The hottest Surrealism Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Culture Topics

Applied Asymptotology

The Lifeboat • 286 implied HN points • 06 Mar 26
⚔ Fiction Surrealism
  1. Tulubaika is treated as a mythical, unreachable place — an asymptote or fractal attractor you can approach forever but never truly arrive at.
  2. The piece wrestles with memory and time, using déjà vu and jamais vu to show how the past can feel both painfully familiar and utterly lost, and how that uncertainty can erase people and places.
  3. Everyday rituals — the kitchen, borscht, drinks, and the cat — are where characters confront big questions about identity, mortality, and belonging, mixing humor with melancholy.

A Few Things You Won't Learn About Lee Miller From the Recent Biopic

Paris Unlocked Newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 10 Oct 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Surrealism
  1. Lee Miller was a significant surrealist photographer, not just a model or muse. She created her own impactful art rather than just inspiring others.
  2. The biopic focuses on her role as a WWII photojournalist, but it doesn’t fully cover her complex legacy and contributions to art.
  3. Miller also documented the horrors of Nazi death camps, highlighting her important work in photojournalism during a crucial time in history.

Review: Joy Williams on Leonora Carrington

Book Post • 235 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Surrealism
  1. Surrealism has been perceived as boring and decadent by some artists.
  2. Leonora Carrington dismissed surrealism as a "bullshit" role for women and created unique, marvelous art.
  3. Leonora Carrington's work, including her novel "The Hearing Trumpet," showcases surrealism, humor, terror, and rebirth.

In Flux with Robert Sahakyants

Animation Obsessive • 1345 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Surrealism
  1. Robert Sahakyants was an influential animator known for his surreal, psychedelic, and stream-of-consciousness style.
  2. He was unique in the Soviet animation scene for coming from Armenia and not the more common regions like Russia or Ukraine.
  3. Sahakyants creatively employed transformations in his work to create effects that were ahead of his time before the advent of computer animation.
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The Empire of Light Edition

Why is this interesting? • 301 implied HN points • 04 Dec 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Surrealism
  1. René Magritte's painting 'The Empire of Light' sold for over $120 million, setting a record for surrealist art at auction. This highlights the growing appreciation for surrealism in the art world.
  2. The painting depicts a street at night under a daytime sky, which is a unique and captivating imagery. It's part of a series that showcases Magritte's creative style and imagination.
  3. Magritte is now among a few elite artists whose works have crossed the nine-figure sale mark. This includes famous names like Leonardo da Vinci and Pablo Picasso.

Manus Lens

To Asra • 137 implied HN points • 15 Aug 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Surrealism
  1. Portraiture in photography involves capturing the essence of a being which speaks to the artist, subject, and audience.
  2. Photographers in the 19th and early 20th centuries experimented with portraiture styles influenced by war, economic crises, and artistic movements.
  3. Artists like Adolf de Meyer, Alfred Stieglitz, and Florence Henri utilized hands in portraiture to convey depth, emotion, and symbolism.

Cases of Phobokenosis

The Lifeboat • 172 implied HN points • 19 Dec 24
📚 Literature Surrealism
  1. Fear and fearlessness seem very different, but they are connected. Fearlessness can come from realizing that being afraid doesn’t help us in the end.
  2. In modern society, fear is often overlooked or normalized. The way we interact with fear can change how we live our lives.
  3. The concept of social criticism has lost its power. Today, it often feels like just entertainment rather than a meaningful discussion about important issues.

Top Links 383 America's grotesque Gaza policy, the UK impasse, Turkey's balancing act, China's satellites, a life in three colors.

Chartbook • 357 implied HN points • 08 Mar 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Surrealism
  1. The post discusses America's Gaza policy, the UK situation, Turkey's diplomatic role, China's satellite programs, and a life portrayed in three colors.
  2. The Chartbook Newsletter by Adam Tooze provides great links, images, and readings related to these topics.
  3. The content includes a mention of Dorothea Tanning's artwork 'Endgame' from 1944 and her desire to convey hidden aspects of life through surrealism.

The Surreal Solidarity of Women's Deodorant

Brands Mean a Lot • 220 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Surrealism
  1. Women's friendships are often face to face and thrive on intimacy and emotional connection.
  2. Surrealism in media can create fantastical worlds through incongruous narratives and ideas.
  3. The ad portrayed a strong sense of solidarity between women, showcasing vulnerability and trust in friendship.

Desire and Cinema

To Asra • 39 implied HN points • 11 May 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Surrealism
  1. Buñuel's final four films explore human desire, repression, and societal civility through surrealistic storytelling.
  2. Jacques Lacan's theories on desire and pleasure are intertwined with Buñuel's filmography, creating a deep exploration of human experience.
  3. The gender dynamics and complexities of desire depicted in Buñuel's films echo the themes discussed by Lacan, showing the universal struggle with desire and relationships.

№.2 Determinative Nominism

AFFALÉ • 2 HN points • 15 Feb 23
🪞 Fashion & Beauty Surrealism
  1. Nominative determinism is a concept where a person's name is thought to influence their career, but it may not always hold true.
  2. Brand designers play a crucial role in creating meaning and identity for businesses through logos and branding strategies.
  3. Launching a new brand requires a compelling narrative to captivate audiences and create a lasting impression beyond just the products.

Physics vs Surrealism

Cybernetic Forests • 0 implied HN points • 07 Mar 21
🎨 Art & Illustration Surrealism
  1. Berenice Abbott used her art to make physics compelling and accessible, rather than using physics to create art.
  2. In the past, there was a fear in the scientific community that public engagement in science would corrupt the purity of science.
  3. Science communication should be seen as a form of research that extends understanding and application of knowledge, not just as PR for scientists.

The Pipe-Riding City I Saw Half-Asleep

Kartick’s Blog • 0 implied HN points • 17 Nov 25
📚 Literature Surrealism
  1. The dream featured a unique transport system where people rode on a moving pipe without any safety systems. It was a tough environment that required a lot of balance and skill.
  2. In this dream world, objects only came in one size per shape. For example, if you wanted a ball, it could only be small, while bigger objects had to be cubes.
  3. The dream presented a surreal and harsh reality, where basic laws of geometry and size didn't apply like they do in our world.