“Surrealism is not a style — it is a state of mind.”
(André Masson)
Surrealist Explorer of the Unconscious and the Elemental
André Masson was a French painter, draughtsman, and printmaker, celebrated for his radical exploration of the unconscious mind, myth, and the forces of nature. Born in 1896 in Balagne, France, Masson studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris before becoming one of the early and most daring voices of Surrealism in the 1920s.
Rejecting rational control, Masson pioneered the use of automatic drawing — letting the hand move freely across the surface to unlock subconscious imagery. His works, whether in painting, drawing, or print, are raw, energetic, and often violent, evoking inner conflict, cosmic creation, and timeless ritual.
In the 1930s and 40s, Masson’s style evolved, incorporating mythological, erotic, and existential themes, influenced in part by his experiences during the Spanish Civil War and World War II. After emigrating to the United States during the war, he had a profound impact on the emerging Abstract Expressionist scene.
Masson’s lithographs and drawings are celebrated for their immediacy, symbolic density, and formal inventiveness. He remained deeply committed to exploring art as a form of inner revelation and cosmic dialogue until his death in 1987.