of something sort of weird and out of the ordinary, specifically Salvador Dali's painting of melting clocks, to me surreal automatically makes the subject seem out of sorts and part of the imagination.

René Magritte

For inspiration on surrealism, I chose Magritte because his ideas are things that seem ordinary but are in fact extraordinary. At first glance of Magritte's work subjects seem quite normal but then after a minute or so viewers begin to realize that the subject is strange and impossible. Or, in the surreal paintings the ideas make viewers question motives and reasoning behind the image, such as the one above.

Salvador Dali

For my second inspiration I chose Salvador Dali, yet only two of his images inspired me, the one above and another of an older man and woman whose faces are created by other people and objects. These inspired me because at a first, or quick glance one will see a face which is seemingly normal. Whereas when given a closer look the paintings reveal the face as actually different objects coming together to create a face. For example, in the image above it looks like a woman's face where in reality it is a stages with pictures backdrops and curtains to create the face.

My image:

Based on surrealism and the artists above

My concept for this image was to show both the mind or imagination and the body in the same image. I did this by placing her head "in the clouds" or her "losing her mind" by photoshopping a profile image onto a balloon that was flying in the air. I then had her pose as if she was trying to catch the balloon. I think that the filter, done in lightroom, makes the image seem fantasy-like, or surreal.