This delightful collection allows everyone to enjoy firsthand the provocative methods used by the artists and poets of the Surrealist school to break through conventional thought and behavior to a deeper truth. Invented and played by such artists as André Breton, Rene Magritte, and Max Ernst, these gems still produce results ranging from the hilarious to the mysterious and profound.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Surrealism is far more than some dead art movement: it is also a collection of tools for perceiving and representing the world in ways that transcend normative perspectives. This delightful little book is packed with word and image games that surrealists developed to create their written and graphical art. If you have any spark of creativity, you are strongly encouraged to get this book to help loosen the holds of quotidian existence on your craft. And it makes a great book of activities for parties that you want to rise above petite bourgeois posturing. Highly Recommended.
Review
"Of great value to teachers, comedy writers and other problem-solvers, this is an illustrated compendium of ways to be inventive, humorous or absurd through irresponsibility or 'planned incongruity.'"— Ballast Quarterly Review
"This extraordinary collection of word games, visual tricks and intellectual assaults on the conventional is a treasure trove of the artistic and socio-linguistic conundrums which the Surrealists—Andre Breton, Tristan Tzara and their associates—cultivated from the 1920s onwards. Its compiler, Alastair Brotchie, is to be congratulated for salvaging such fascinating if recondite material from the various obscure journals in which it first appeared."— The Spectator
"This extraordinary collection of word games, visual tricks and intellectual assaults on the conventional is a treasure trove of the artistic and socio-linguistic conundrums which the Surrealists—Andre Breton, Tristan Tzara and their associates—cultivated from the 1920s onwards. Its compiler, Alastair Brotchie, is to be congratulated for salvaging such fascinating if recondite material from the various obscure journals in which it first appeared."— The Spectator
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Starting Point,
By A Customer
This review is from: A Book of Surrealist Games (Paperback)
Whether your goal is surrealist literature, surrealist art, or just entertainment, this book is a great buy. Lots of games (some literary, some artistic), information about the surrealist movement itself and some of the key players, and a good bibliography for future reading.
20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
neat lil' book.,
By Char (Somerville, MA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Book of Surrealist Games (Paperback)
Being an admirer and wanna-be creator of DaDa, I found this book amusing. The games were interesting and bizarre, there were lots of pictures, and a lot of artists were included. They are fun to read about and see the examples even if you have no intention of really trying them. "The Exquisite Corpse" and "Directions for Use" were 2 of the better ones, and they have examples by the original surrealists. The only problem I had with the book was that some of the directions were a little vague. For instance, the picture on page 71 is a double image, but it could have given some clue about how to actually find it - it became frustrating. The games are so unusual compared to what we normally think of as games that more detailed directions are essential. For instance, there are not obvious "winners" and "losers" in them, they are played for the sake of toying with reality and using imagination to create the unexpected. It's a fun book that's small enough to take with you all the time.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Delightful & thought-provoking,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Book of Surrealist Games (Paperback)
Here's a slyly deceptive little volume, a perfect introduction to the Surrealist mindset. Why "deceptive," though? Because while all the games are fascinating & sometimes startling fun, the ideas they embody just might take hold of you ... which is all to the good, of course!
If you want to know more about Surrealism, but just want to dip your toes into those mysterious waters at first, this is as good a starting place as any you'll find. The ideas of surprising juxtapositions, unexpected connections, and the sense of freedom & revelation through absurdity & chance, are all demonstrated here. And if you enjoy this first taste, then you'll almost certainly want more ... Recommended as both an unusual diversion & a window into another world!
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Inside This Book
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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exquisite corpse Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
exquisite corpse Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
11
books
cite this book:
See all 11 books citing this book
- Luna, Luna: Creative Writing Ideas from Spanish, Latin American, and Latino Literature by Julio Marzan on page 181, and Back Matter
- Careers in Art (McGraw-Hill Professional Careers) by Blythe Camenson in Back Matter
- Careers in Art (VGM Professional Careers) by Blythe Camenson in Back Matter
- The Avant-Garde and American Postmodernity: Small Incisive Shocks by Philip Nel in Back Matter
- The Education Of A Comics Artist by Michael Dooley on page 236
See all 11 books citing this book
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