Massurealism – The Concept
A combination of Surrealism and Mass Media, Massurrealism is a form of Western Art. American artist James Seehafer came up with the term in 1992. Surrealism is an art, focusing on what lies outside reality. It was developed by experimenting with new methods and techniques to discover and experience the unreal, and identifying its relativity with reality. Mass Media consists of technology and Pop Art, with its tools being video and computer graphics. Pop Art is a form of Technology Art, exploiting these tools for individual artistic production. Therefore, creating Surrealist artworks with the help of technology is called Massurealism. According to Seehafer, the fundamental difference between Surrealism and Massurrealism is that Surrealism developed in Europe in the 20th century, before the proliferation of Mass Media. With the help of contemporary computer graphics and video, Massurrealists get complete control over portraying any level of imagery, which the Surrealists could only dream of.
The History
James Seehafer, the founder of the word ‘Massurrealism,’ began his work by using a shopping cart, which represented American mass consumerism fueled by Mass Media. In 1995, through a small program, he inspired some German students to host a Massurrealist show. Soon, James started his own website and started receiving works from other artists. The theories of Cecil Touchon, Marshall Mcluhan, and Jean Baudrillard have well influenced Massurealism. Many objected that defining Massurealism essentially restricts creativity. A free art can classify and categorize all in life.
The Artists
Apart from James Seehafer, the other leading Massurrealists are F. Michael Morris, Marketta Leino, Ginnie Gardiner, Dominic Ali, Capyln Dor, and Cecil Touchan. This form of art started in New York, further spreading to Los Angeles and beyond the U.S. borders to Mexico, Russia, and Europe.
The Artworks
The most famous Massurrealist work is Seehafer’s Digital Collage, ‘Shopping Cart’ (1990). In this artwork, the cart is placed in a dark background, at one of the most unexpected places for such an object, suggesting an alternative meaning, hidden in this commercial symbol. Another Massurrealist masterpiece is the Mixed Media work ‘Die tote stadt’ (2004) by Melanie Marie Kreuzhof.
Conclusion
Massurrealism, a marriage between Surrealism and Mass Media, is often more than a combination of Surrealism, Pop Art, and Mass Media. Basically, it must explore and develop the interaction arising from the juxtaposition of these sensibilities. A Massurealist work should ideally demonstrate an active dialogue amongst its defining elements.
Source by Annette Labedzki