English summary of the PhD dissertation: 

Constructive Collages

- from Surrealism of the 1920s to Young British Artists

Secondly in this perspective to investigate examples of contemporary neo-avant-garde

art that in various ways contains reference to surrealism. The underlying hypothesis is that

surrealist collage is far more constructive than it has been perceived up till now.

The dissertation has five parts: an introduction, three main chapters, and a conclusion.

The introduction restricts the field of the dissertation to surrealism in Paris in the

1920s and 1930s and to Young British Artists from the late 1980s till now. Furthermore, the

choice of material is explained as well as the use of terms as modernism, avant-garde and

neo-avant-garde. Here the basic difference between modernism and (neo)-avant-garde is

seen as the political engagement of the avant-garde and neo-avant-garde.

In chapter 1 collage, montage and assemblage in text and image are defined and the

specific character of surrealist collage is established through critical discussion with Peter

Bürger. First the visual collages are in focus using Max Ernst's collages as primary examples.

These are generally characterized by blurred junctions of the pasted elements. This

hides the fragmentary composition of the collage often causing semantic clashes of the elements

to make a disturbing and dreamlike impression. In connection to this, the relation

between the creation of collage and Freud's psychoanalysis is investigated. The conclusion

is that collages should not be seen as pure expressions of the unconscious, but rather as a

dreamlike exhibition of the irrational which serves as an important means in the (political)

action of the surrealists against the rationality of bourgeois society.

Next the applicability of the term ekphrasis is investigated in connection with the

complex relations between word and image in surrealism. Different types of ekphrasis in

Louis Aragon's Le paysan de Paris are unfolded through a close reading, and the reasons

to call the elaborated collage titles of Ernst for ekphrastic is explained. This happens in

critical dialogue with James Heffernan. From the discussion of ekphrasis the chapter turns

to an examination of the textual collages of surrealism; of their similarities with and differences

from the visual collages. Here the relation between collage and chance is examined,

and the conclusion is that surrealist collage generally is less random than the surrealists

often claimed themselves. The problems of limiting the concept of textual collage are

discussed, and a pragmatic concept that opens up for a metaphorical understanding of

collage is presented. It rather evaluates collage on basis of its effect than on its technique.

Overall, the chapter gives a picture of the surrealist constructive collage practice. This expands

the concept of montage known from Peter Bürger, which unequivocally focuses on

its fragmentary nature. The conclusion is that there are at least two kinds of collages: One

that is ‘realistic' and conscious of the use of materials in order to emphasize the elements,

as we e.g. see it by the cubists, and another that tries to melt the elements together, as we

see it by Ernst. Both have political potential: The first one works primarily as a critique of

the institution of art by pointing out the tension between art and reality. The second kind

of collages subverts the order of the accepted reality by establishing alternative realities.

Hereby it constitutes a critique of social and artistic codes.

Collage as a cohesive strategy is investigated further in chapter 2 in relation to analogies

between collage and metaphor, collage and alchemy, and - most important - collage

and bricolage. As background the interest in the mythic, mystic and ‘primitive' - wide

spread in surrealism - is studied: It was precisely the inspiration from tribal life and objects

(and writings about these) that helped to develop the surrealist ideas and techniques of collage

and found object (objet trouvé). Likewise alchemy was used as a model for creation of

collages. In this chapter it is shown how Lévi-Strauss' concept of bricolage is a productive

way of understanding the surrealist notion of creating a modern mythology with collage as

medium.

Chapter 3 takes a leap in time from surrealism of the 1920s and 1930s to Young British

artists today. Damien Hirst and Jake and Dinos Chapman refer explicitly to surrealism in

their works. The conditions of the neo-avant-garde are discussed, again in critical dialogue

with Bürger, and with a more optimistic outcome than his. Jake and Dinos Chapman's relation

to Freud's psychoanalysis is investigated. The point of departure is their surrealist inspired,

grotesque, mounted mannequin children. While the surrealists were open admirers

of Freud, the Chapman brothers are questioning not least Freud's rigid categories of sex in

their work. Parallels are also drawn to the use of mannequins by the surrealists (primarily

those of Hans Bellmer) and by Cindy Sherman. Here, especially, the conception of women

differs strongly. Furthermore, the play on tribal iconography by the Chapman brothers is

analysed in a postcolonial context, putting into perspective the surrealist's preoccupation

with the same.

The second part of the chapter concerns Damien Hirst who quotes surrealist works

directly in several works, and who uses the collage technique as the structuring principle

of his oeuvre. While Hirst quotes surrealism, his work differs in scale and materials from

the original. This may be seen partly as a nostalgic homage to the historical avant-garde,

partly as a comment on the established status which the avant-garde has obtained in art

history. Besides, the political potential in Hirst's bio-political installations is examined.

Here Hirst critically focuses on rationality and medical science, often in equally critical

dialogue with Catholicism. Dealing with Hirst and Chapman, the focal point is especially

on their development of ready-made and collage, and on the difference it makes that they,

contrary to the artists of the historical avant-garde, are integrated parties of the institution

of art. As an example of how they comment on these relations, they create things in bronze

making them look like ready-mades from everyday life. Hereby they present provocatively

the ready-made as (a new) convention in art. At the same time they continue the focus on

semantic meetings and clashes from surrealism as a strategy, even when it is invested with

new up-to-date techniques and materials.

After a brief summary, the conclusion of the dissertation points out two perspectives.

The first one is a discussion of the relation between art and life that the extended concept

of collage from the previous chapters helps to develop. The other one is a study of forerunners

of surrealist collage with the monster as primary example. This perspective points

to a certain view on nature, which has its roots in the 16th century, and which becomes

a catalyst of surrealist creation of images; a grotesque sort of creation that makes use of

metamorphoses and transformation and not just of simple juxtapositions. This leads to

the conclusion that - at least parts of - the avant-garde is much more organic than Bürger

claims in Theorie der Avantgarde, and it forms a contrast to Bürger's concept of collage as a

purely modern phenomenon.