surrealism

 

I love surrealist art. It's one of my favorite artistic movements--I love the sense of whimsy and caprice that most surrealist pieces have. I've never studied modern art, so I can't talk about the whole "Surrealist Revolution" thing, or do more than quote Wikipedia on the philosophical underpinnings of the movement (if I had to take a guess, before reading the Wiki page: humanity's disjointed relationship with reality in the wake of the Great War and industrialization?). (Verdict: arguably? Read more here.)

But even if I am embarrassingly unversed in major themes of modern art, I still like looking at it.

On my most recent trip to Santiago, my friend A. and I stumbled into the Eugenio Granell Museum, which is dedicated to--you guessed it!--the surrealist movement in Galicia and abroad. It had been a while since I'd meandered through an art museum (still waiting on that branch of the Guggenheim to open in Lugo...), so it was an excellent way to spend an afternoon. Well, a part of an afternoon; it's a pretty small museum. Can't exactly spend eight hours there like in the Prado, not that I know anyone who would do that (cough, cough).

My personal highlights included checking out some lesser-known works by Miró, and taking a tour of surrealist movements in such such disparate places as Central America and Scandinavia.

hanging out in the "relaxation garden"

In conclusion, I miss living someplace with actual art museums. I'm planning another trip back to Santiago just so I can go to the Galician Center of Contemporary Art. Wish me luck finding a puppysitter for the day.