The book begins by asking, “Why do dreams appear real?” How can you tell if an image is a depiction of reality or a depiction of a dream. This manifesto argues that the challenge we encounter when attempting to recognise the qualities of a dream in the depiction of a visually realistic dream, also permeates our perception, and our presumptions about what reality really is. Surrealist art, of the kind advocated by this manifesto, engages precisely with this ambiguous space between the reality “out there” and simulacra of reality we nurture within ourselves.
The book positions itself as a manifesto updating surrealism through philosophical and psychological insights. Drawing from thinkers like Heraclitus and Kant, alongside surrealist artists such as Magritte and Dalí, it makes complex ideas accessible to modern readers while offering new interpretations of surrealist motifs.
A key critique is levelled at Michel Foucault’s reading of Magritte’s The Treachery of Images — the famous painting of a pipe with the words "this is not a pipe" below it. The author argues that Foucault’s interpretation, which sees the painting as a disruption of representational art, misses a deeper point about the paradoxical nature of reality. The painting shows how an object can be both itself and not itself, revealing a profound philosophical truth about the coexistence of contradictions.
The concept of simulacra — representations or copies of reality — plays a major role in surrealist art, posing challenges such as how multiple versions of reality can exist simultaneously. Surrealist art, particularly that of Dalí, forces viewers to confront their simulacra, destabilising their sense of quotidian reality and revealing how reality and imagination are intertwined.
Surrealist techniques like juxtaposition do more than create surprising contrasts. They evoke emotional responses by revealing deeper connections between seemingly unrelated objects. Surreal dreamscapes, where real and unreal objects coexist, challenge our understanding of time and space.
Ultimately, surrealism’s methods of accessing the unconscious — through techniques like psychic automatism and paranoiac association — uncover hidden realities and contradictions, urging viewers to embrace mystery, reject conformity, and explore the profound complexities that lie beneath everyday perceptions.
Author: Simon Wier
Paperback
