A Movement You’ve Likely Not Heard Of
There’s a special thrill in uncovering the forgotten corners of art history, finding those fascinating movements that never quite made it into the mainstream narrative. Suridealism is one such discovery – a compelling, albeit lesser-known, artistic and literary current from the early 20th century that shares some DNA with its famous cousin, Surrealism, yet fiercely maintained its own distinct identity and contested origins.
The term “Suridealism” was first coined by Emile Malespine (1892 – 1952) in 1925. He introduced the concept in the seventh issue of the magazine Manometre with his “Manifesto Du Suridealisme.” In this manifesto, Malespine articulated a core principle of Suridealism, stating, “Idea, ideal: Suridealism is both of these things at the same time; the idea is mixed with the word and becomes an image.” He also sought to bridge the gap between the conscious and unconscious mind: “conscious and unconscious: these two terms must be identified in a higher idealized term. Suridealism will therefore be, in its most general expression, a consciousness awakened by unconsciousness, and this consciousness, in turn, modifies the subconsciousness.” [i]
Malespine’s manifesto included a lengthy list of artists he considered Suridealists, featuring a diverse group including Hans Arp, Marcel Arland, Victor Brauner, J. L. Borges, Robert Delaunay, Tristan Tzara, and many others who were also associated with various avant-garde movements of the time, including Surrealism, Dadaism, and Futurism.
Adding another layer to the story, the term Suridealism was also adopted by the novelist Maryse Choisy in 1927 to describe a distinct literary movement. [ii] Choisy’s Suridealism had a clear feminist agenda, aiming to counter the male dominance prevalent in the contemporary Surrealist movement and to innovate within the genre of fiction writing.
Choisy initially claimed to be the originator of the term, a claim strongly refuted by Malespine. In his July 1928 article “Proteste” published in Der Sturm, Malespine vigorously defended his priority in coining and defining Suridealism. [iii] His tone was notably stern, criticizing certain Parisian artists whom he felt acted with an air of superiority, even to the point of trying to claim a term that was already in use. Malespine recounts that Choisy invited him to join her movement, which he publicly declined, having already established his own.
In describing her vision of Suridealism, Choisy emphasized the role of women and youth. She wrote, “Women are often criticized for being conservative, for being incapable of creating or even following the avant-garde movements. It is up to a few creative women painters and talented musicians to prove otherwise. A Suridealist group of under 30s has just been founded, which has gathered the most important names among the rising generation.”
Choisy further articulated her movement’s philosophy: “Our century is the century of youth. But it is also the century of women. The purely masculine civilization is a failure. It is up to the woman to set the tone, which does not mean that we exclude the man from our songs or from our meetings. We are more generous, more inclusive. There are men in our group and even in our committee. But the crusade of Suridealism is led by women.” She concluded with a focus on emotion over pure intellect: “Pure intelligence has gone bankrupt. Help will come from the heart. Not from a heavy heart or a heart lush from the senses, but from a heart bursting from emptiness. A Suridealist heart. In the heart vs. intelligence match. Suridealism cheers for the heart.”
Beyond Malespine and Choisy, the term appeared occasionally in other contexts. In the French publication Tambour (1929-1930), author Richard Thoma mentioned Suridealists alongside other major art schools like Surrealists, Cubists, and Futurists, suggesting it was recognized, at least in certain circles, as a distinct category of artistic expression. [iv]
Interestingly, the term popped up in American media in the late 1930s. The New York Times first used it on April 25th, 1937, labelling artist Frank Marvin Blasingame a “suridealist.” [v] Blasingame appears to be the only American painter given this specific moniker, and it’s possible this usage was independent of or unaware of its earlier French origins. The term was used again the following year, on July 17th, 1938, in the Asbury Park Press, describing Blasingame’s “ultra-modern” work and referencing the earlier Times article. [vi] Donald Bear, then Director of the Denver Art Museum, commented on Blasingame’s paintings in the same article, noting their “great power of spirit” and viewing them not as ordinary pictures but as “provocative symbols that call up states of imaginative tension.”
More recently, in 2018, Suridealism was revisited by Antonello Morsillo in his exhibition and accompanying book, Il Suridealismo nell’arte (Suridealism in Art). Celeste Network described Morsillo’s book as “a small treatise on philosophical aesthetics, is completely pervaded by the perception of considering art as an ethical urgency.” [vii]
While never achieving the widespread recognition of Surrealism, the history of Suridealism, with its complex origins tied to both Malespine’s broad artistic vision and Choisy’s specific feminist literary aims, along with its sporadic appearances in art criticism, offers a fascinating glimpse into the dynamic and often overlapping avant-garde landscape of the early 20th century and beyond.
References:
[i] “Suridéaliste manifesto” Manometer no. 7, February 1925.
[ii] “Manifeste Suridealiste” Les Nouvelles littéraires1 22nd October, 1927.
[iii] “Proteste” Der Strum, July 1928 page 241. Available at: https://magazines.iaddb.org/issue/DSTURM/1928-07-01/edition/19-4/page/1
[iv] “Alstair” Tambour No. 7. 1930. In: Salemson, Harold J. Tambour. United Kingdom, University of Wisconsin Press, 2002.
[v] “FIVE NEW GROUP SHOWS” New York Times, 25th April, 1937 page 172.
[vi] “‘Suridealist’ Settles Down” Asbury Park Press, 17th July, 1938 page 14.
[vii] “Suridealism in art and Suridealist art as an ethical urgency” Celeste Network 14, November 2018. Available at: https://www.celesteprize.com/eng_artista_news/idu:62838/idn:42227/
