During the 1920s, modernism became the norm in the art world. Modern art is a representation of the world that is less than literal. Photography had been invented, so the need for realistic paintings was no longer there. Artists began coming up with new ways to show how they viewed the world. The painting on the right is Geopoliticus Child Watching the Birth of New Man by Salvador Dali.
Beneath the umbrella of modernism, surrealism tries to express "the true function of thought, defying all logic and lies outside any normal or moral interpretations of life." Surrealists had vivid imaginations and were extensively creative. Two examples of surreal artists are Salvador Dali and Max Ernst, who painted The Golden Eye as pictured on the left.
Sources: http://www.allbuyart.com/art-movement-surrealism.asp
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