Surrealist Artists

Erik Johansson was born in 1985 in Götene, Sweeden. He grew up on a farm and was always fascinated with the world of art. First starting off, his grandma inspired him to paint and draw. But that changed when he began to shoot pictures and editing them on the computer. He went to college at the Xhalmers University of Technology.  Throughout his time in college, he got noticed by his photos and was requested to work for some local advertisement agencies. He finished his studies with a master in Interaction Design and decided to pursue photography. In 2012, he moved to Berlin. Now he works with both personal and commissioned projects. He took up photography street illusions and began speaking at conferences about his photography. At the age of 30, Johansson has already made an impact to the art world. And there is more to come from him.

René Magritte was born on November 21, 1898 in Lessines, Belgium. He is a surrealist artist known for his thought provoking images. He decided to study at the Academie des Beaus-Art, which was located in Brussels. He took up doing small jobs around to make a living, where he designed wallpaper and advertisements. He moved to Paris and became involved in the surrealist movement where he finally became known for his work.  Sadly, his success came to end when he died on August 15, 1967 but his work still lives on for all to admire. 

Artist’s Name: Erik Johansson

Title: Drifting Away

Date:  August 25, 2013            

Description:   A bottle that is floating in some type of body of water. Inside the bottle is a beautiful and peaceful place. While outside the bottle, there is more of a dark feel. The sun is setting yet the sky is very dark, and the rain is falling down.

Analysis:  I believe this piece is very symmetrical horizontally. The wave splits the picture in half; the top of the bottle is above the water while the bottom of the bottle is below. As for vertically, I still believe the piece is still symmetrical.

Interpretation:  When looking at this piece, I believe the meaning is even though everything may be crazy; there is still peace at home. When you look at the picture, you see a beautiful home. The birds are flying the sun is shining and everything there looks at ease. But when you look outside the bottle, you see some sort of chaos. The dark water and heavy clouds give the outside a dark feel.  It’s raining and it doesn't look like a peaceful place.

Judgement:  I honestly like this piece. I believe it’s really beautiful and it captures a lot in this little bottle.  The bright and dark tones flow evenly and it makes the photo mean so much more.

Artist’s Name: René Magritte

Title: The False Mirror

Date: 1928

Description: An eye that is colored in with the sky.

Analysis:  The main subject takes up the entire piece. This piece is symmetrical with both vertically and horizontally. The color also follows some type of symmetrical way.

Interpretation:  Just by the title, The False Mirror many things come to mind. For one, the piece could mean that someone is looking at his refection and is falsely identifying himself. When looking into the ‘mirror’, he sees himself as something big and important (the sky) when in reality he is actually small compared to everything (the pupil). The mirror may just be reality showing him what he really is.

Judgement:  I like this piece mostly because of the different number of ways someone can interpret the image. It means something different to anybody, which makes it enjoyable for all. The color is bright and vibrant and it really draws my attention to the image.

These two different artists both provide different views on art. In Johansson’s work, I know planning took place. Both using photography and Photoshop can take a long time. For his work, he took the picture of the actual bottle in water and then photo shopped the rest in. His colors were duller and less vibrant compared to Magritte’s work. But Johansson’s photo still has a type of color that attracts your attention. Magritte paints all of his work, which gives it a whole different feel. Less realistic, but more vibrant. Both of these artists are from different times, so their artwork differs a lot.