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Max Ernst was more than just a prolific artist, he was a painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and poet. Ernst was also an artist with no formal training as well as a pioneer for dada and surrealism. Furthermore, Ernst invented the techniques of Frottage and Grattage. Constant themes of Ernst’s work includes the use of symbolic birds, The dream-scape, and painting from his subconscious.
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The piece that demonstrates Ernst’s unique collaging style would be “Here Everything is Still Floating” (1920). The piece creates a coherent piece out of unrelated cutouts and ends up being a fun outlet for the insanity of WW1 to Ernst.
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Ernst often paints with references to his own life. An example of this is “Two Children Are Threatened by a Nightingale” (1924). It seems quaint at first but becomes more terror inducing as you look more into it.
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“Europe After the Rain II” (1940-42), depicts a futuristic apocalypse. It was also most likely based around the Spanish war and the beginnings of WW2. Executed well is the cluttered feeling of an aftermath of destruction.
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The piece that I find most enjoyable is “Celebes” (1921). The piece takes a photograph of a vacuum cleaner and creates an imaginative dream-scape with it, and the headless nude that is with it.
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Another one I enjoy would be “Barbarians Marching to the West” (1937). I enjoy the feeling of inevitability and two giant figures of the piece. The dream-scape used here is framed very constrained and the one “barbarian” leading left is very eye catching.
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