Abstract vs. Surrealism — What's the Difference?

Art that uses shapes and colors in a non-representational way.

Art that explores the unconscious mind through bizarre imagery.

Emphasizes visual elements over realism.

Aims to reveal deeper truths of the subconscious.

Focuses on emotional or conceptual expression.

Combines the familiar with the dream-like.

Can be interpreted in multiple ways.

Influenced by psychoanalytic theories.

Does not depict objects realistically.

Uses techniques like automatism to bypass rational thought.

Considered apart from concrete existence

Surrealism was a cultural movement which developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I and was largely influenced by Dada. The movement is best known for its visual artworks and writings and the juxtaposition of distant realities to activate the unconscious mind through the imagery.

Not applied or practical; theoretical.

A literary and artistic movement of the 1900s that attempts to express the workings of the subconscious and is characterized by fantastic imagery and incongruous juxtaposition of subject matter.

Difficult to understand; abstruse

Literature or art produced in this style.

Denoting something that is immaterial, conceptual, or nonspecific, as an idea or quality

An artistic movement and an aesthetic philosophy that aims for the liberation of the mind by emphasizing the critical and imaginative powers of the subconscious.

Impersonal, as in attitude or views.

A 20th century movement of artists and writers (developing out of Dadaism) who used fantastic images and incongruous juxtapositions in order to represent unconscious thoughts and dreams

Having an intellectual and affective artistic content that depends solely on intrinsic form rather than on narrative content or pictorial representation

A statement summarizing the important points of a text.

Something abstract.

An abstract of title.

To take away; remove

To remove without permission; steal

To consider (an idea, for example) as separate from particular examples or objects

(ăbstrăkt′) To write a summary of; summarize

To create artistic abstractions of (something else, such as a concrete object or another style)

An abridgement or summary of a longer publication.

Something that concentrates in itself the qualities of a larger item, or multiple items.

Concentrated essence of a product.

(medicine) A powdered solid extract of a medicinal substance mixed with lactose.

An abstraction; an abstract term; that which is abstract.

The theoretical way of looking at things; something that exists only in idealized form.

(arts) An abstract work of art.

(real estate) A summary title of the key points detailing a tract of land, for ownership; abstract of title.

(obsolete) Derived; extracted.

Drawn away; removed from; apart from; separate.

Not concrete: conceptual, ideal.

Insufficiently factual.

Apart from practice or reality; vague; theoretical; impersonal; not applied.

(grammar) As a noun, denoting a concept or intangible as opposed to an object, place, or person.

Difficult to understand; abstruse; hard to conceptualize.

Separately expressing a property or attribute of an object that is considered to be inherent to that object: attributive, ascriptive.

Pertaining comprehensively to, or representing, a class or group of objects, as opposed to any specific object; considered apart from any application to a particular object: general, generic, nonspecific; representational.

(archaic) Absent-minded.

(arts) Pertaining to the formal aspect of art, such as the lines, colors, shapes, and the relationships among them.

Free from representational qualities, in particular the non-representational styles of the 20^th century.

(music) Absolute.

(dance) Lacking a story.

Being a partial basis for subclasses rather than a complete template for objects.

(transitive) To separate; to disengage.

(transitive) To remove; to take away; withdraw.

To steal; to take away; to remove without permission.

(transitive) To summarize; to abridge; to epitomize.

To conceptualize an ideal subgroup by means of the generalization of an attribute, as follows: by apprehending an attribute inherent to one individual, then separating that attribute and contemplating it by itself, then conceiving of that attribute as a general quality, then despecifying that conceived quality with respect to several or many individuals, and by then ideating a group composed of those individuals perceived to possess said quality.

To extract by means of distillation.

(transitive) To consider abstractly; to contemplate separately or by itself; to consider theoretically; to look at as a general quality.

To withdraw oneself; to retire.

(transitive) To draw off (interest or attention).

To perform the process of abstraction.

To create abstractions.

To produce an abstraction, usually by refactoring existing code. Generally used with "out".

Withdraw; separate.

Considered apart from any application to a particular object; separated from matter; existing in the mind only; as, abstract truth, abstract numbers. Hence: ideal; abstruse; difficult.

Expressing a particular property of an object viewed apart from the other properties which constitute it; - opposed to concrete; as, honesty is an abstract word.

Abstracted; absent in mind.

To withdraw; to separate; to take away.

To draw off in respect to interest or attention; as, his was wholly abstracted by other objects.

To separate, as ideas, by the operation of the mind; to consider by itself; to contemplate separately, as a quality or attribute.

To epitomize; to abridge.

To take secretly or dishonestly; to purloin; as, to abstract goods from a parcel, or money from a till.

To separate, as the more volatile or soluble parts of a substance, by distillation or other chemical processes. In this sense extract is now more generally used.

To perform the process of abstraction.

That which comprises or concentrates in itself the essential qualities of a larger thing or of several things. Specifically: A summary or an epitome, as of a treatise or book, or of a statement; a brief.

A state of separation from other things; as, to consider a subject in the abstract, or apart from other associated things.

An abstract term.

A powdered solid extract of a vegetable substance mixed with sugar of milk in such proportion that one part of the abstract represents two parts of the original substance.

A concept or idea not associated with any specific instance;

A sketchy summary of the main points of an argument or theory

Consider a concept without thinking of a specific example; consider abstractly or theoretically

Make off with belongings of others

Consider apart from a particular case or instance;

Give an abstract (of)

Existing only in the mind; separated from embodiment;

Not representing or imitating external reality or the objects of nature;

Based on specialized theory;

Dealing with a subject in the abstract without practical purpose or intention;

While their core philosophies differ, both movements can intersect in the use of abstract elements to convey surreal experiences.

Abstract art eschews direct representation of reality, focusing on emotional or conceptual expression, whereas Surrealism distorts reality to explore the unconscious mind.

Abstract art uses colors, forms, and lines to create compositions independent of real-world visual references.

Viewers of abstract art are encouraged to engage with the work on a personal level, interpreting its meaning based on individual perception and emotion.

Abstract art emerged as artists sought to move away from traditional representation, focusing instead on the intrinsic qualities of painting and sculpture.

Because Surrealism incorporates recognizable elements in unexpected ways, it can be more immediately engaging to viewers through its narrative or thematic content.

Freudian psychoanalysis profoundly influenced Surrealism, inspiring artists to explore dream imagery and the unconscious as sources of creativity.

Surrealism is known for techniques like automatism and the use of symbolic imagery to express the workings of the unconscious mind.

Surrealism is an artistic movement that seeks to express the unconscious mind through dream-like imagery and bizarre combinations.

Abstract art has laid the groundwork for various contemporary art movements, emphasizing the importance of color, form, and non-representational approaches.

Surrealist artists often employ techniques like automatism or draw inspiration from dreams to create art that bypasses traditional rational processes.

Themes in Surrealist art often include desire, fantasy, the uncanny, and explorations of the human psyche.

Yes, some artworks and artists may blend elements of both movements, creating pieces that are abstract in form but surreal in content or theme.

Yes, Surrealism has influenced literature, film, and theater, where it manifests in surreal narratives and imagery.

Emotion in abstract art is often conveyed through the use of color, form, and composition, allowing artists to express feelings without figurative representation.