Max Ernst was a German artist that worked with a diverse range of media (printmaking, collage, scultpure, drawing) using them in new creative ways – enhancing the ideas of surrealism and dadaism in his work. His work is dreamlike in an unsettling way, a calming way and in a way that is just plain bizarre. Birds seem to be a recurring theme
He was interested in both philosophy psychology and studied then at university – especially the ideas Nietzsche (highlighting the restraints of society on them mind) and of Freud – leading to a fascination with the relationship with psychology and art in his artistic career. He was inspired by artwork created by patients in a nearby mental hospital as he thought that their imaginative powers were valuable. Perhaps in they are closer to the subconscious part of the mind than so called ‘normal people’ usually are.
{I am vaguely intrigued by this, as I suffer/have suffered from anorexia (as well as Autism and possibly anxiety) it is an influencing factor in my work and something that separates me from others, changes the way I see things. I do not know if there is a way of seeing things common to those without mental illness, and if so is it viewed as less creative as it is more common?}
Frottage
A technique invented by Max Ernst, that according to Tate is ‘a method of creative production that involves creating a rubbing of a textured surface using a pencil or other drawing material’. in the images I have chosen he has juxtaposed these rubbings to give the illusion of recognisable forms, but they retain a sense of oddness as the viewer recognises that they are assembled forms (even if the starting matter is not always recognisable).
Grattage
This technique follows on from Frottage, the effect is achieved by laying a canvas primed with oil paint over textured objects then scraping the paint off to reveal an interesting texture. With the dark paint it gives a menacing, ominous feeling – like a nightmare.
Collages
“I found figural elements united there that stood so far apart from each other that the absurdity of this accumulation caused a sudden intensification of my visionary facilities and brought about a hallucinating succession of contradictory images.”
Ernst juxtaposed found images from teaching aids, catalogues, scientific encyclopedias and fashion brochures – creating bizarre scenes from objects that alone we know as normal, familiar.
Decolomania
Another technique of creating texture – a piece of paper or glass is laid over and then removed to give the organic, visceral texture as seen in the images above.
NoLessJess 