Research of the concept of space and realistic images in surrealist paintings

This study examines how the concept of space is constructed in Surrealist paintings and the function of realistic images in this context. It discusses the types of spaces depicted by Surrealist artists and the artistic, symbolic, and psychological meanings of these spaces. It also analyzes the relationship between realistic images and dreams, the unconscious, and irrational thinking. The study seeks answers about the visual arrangements of spaces in Surrealist paintings, the layers of meaning these spaces contain, and the effect of realistic images on these compositions. A qualitative research method was adopted, and a descriptive analysis technique was used. The use of space and realistic images in Surrealist paintings is examined through iconographic and symbolic analyses of sample artworks. Visuals selected from the artists' works were interpreted and analyzed under thematic headings, and symbolic meanings were evaluated through visual data. The analysis process was supported by a literature review and utilized art history, psychoanalysis, and aesthetic theories. The spaces in the analyzed works are mostly constructed with unreal, fragmented structures that disrupt the perception of time and space. As seen in the works of René Magritte, Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, Joan Miró, and André Masson, these spaces are constructed in a way that allows viewers to connect with their subconscious. Architectural details, voids, and natural elements are arranged in a manner that challenges traditional perspective. This creates a sense of both familiarity and alienation for the viewer. Surrealist artists use realistic images, such as an apple, a window, a clock, or a hat, in unusual compositions that give them new meanings. For instance, in Magritte's "Visual Deception," an apple covers the face, in Dalí's "The Persistence of Memory," melting clocks symbolize the relativity of time. When evaluated in the context of psychoanalytic theory, surrealist spaces with realistic images point to subconscious conflicts, repressed emotions, and questions of identity. Elements such as the concealment of facial images, the presence of mirrors, and a sense of emptiness and timelessness reflect the confusion and unconsciousness of the individual's inner world. The realistic images and spatial analysis employed in surrealist compositions evoke aesthetic astonishment and stimulate mental analysis in viewers. Thanks to the contradictory elements in the image, the viewer is directed to question their own perception mechanisms. The use of space and realistic images in surrealist paintings is an aesthetic strategy that allows one to question reality. This approach takes viewers out of the ordinary and leads them to unconscious and dreamlike experiences. Thus, Surrealist art offers a multilayered narrative language that expands the boundaries of how reality is perceived, both visually and conceptually. Within the scope of this study, the relationship between space and image in surrealist paintings was analyzed in the context of perception, aesthetic experience, and the production of meaning at the unconscious level. It was concluded that a dynamic, multi-layered interaction space is created between the viewer and the work. Keywords: Realistic Image, Space, Surrealism, Surrealist Art, Surrealist Space