Max Ernst

Max Ernst was a German painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and poet. A prolific artist, Ernst is considered to be one of the primary pioneers of the Dada movement and Surrealism.

In 1922, he joined fellow Dadaists André Breton, Gala, Tristan Tzara, and Paul Éluard at the artistic community of Montparnasse. Constantly experimenting, in 1925 he invented a graphic art technique called frottage (see Surrealist techniques), which uses pencil rubbings of objects as a source of images.

He also created another technique called ‘grattage’ in which paint is scraped across canvas to reveal the imprints of the objects placed beneath. He uses this technique in his famous painting ‘Forest and Dove’.

Max Ernst’s images are a little too surreal for my taste. But then I think maybe I could branch out my photography into surrealism, go past my comfort zone and try something different. I may do just that in future assignments.