Surrealism was an art movement that rejected the rationality of modernism and the romanticism of impressionism. It was a reaction against the banality of the everyday.
André Breton's manifesto was a key text for the movement, but Salvador Dali's melting clocks and other surrealist tropes have been subject to much debate.
Merz's collage technique, which combined disparate images and objects, was an early influence on the movement. His work often blurred the line between art and design.
Learn more about Merz's Method
Breton's concept of the 'surrealist automatism' was a central theme in the movement. He believed that the subconscious mind was the source of true creativity.