Photography and Surrealism: Sexuality, Colonialism and Social Dissent

by David Bate

This clear and challenging re-evaluation of the status and usage of photographic images in historical surrealism puts surrealism's fundamental issues back into the framework of its historical purpose and function. David Bate asks what a surrealist photograph actually is. He discusses automatism and the photographic image, the surrealist passion for insanity, their ambivalent use of Orientalism and adoption of Sadean philosophy and the effect of fascism on the surrealists. Locating the use of photography by surrealists within the cultural discourses of that historical moment, Photography and Surrealism is a genuinely original contribution to the field. The book is illustrated with a range of surrealist images.

Genres: Photography, Art

282 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book. In the first chapter, Bate clearly outlines a compelling argument and theory regarding the use of photography within Surrealism, but then this falls to a very cursory background for the remainder of the book. Granted, there are fascinating explorations of anti-colonial efforts and the political machinations by the Surrealists, and a deep Freudian analysis of the group's psychological explorations with their anti-psychiatric stance. But, generally, photography only plays a tiny role in these discussions, often becoming minor examples of the larger themes. This is not bad, necessarily, but based on the title and introduction, rather disjointed. Regardless, his central tenet that the historical context of surrealist photographs is critically important, and in those moments when such readings enter the book's flow, it truly shines.