Review: An Illustrated Dictionary of Surrealism

An Illustrated Dictionary of Surrealism by José Pierre
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I would give this 5 stars if it were a larger format for more legible type and larger presentations of the numerous images. Author José Pierre as a Surrealism movement participant was a disciple of André Breton and the metaphoric, poetic entries here include despite the expected name entries for artists entries for topics like "God" and "Expulsion" that are defined with only a Breton quote. The subjective and evocative descriptions used for definitions make this a dictionary that may be read like a book. Obviously in awe of the automatism that defined the early, largely literary, beginnings of Surrealism, Pierre is more critical of the late stage painted, even as far as critical of even Salvador Dalí ("...techniques concentrating on detail but lacking greatness..."). He does appreciate Man Ray: "...undiminished inventiveness..." where he surveys the oneiric (dream-inspired) phantasmagorical output of painters and some scultptors that seem to be the ultimate inheritors of the post-Symbolist Surrealists. It is also interesting to read how so much of the main movement was rent by political considerations with people like Pablo Picasso criticized for communist leanings while the dedicated core appeared to have anarchist leanings.

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