A Redefinition of Hyper-Surrealism

 Hyper-Surrealism is defined as surrealism with photo sharpness as is Hyper-Realism. I say thats crap. All that definition does is take surrealism to a slightly medium based concept. Surrealism was NEVER meant to be about anything looking real. Its about stepping out to a new artistic universe where nothing is as it seems. 

So lets redefine it. 

Hyper-Surrealism is taking something already surreal and taking it to an even higher level of surrealism. 

One of my favorite examples is Mardi Gras in New Orleans. To experience Mardi Gras, you have to be willing to step into this surreal world which is defined by costumes, giant floats, lots of liquor and a respect for traditions that have very little to do with reality.

Lots of people photograph at Mardi Gras. I did the same many times when I was still a photographer and not an artist. I would wander the countless parades and activities and think to myself, there is no way I can make a photo represent what this is really is. 

Then it came to me one day that the only way to change something so surreal was to think in terms of hyper-surrealism. An art form that blasted past the limits of what is surreal and begins to see things in a totally new way. 

I admit, a lot of this comes from the basic definition of what Tumultuism is. Tumultuism is defined as: 

 A theory of art which is disorderly, fractured and dreamlike in its presentation. It may exhibit a confused state, akin to looking through a piece of fractured glass at the subject of the art, similar to an acid trip or lucid dreaming. The subjects are often out of focus. It sometimes exhibits a similarity to cubist art, but is not always about strait lines to view and interpret the subject through. The form is determined by the Abstraction Point. This is the point where the subject goes from a recognizable state to a state of total anarchy and abstraction. This is also part of the attraction of Tumultuous art because viewing close up to the image it breaks apart into an abstraction. The further back you step the more the subject of the art jumps out. The concept also utilizes the artists theories in "harmonic Dissonance". Where many layers signifying different levels of color, texture and design are brought together in harmony. Tumultuism may also include strictly monochromatic art where color is totally removed from the equation. 

 Everything in my art world now is defined in this way.

So why bother with another definition?

Simple. No one understands Tumultuism (yet). Sometimes we need alternative labels for something we understand but no one else does. By redefining Hyper-Surrealism, we introduce a definition that helps the viewer to understand it easier. Its a simple idea.

So why bother with calling it Tumultuism at all? 

Because in the term Hyper-Surrealism there is room for misunderstanding also. By using Tumultuism it takes the actual art form out to a new place where those really interested, other artists, art scholars, etc are forced to learn a new term in order to not mix it up with any other terms. Hyper-Surrealism or Mega-Surrealism is merely helping the lay person to begin an understanding of everything I create.