It is hard to imagine surrealist art without one of its most characteristic elements, which is symbolism. Artists who create in this trend present the subconscious, their thoughts, human fears or inner worlds using various symbols, often not obvious, having many meanings. The use of symbols instead of obvious images gives a wide range of possibilities for interpreting works.
Among the most characteristic symbols used by painters, we can mention, for example, clocks, as in the paintings of Salvador Dali - in his works "soft clocks" symbolize the transience of time, and also relativize the concept of the passage of time. In his work entitled "The Persistence of Memory", the clocks give the impression of melting, which may indicate the instability of human experiences, their fragility and impermanence. On the other hand, the ants visible in the same painting may symbolize decay, be a symbol of death, introduce anxiety. Salvador Dali is also the author of the painting “Elephants”, whose thin, long legs symbolize instability, striving for something impossible, irrationality. They were also interpreted as fear of unattainable ambitions.
One of the most characteristic elements of Rene Magritte's paintings is the apple. The fruit, covering the face of the man in the painting “The Son of Man”, is a symbol of covering, but also of sin (by reference to the biblical parable of Adam and Eve). Another symbol recurring in Magritte's paintings is the hat, a black bowler hat. Its use emphasizes mediocrity, refers to the routine of everyday life. The combination of this element with surrealist references, evokes anxiety and a sense of absurdity, forces the viewer to reflect. Magritte also placed mirrors or windows in his surrealist paintings, symbolizing the boundaries between illusion and reality, indicating the duality of perception.
Slightly different symbols became a characteristic point for the surrealist painter Max Ernst. Ernst, who was fascinated by birds, often placed them in his paintings. They could symbolize freedom on the one hand, and fear and terror, uncertainty on the other. His Loplop was also supposed to be a metaphor for unconscious forces. The artist liked to show mysterious, undiscovered aspects of the human psyche in his paintings by using the symbolism of the forest.
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Birds, as well as stars, are also characteristic symbols of the works of another artist of the surrealist movement, Joan Miró. In his paintings, these symbols meant cosmic energy, freedom, and were evidence of spirituality.
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Mariusz Lewandowski, a Polish surrealist painter, also placed symbols in his paintings, which gave wider possibilities for interpreting his works. Apart from the windows, mirrors and birds mentioned in relation to other artists, Lewandowski had a number of symbols that were repeated in his paintings. Among them, we can mention, among others, figures without faces or with masked faces. The use of this method of presenting characters can reinforce the feeling of anonymity of existence, loss or lack of identity, and loneliness of the individual. The characters in Lewandowski's paintings often give the impression of being lost, which reinforces the feeling of isolation.
Lewandowski's works also often feature ships and boats, which are characteristic of his work. Both literally and metaphorically, they can symbolize a journey. However, a deeper analysis may bring to mind a reference to the transition between different stages of life or between worlds. Perhaps it is also a reference to the mythical concept of the journey of souls after death.
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Black Week 2024 is approaching - visit the mariuszlewandowski.pl website from November 23 to 29, 2024 and take advantage of special offers on reproductions of Mariusz Lewandowski's surrealist paintings. Black Friday 2024 is also an opportunity to purchase other products with the artist's works in our store: magnets, puzzles or wonderful mouse pads with the artist's paintings. We invite you!
See more symbols in Mariusz Lewandowski's surreal paintings at https://www.lewandowski.art/en_US/c/Fine-art-prints/13 or on the Instagram profile https://www.instagram.com/mariusz_lewandowskiart/