4.3 Automatism
7 min read•august 21, 2024
, a key concept in Surrealism and Dada, emphasizes spontaneous creativity without conscious control. It aims to access the , aligning with the movements' goals of exploring irrational and dream-like aspects of human psyche.
Originating in psychology, automatism was adopted by surrealists as a tool to liberate imagination from rational constraints. It was applied across various artistic mediums, including writing, painting, and sculpture, to reveal hidden truths and explore the .
Definition of automatism
- Automatism emerges as a pivotal concept in Surrealism and Dada, emphasizing spontaneous creative expression without conscious control
- This technique aims to access the unconscious mind, aligning with Surrealist goals of exploring the irrational and dream-like aspects of human psyche
Origins in psychology
Top images from around the web for Origins in psychology
Dissociative Disorders symptoms and DSM-5 and ICD-10 diagnoses View original
Is this image relevant?
The History of Psychology—Psychoanalytic Theory and Gestalt Psychology – Introduction to ... View original
Is this image relevant?
Category:Pierre Janet - Wikimedia Commons View original
Is this image relevant?
Dissociative Disorders symptoms and DSM-5 and ICD-10 diagnoses View original
Is this image relevant?
The History of Psychology—Psychoanalytic Theory and Gestalt Psychology – Introduction to ... View original
Is this image relevant?
1 of 3
Top images from around the web for Origins in psychology
Dissociative Disorders symptoms and DSM-5 and ICD-10 diagnoses View original
Is this image relevant?
The History of Psychology—Psychoanalytic Theory and Gestalt Psychology – Introduction to ... View original
Is this image relevant?
Category:Pierre Janet - Wikimedia Commons View original
Is this image relevant?
Dissociative Disorders symptoms and DSM-5 and ICD-10 diagnoses View original
Is this image relevant?
The History of Psychology—Psychoanalytic Theory and Gestalt Psychology – Introduction to ... View original
Is this image relevant?
1 of 3
- Developed by in the late 19th century to describe involuntary actions and behaviors
- Initially used to study dissociative disorders and multiple personality cases
- later incorporated automatism into his psychoanalytic theories
- Viewed as a method to bypass conscious censorship and reveal hidden thoughts
Adoption by surrealists
- introduced automatism to the Surrealist movement in the 1920s
- Seen as a tool to liberate the imagination from rational constraints
- Surrealists believed automatism could reveal universal truths and hidden realities
- Used across various artistic mediums (writing, painting, sculpture) to explore the subconscious
Techniques of automatism
Automatic writing
- Involves writing without conscious thought or editing
- Practitioners aim to transcribe the "dictation of thought" without rational intervention
- Often results in stream-of-consciousness texts or poetry
- Can be timed exercises or continuous writing sessions
- Notable examples include Breton and Philippe Soupault's "The Magnetic Fields"
Automatic drawing
- Artists create visual works without preconceived composition or subject
- Involves rapid, intuitive mark-making without conscious control
- Can use various materials (pencil, ink, paint) on different surfaces
- Often results in abstract or semi-abstract imagery
- 's sand paintings exemplify this technique
Frottage and grattage
- involves rubbing pencil or crayon over textured surfaces
- Creates unexpected patterns and forms based on the underlying texture
- applies similar principles to painting, scraping wet paint to reveal textures
- pioneered these techniques in his surrealist works
- Both methods introduce an element of chance into the artistic process
Key figures in automatism
André Breton
- Founder of the Surrealist movement and primary theorist of automatism
- Wrote the "" in 1924, outlining automatism's importance
- Practiced extensively, producing works like "Soluble Fish"
- Organized group automatic writing sessions with fellow Surrealists
- Believed automatism could reconcile the worlds of dream and reality
André Masson
- French artist who extensively explored and painting
- Created "automatic drawings" using rapid, unplanned pen strokes
- Developed the technique of sand painting as a form of automatism
- His works often blended recognizable forms with abstract elements
- Influenced later artists like Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning
Joan Miró
- Spanish Surrealist painter who incorporated automatism into his visual language
- Used automatic drawing as a starting point for many of his paintings
- Developed a unique style blending abstraction and whimsical figuration
- His "Constellation" series exemplifies the use of automatism in composition
- Explored the relationship between chance and intention in his artistic process
Automatism in visual arts
Gestural abstraction
- Emphasizes spontaneous, expressive brushstrokes or mark-making
- Developed from automatic drawing techniques of Surrealism
- Focuses on the physical act of painting rather than representational imagery
- Artists like Franz Kline and Willem de Kooning exemplify this approach
- Often results in large-scale, energetic compositions
Action painting
- Term coined by critic Harold Rosenberg to describe a form of
- Emphasizes the physical act of painting as a performance or event
- Jackson Pollock's drip paintings are iconic examples of
- Involves full-body engagement with the canvas, often placed on the floor
- Seeks to capture the artist's movements and energy in the finished work
Automatism in literature
Stream of consciousness
- Writing technique that mimics the flow of thoughts and sensations
- Aims to represent the mind's workings directly on the page
- Often lacks traditional punctuation or narrative structure
- James Joyce's "Ulysses" and Virginia Woolf's works exemplify this style
- Influenced by automatic writing but with varying degrees of authorial control
Cut-up technique
- Involves cutting up and rearranging existing texts to create new works
- Introduced by Dadaist Tristan Tzara and later popularized by William S. Burroughs
- Aims to introduce chance and randomness into the writing process
- Can be applied to various text sources (newspapers, books, personal writings)
- Produces unexpected juxtapositions and associations of ideas
Philosophical implications
Unconscious vs conscious mind
- Automatism challenges the primacy of conscious thought in creative processes
- Suggests the unconscious mind as a source of profound creativity and insight
- Raises questions about the nature of artistic inspiration and genius
- Aligns with psychoanalytic theories about the power of the unconscious
- Challenges traditional notions of artistic skill and intentionality
Free will vs determinism
- Automatism raises questions about the extent of human free will in creative acts
- Suggests that some artistic choices may be predetermined by unconscious factors
- Challenges the idea of the artist as a fully autonomous creator
- Explores the role of chance and randomness in artistic production
- Relates to broader philosophical debates about free will and determinism
Criticism and limitations
Authenticity debate
- Critics question whether truly "automatic" creation is possible
- Argue that some level of conscious control always exists in artistic production
- Debate the extent to which automatism reveals genuine unconscious material
- Some view automatism as a performative technique rather than a true revelation
- Raises questions about the value and meaning of works produced through automatism
Intentionality in art
- Challenges traditional notions of artistic intent and meaning
- Questions whether meaning can exist without conscious intention
- Debates the role of the artist in interpreting or framing automatic works
- Explores the tension between and artistic skill or technique
- Raises issues about the relationship between artist, artwork, and audience
Legacy and influence
Abstract expressionism
- American art movement heavily influenced by Surrealist automatism
- Adopted and expanded automatic techniques in large-scale abstract paintings
- Artists like Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning incorporated gestural automatism
- Emphasized the physical act of painting and the artist's emotional state
- Helped shift the center of the art world from Paris to New York in the 1940s and 1950s
Beat generation literature
- Literary movement influenced by Surrealist automatic writing techniques
- Writers like Jack Kerouac experimented with spontaneous prose composition
- Aimed to capture the immediacy of experience and thought in writing
- Incorporated jazz-inspired improvisation into literary creation
- Challenged conventional literary forms and subject matter
Automatism vs controlled techniques
Spontaneity vs planning
- Automatism prioritizes immediate, unfiltered expression
- involve premeditation and conscious decision-making
- Debate over which approach leads to more authentic or valuable art
- Some artists combine both approaches in their creative process
- Raises questions about the nature of creativity and artistic skill
Intuition vs rationality
- Automatism favors intuitive, non-rational modes of creation
- Controlled techniques rely more on logical planning and execution
- Explores the tension between emotional and intellectual approaches to art
- Questions the role of training and technique in artistic production
- Relates to broader cultural debates about reason vs emotion
Psychological aspects
Freudian theory connection
- Automatism aligns with Freud's concepts of the unconscious and free association
- Seen as a method to bypass the "censor" and access repressed thoughts
- Relates to Freud's theories about dreams and their symbolic significance
- Explores the idea of art as a form of sublimation or wish fulfillment
- Raises questions about the relationship between art and psychological states
Jungian archetypes
- Carl Jung's theory of collective unconscious influenced some Surrealist thought
- Automatic works sometimes interpreted as expressions of universal symbols or archetypes
- Explores the idea of accessing shared human experiences through automatism
- Some artists deliberately engaged with mythological or archetypal imagery
- Raises questions about the universality of certain symbols or themes in art
Cultural impact
Surrealism manifesto
- André Breton's 1924 manifesto established automatism as a key Surrealist principle
- Defined Surrealism as "pure psychic automatism" in thought and expression
- Called for the exploration of dreams, the irrational, and the unconscious
- Positioned automatism as a revolutionary technique in art and thought
- Influenced subsequent art movements and cultural attitudes toward creativity
Dada movement relationship
- Dada predated Surrealism and influenced its development
- Both movements valued chance, irrationality, and the subversion of traditional art
- Dada's use of randomness and absurdity paved the way for Surrealist automatism
- Some artists (Max Ernst) transitioned from Dada to Surrealism
- Automatism seen as a more structured approach to Dada's chaotic experimentation
Contemporary applications
Digital art and automatism
- Computer algorithms used to generate automatic or semi-automatic artworks
- Generative art incorporates randomness and unpredictability in digital creation
- AI and machine learning explore new forms of "artificial" automatism
- Digital tools allow for new forms of collaborative or networked automatism
- Raises questions about authorship and creativity in the digital age
Therapeutic uses
- Art therapy incorporates automatic drawing and writing techniques
- Used to access unconscious thoughts and emotions in psychological treatment
- Mindfulness practices sometimes incorporate elements of artistic automatism
- Explored in treatment of trauma, anxiety, and other psychological conditions
- Raises questions about the relationship between creativity and mental health
Key Terms to Review (31)
Abstract expressionism: Abstract expressionism is an art movement that emerged in the mid-20th century, characterized by its focus on spontaneous, automatic, or subconscious creation. This movement emphasized the act of painting itself as a vital aspect of art, often utilizing large canvases and bold brush strokes to convey emotion and personal experience. The connection to various techniques, such as free association and the exploration of materials, played a crucial role in defining the movement's aesthetic and philosophy.
Action painting: Action painting is an abstract art movement characterized by spontaneous, dynamic brushwork and an emphasis on the physical act of painting itself. This approach celebrates the process over the final product, where artists express their emotions through vigorous application of paint, often using techniques like dripping or pouring. It connects deeply with ideas of automatism, as well as the broader movements of Abstract Expressionism, emphasizing the expressive and emotional nature of art.
André Breton: André Breton was a French poet and writer, best known as the founder of Surrealism and a key figure in the Dada movement. He sought to explore the unconscious mind and promote new artistic expressions that defied traditional aesthetics, ultimately transitioning from the Dada anti-art approach to a more structured Surrealist ideology.
André Masson: André Masson was a French painter, sculptor, and graphic artist known for his pioneering contributions to Surrealism and his exploration of automatism. He played a crucial role in developing techniques that allowed the subconscious mind to express itself freely, leading to innovative forms of artistic expression that emphasized spontaneity and intuition.
Automatic Drawing: Automatic drawing is a technique used by artists to create images without conscious thought or control, allowing the subconscious mind to express itself freely on the canvas. This method was intended to bypass traditional artistic skills and logic, tapping into deeper emotions and the irrational aspects of human experience, often reflecting Surrealist principles and practices.
Automatic writing: Automatic writing is a technique in which a person writes without conscious thought, allowing their subconscious mind to express itself freely. This practice was crucial for Surrealist artists and writers who sought to bypass rationality and access deeper layers of creativity, connecting to the realms of the unconscious and dreams.
Automatism: Automatism is a technique used in art and literature that emphasizes spontaneous creation, allowing artists and writers to express their subconscious thoughts without the constraints of rational thought or premeditated intent. This approach is foundational in both Dada and Surrealist movements, as it seeks to tap into the unconscious mind to produce works that defy conventional logic and form.
Beat generation literature: Beat generation literature refers to a literary movement that emerged in the 1950s, characterized by a rejection of conventional values and an exploration of alternative lifestyles. It often embraces spontaneity, self-expression, and a quest for deeper meaning through experimentation with writing forms and ideas. This movement is closely associated with themes of spirituality, sexuality, and a critique of mainstream society, reflecting the attitudes of its time.
Chance operations: Chance operations refer to methods and techniques that incorporate randomness or unpredictability into the creative process, often leading to unexpected outcomes in art and literature. This approach was embraced by artists and writers as a way to break free from conventional methods and to reject the constraints of traditional aesthetics, allowing for a more spontaneous expression of ideas. The use of chance operations can be seen in various surrealist practices and has influenced contemporary forms of storytelling and visual art.
Controlled Techniques: Controlled techniques refer to artistic methods that utilize specific rules or frameworks to guide the creative process, while still allowing for spontaneity and personal expression. This balance is particularly evident in the context of automatism, where artists employed these techniques to achieve a sense of freedom within a structured environment, merging conscious thought with unconscious impulses.
Cultural Impact: Cultural impact refers to the significant influence that an idea, movement, or work has on society, shaping thoughts, behaviors, and artistic expressions. This concept explores how certain creative practices can transform cultural landscapes, reflecting and often challenging prevailing social norms. It plays a vital role in understanding the evolution of art and its relationship to broader societal changes.
Cut-up technique: The cut-up technique is a method of creating new texts by randomly cutting and rearranging existing written materials, often resulting in unexpected juxtapositions and meanings. This approach aligns closely with the ideas of automatism, as it encourages spontaneity and the subconscious mind's influence in art and literature. By disrupting traditional narrative structures, the cut-up technique opens up new avenues for collage and photomontage, inviting layers of interpretation and surreal connections.
Dada Manifesto: The Dada Manifesto is a foundational text that outlines the principles and beliefs of the Dada movement, which emerged in the early 20th century as a response to the horrors of World War I. It served as a rallying cry for artists and intellectuals who sought to challenge conventional art, embrace absurdity, and reject the rationalism that led to war.
Digital Art and Automatism: Digital art refers to artistic works created using digital technology, often incorporating various forms of media, including graphics, animation, and interactive elements. In the context of automatism, a technique often associated with Surrealism and Dada, artists use spontaneous, subconscious processes to create art without premeditated thought. This combination leads to new expressions where the intuitive and instinctive nature of automatism can be explored through digital tools, allowing for unique and innovative creations that challenge traditional artistic practices.
Existentialism: Existentialism is a philosophical movement that emphasizes individual existence, freedom, and choice, often grappling with the inherent meaninglessness of life. It explores the idea that people must create their own meaning in an indifferent universe, leading to feelings of angst and absurdity. This philosophy is deeply connected to various artistic movements, as artists often reflect on existential themes, particularly in Dada's critique of traditional values, surrealist automatism as a means of exploring the subconscious, and the political engagement of surrealism in confronting societal absurdities.
Freudian Psychoanalysis: Freudian psychoanalysis is a theory of psychology developed by Sigmund Freud that emphasizes the role of the unconscious mind in shaping human behavior and personality. It suggests that repressed thoughts and feelings, often stemming from childhood experiences, influence individuals' actions and relationships. This framework laid the groundwork for many surrealist artists and writers who sought to tap into the unconscious through various methods to express deeper truths.
Frottage: Frottage is a technique in art where textures are created by rubbing or drawing over a surface, often using materials like pencil or charcoal to transfer the patterns of the underlying surface onto paper. This method connects to various artistic movements by emphasizing randomness and the exploration of subconscious imagery, which aligns well with practices focused on irrationality, automatism, and the unconscious mind.
Gestural abstraction: Gestural abstraction is an art movement characterized by spontaneous, dynamic brush strokes and marks that convey the artist's physical gestures and emotional state. This style emphasizes the act of painting itself, allowing the artist's movements and emotions to become part of the artwork, thus creating a direct connection between the creator and the canvas. It's often seen as a response to traditional representational forms, focusing instead on expression through form and color.
Grattage: Grattage is a surrealist technique that involves scraping or rubbing paint off a surface to reveal textures and forms underneath, allowing chance to dictate the outcome. This method emphasizes the role of spontaneity and the unconscious in art, connecting it to broader practices of automatism and free association.
Intuition: Intuition refers to the ability to understand something instinctively, without the need for conscious reasoning. In artistic practices, especially within movements like Surrealism and Dada, intuition is valued as a means to bypass rational thought and tap into the unconscious mind, allowing for spontaneous and authentic expressions. This reliance on instinct encourages artists to create work that reflects deeper truths and emotions rather than adhering to traditional techniques or structured approaches.
Joan Miró: Joan Miró was a prominent Spanish painter, sculptor, and ceramicist, widely recognized for his distinctive style that merges abstraction with surrealism. His work often incorporates vivid colors, organic shapes, and a playful sense of imagination, connecting him to concepts like automatism and frottage as he explored the subconscious and spontaneity in his artistic expression.
Max Ernst: Max Ernst was a pivotal German painter, sculptor, and poet known for his innovative techniques and contributions to both Dada and Surrealism. His work embodied the rejection of traditional aesthetics and the embrace of the subconscious, drawing heavily on themes of dreams and fantasies, and utilizing unique methods such as collage and frottage to explore new forms of artistic expression.
Pierre Janet: Pierre Janet was a French psychologist and philosopher known for his pioneering work in the fields of psychology and psychopathology, particularly his concepts related to the unconscious mind. His theories on automatism, where actions are performed without conscious thought, laid the groundwork for later developments in both psychoanalysis and surrealism, influencing artists and thinkers who sought to tap into deeper layers of human experience.
Rationality: Rationality refers to the quality of being based on or in accordance with reason or logic. In the context of certain artistic movements, it contrasts with the spontaneous and often illogical expressions seen in works that embrace irrationality, highlighting the tension between structured thought and free expression.
Sigmund Freud: Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst. His theories on the unconscious mind, repression, and the importance of dreams laid the groundwork for understanding human psychology and have significantly influenced various fields, including art and literature. Freud's ideas are especially relevant in examining the spontaneous and dreamlike qualities in both automatism and symbolism within surrealist art.
Spontaneity: Spontaneity refers to the concept of acting or creating without premeditation, relying on instinct and intuition rather than conscious thought. This idea emphasizes the importance of immediate and impulsive expression, which resonates deeply within various artistic movements, encouraging artists to tap into their subconscious mind and raw emotions. It challenges traditional artistic norms and conventions, pushing for a more genuine and unfiltered form of creativity.
Stream of consciousness: Stream of consciousness is a narrative technique that attempts to capture the continuous flow of thoughts, feelings, and sensory experiences within a character's mind. This style reflects the inner workings of the psyche, revealing how thoughts are often fragmented and non-linear, resembling a natural thought process rather than a structured narrative. It connects closely to concepts like automatism, which emphasizes spontaneity, as well as the unconscious mind and free association, exploring how these elements influence both literature and film today.
Subconscious: The subconscious is the part of the mind that operates below the level of conscious awareness, influencing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors without the individual’s direct knowledge. It plays a crucial role in artistic expression, as it can manifest in dreams, free associations, and irrational thoughts, reflecting deeper desires and emotions that are often hidden from the conscious mind.
Surrealist Manifesto: The Surrealist Manifesto is a foundational text for the Surrealist movement, written by André Breton in 1924, which outlines the principles and goals of Surrealism as a means to unlock the unconscious mind and explore dreams. This manifesto serves as a reaction to the rationalism that dominated art and culture after World War I, advocating for a new artistic expression that embraced irrationality and the unexpected.
Unconscious mind: The unconscious mind refers to the part of the mind that stores thoughts, memories, and desires that are not currently in awareness but influence behavior and emotions. It plays a critical role in various artistic movements by revealing the hidden depths of human experience and creativity, making it essential for understanding psychological exploration in art and literature.
World War I: World War I was a global conflict that lasted from 1914 to 1918, involving many of the world's great powers and resulting in significant political, cultural, and social changes. The war set the stage for radical movements like Dada and Surrealism, as artists and intellectuals reacted to the trauma and disillusionment brought about by the unprecedented violence and destruction.