Guillaume Apollinaire, Surrealism and Today’s AI: Above Reality

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Guillaume Apollinaire was a man ahead of his time. Aside from his contribution to literature, he also had an impact on the broader world of art through his forward-thinking views.

With his keen insight into the avant-garde, he coined the term “surrealist” to describe his play Les Mamelles de Tirésias in 1917. This was more than a new word; it sparked a movement that quickly became a pillar in both literature and the fine arts, inspiring a wave of artists to look beyond the visible world.

Apollinaire’s vision encouraged artists to blend dream and reality, pushing the boundaries of traditional art, and inviting a dialogue between the conscious and the subconscious in ways that were unprecedented.

Today, we might wonder if aspects of surrealism can be observed in AI-created art. Apollinaire’s vision may have transcended the ages in the end?

When looking at surrealist principles such as melding the bizarre with the familiar, and the dream with the real, we can see some overlap with AI-generated text, images, and videos. Apollinaire’s wish for art to go beyond the commonplace and explore the unknown is reflected in what we see, proving that the surrealist spirit, nourished in the past, is thriving in the digital age.

Guillaume Apollinaire
Guillaume Apollinaire

Apollinaire and the Birth of Surrealism

Like his artistic and literary contributions, Guillaume Apollinaire led a fascinating life. Born in Italy and spending much of his life in France, Apollinaire became a central figure in the Parisian art scene, mingling with artists and writers who were reshaping the cultural landscape of the early 20th century. His work, which spanned poetry, playwriting, and art criticism, was marked by a relentless pursuit of innovation and a desire to break free from traditional forms and ideas.

One of Apollinaire’s most significant contributions was his play, Les Mamelles de Tirésias (The Breasts of Tiresias), performed in 1917. This play was groundbreaking for several reasons, not least because it was here that Apollinaire first used the term “surrealist” in the program notes. He described the work as a “surrealist drama,” indicating a departure from the conventional norms of theater and literature towards something that defied easy categorization. The term “surrealism” itself captured the essence of Apollinaire’s vision—a fusion of dream and reality into a superior unity that transcended the ordinary (Genova 2003; Becker 2020; Apollinaire 2004; Ellison 2021; The Art Story)

Les Mamelles de Tirésias is a vivid illustration of surrealism in action. The play is a bizarre, humorous, and unpredictable narrative that subverts gender roles and flouts logical progression in favor of a disjointed, dream-like series of events. Its central character, Thérèse, transforms into a man, Tirésias, and abandons her husband to pursue adventures, leaving him to physically bear children and attempt to repopulate the town. This radical shift in gender roles and the absurdity of the plot reflect surrealism’s core tenet of liberating the mind from rational constraints and societal norms.

Les mamelles de Tirésias
Les mamelles de Tirésias, Central City Opera Colorado 2011

The play’s themes are quintessentially surrealist, delving into the subconscious and embracing chaos and irrationality as sources of truth and creativity. Apollinaire’s work anticipates the more formalized Surrealist movement that would emerge under André Breton, emphasizing the power of the unconscious, the significance of dreams, and the rejection of logical constraints to access deeper truths about the human condition.

Apollinaire’s bold experimentation in Les Mamelles de Tirésias and his articulation of the surrealistic ideal paved the way for future generations of artists and writers. By blurring the lines between reality and the imagination, Apollinaire challenged his contemporaries to see the world anew. His legacy is a testament to the enduring power of creativity and its ability to transform how we perceive and engage with the world around us (Frick 2011; Allred 2013; Thomson 2013; Kimbal 2000; Bohn 2010; Bhattacharya & Das 2022; Read 2000; Frick 2012; Marsico 2023; Flynn 2011)

Surrealism: Evolution of an Artistic Revolution

Surrealism, a movement that forever altered the landscape of art and culture, owes its genesis to visionaries like Guillaume Apollinaire. However, its evolution into a broad, influential artistic revolution was spearheaded by André Breton, who built upon Apollinaire’s foundational ideas. Breton’s 1924 “Surrealist Manifesto” marked the formal beginning of the Surrealist movement, emphasizing the liberation of thought, language, and human experience from the oppressive bounds of rationality and societal norms (Genova 2003; Brown; Balaikian 1949).

André Breton surrealism
André Breton

Breton, along with artists like Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, and Joan Miró, pushed the boundaries of creativity, exploring the complex workings of the mind through various mediums. Surrealism’s hallmark became its embrace of the bizarre, the irrational, and the dreamlike, proposing that the unconscious mind held the key to a deeper, truer reality than the visible world could offer. Automatism, a method of creating art without conscious control, epitomized this embrace, allowing artists and writers to tap into the stream of the subconscious freely “Klingsöhr-Leroy 2004; İlden & Cengiz 2021; Oswald 2018; Marques 2008; Havard 2004; Rudosky 2021; Davis 2006; Wallis 2020; Ades 2011).

The philosophical roots of Surrealism delve deep into the theories of Sigmund Freud regarding the unconscious and the significance of dreams. Surrealists were fascinated by Freud’s idea that the unconscious mind was a reservoir of feelings, thoughts, and memories beyond the reach of rational thought. This fascination led them to explore dream analysis and free association as methods to express the unexplored depths of the human psyche in their art (Lagana 2013; Lingis 2017; Veselý 2008; Jiménez et al. 2013; Jałocha 2016; Lomas 2000; Baxter 2016; Perry 2010; Rabaté 2002).

Surrealism’s impact was not confined to painting or literature; it infiltrated all forms of creative expression, including photography, film, sculpture, and performance art. In literature, writers like André Breton, Louis Aragon, and Paul Éluard explored surrealistic themes, employing techniques such as automatic writing to produce texts that defied traditional narrative structures and logical progression. In painting, artists such as René Magritte and Frida Kahlo created iconic works that juxtaposed ordinary objects in extraordinary ways, revealing the strange and uncanny lurking beneath the surface of everyday life.

Surrealist Manifesto
Cover of the first issue of La Révolution surréaliste, 1924.

In cinema, directors like Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí (notably in their collaboration on Un Chien Andalou) used the medium to disrupt linear narratives and logical sequences, creating films that resembled dreams (or nightmares) more than traditional stories. These works were unsettling, provocative, and deeply influential, challenging audiences to question their perceptions and assumptions about reality.

Through its various expressions, Surrealism sought not just to revolutionize art but to provoke a revolution in thought itself. By valuing the irrational and the bizarre as sources of truth, Surrealism opened new avenues for exploring human consciousness and the complexities of the psyche. Its legacy is a testament to the power of the imagination unbound, inspiring generations of artists and thinkers to look beyond the visible world for meaning and inspiration (Dezeuze & Kelly 2013; Jacobs 2017; Klingsöhr-Leroy 2004; Finkelstein 2017; Hopkins 2004; Bohn 2005; Wells 2021; Cachia 2016; Caws 2018). 

Apollinaire’s Influence on Surrealist Art and Beyond

Guillaume Apollinaire’s contributions to the arts left an indelible mark that extended well into the development of Surrealism and beyond, influencing a myriad of movements that followed. His early ideas laid the groundwork for a revolution in artistic expression that sought to explore the depths of the human psyche and challenge the conventions of reality.

Apollinaire’s advocacy for a blend of the real and the imaginary, his experiments with form and content, and his championing of the unexpected and the bizarre directly influenced the Surrealist movement. His use of the term “surrealist” to describe his own work Les Mamelles de Tirésias introduced a concept that would become central to the movement. This play’s blend of humor, absurdity, and dreamlike transitions provided a model for Surrealist artists and writers, who saw in Apollinaire’s work a precedent for their own explorations of the unconscious mind.

Moreover, Apollinaire’s call for a “new spirit” in art and his open embrace of modern innovations presaged the Surrealists’ later fascination with the irrational and the uncanny aspects of the subconscious. His writings and public engagements fostered an environment that encouraged artists like Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, and Joan Miró to embrace risk-taking and the breaking of taboos, both of which would become hallmarks of Surrealist art.

The Persistence of Memory, Salvador Dali (1931)
The Persistence of Memory, Salvador Dali, 1931

As Surrealism matured, it influenced and intersected with other movements, showcasing Apollinaire’s lasting impact. The transition of Surrealism into movements like Abstract Expressionism in the United States during the mid-20th century can be traced through the emphasis on spontaneous, automatic techniques that sought to bypass conscious thought, a concept that echoes Apollinaire’s early experiments (Minneman 2019; Horner 2019; Nikolova 2022; Curto 2012; Aspley 2010; McCorristine 2009; Bohn 2002; Ungureanu 2017; Flynn 2011; Klingsöhr-Leroy 2004)

Globally, Surrealism’s reach extended beyond Europe and North America, influencing artists and writers in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. This worldwide spread was facilitated by the universal appeal of its core ideas—freedom from rational constraints, the exploration of dreams, and a deep dive into the unconscious. Countries like Mexico, for example, saw the rise of artists like Frida Kahlo, whose works share Surrealism’s dreamlike quality and vivid symbolism, reflecting the movement’s broad relevance.

The Two Fridas, Frida Kahlo, 1939
The Two Fridas, Frida Kahlo, 1939

Apollinaire’s early insistence on the importance of the avant-garde and his pioneering use of surreal elements in his work paved the way for Surrealism to evolve into a global movement. His vision encouraged artists to transcend cultural and geographical boundaries, exploring universal themes of desire, fear, and fantasy. The global impact of Surrealism, rooted in Apollinaire’s foundational ideas, underscores the transformative power of art to reflect and reshape human experience across time and space.

In essence, Apollinaire’s influence on Surrealist art and its progeny illustrates how the seeds of a radical artistic vision can grow into a diverse and enduring legacy, touching every corner of the globe and inspiring new generations to imagine the world anew (Baackmann & Craven 2009; Ades, Eder, & Speranza 2012; Tythacott 2003; D’Alessandro & Gale 2021; Eburne 2021; Bellan & Drost 2021; Antle 2006; Chanady 2008; Rosemont & Kelley 2009; Greet 2018).

The Breasts of Tiresias: From Play to Opera

The transformation of Guillaume Apollinaire’s play Les Mamelles de Tirésias into an opera by Francis Poulenc marks a fascinating evolution of a surrealist masterpiece from the written word to a musical spectacle. Composed in 1947, Poulenc’s opera retained the title and much of the surreal spirit of Apollinaire’s original work, while also infusing it with a new layer of artistic expression through music.

Francis Poulenc
Francis Poulenc

When adapting the play into an opera, Poulenc faced the challenge of translating Apollinaire’s surrealistic elements into a musical format. He succeeded brilliantly, creating a work that captures the play’s essence while also offering something entirely new. Poulenc’s music complements the absurdity and humor of the plot, using playful melodies, unexpected harmonies, and shifts in musical styles to mirror the unpredictability and whimsy of the original play. The opera becomes a multi-sensory experience, where the surrealistic aspects of the story are amplified by the music, making the absurdity more palpable and the humor more poignant.

One of the ways the opera maintains the surrealistic elements of Apollinaire’s play is through its use of libretto and musical motifs to underscore the transformation of characters and the fluidity of identity, central themes in the play. Poulenc’s adaptation remains faithful to the play’s narrative while exploring these themes through a musical lens, offering audiences a unique way to experience the story’s surreal qualities.

Moreover, Poulenc transformed the play’s dialogue into lyrical arias and duets, which serve to heighten the emotional impact of the characters’ transformations and their surreal adventures. The opera’s staging and design often draw on surreal imagery, with productions employing exaggerated costumes and sets that visually echo the play’s departure from realism.

Despite these transformations, the core message of Apollinaire’s work remains intact in Poulenc’s opera. Both versions celebrate creativity, freedom, and the rejection of societal norms, inviting the audience to question and reimagine the world around them. The adaptation of Les Mamelles de Tirésias from play to opera is a testament to the enduring power and versatility of surrealist art. It showcases how the themes and ideas of the surrealist movement can transcend medium and time, continuing to inspire and provoke thought through new forms of expression (Allred 2013; Lloyd 2002; Marsico 2023; Purvis 2013; Langlois 2014; Carandini 2009; Giroud 2014; Purvis 2011; Read 2016).

Surrealism Meets Technology: The Dawn of AI Art

As we venture further into the 21st century, the fusion of technology and art has given rise to a new genre that challenges our traditional understanding of creativity: AI art. This innovative form leverages the power of artificial intelligence, particularly through mechanisms like generative adversarial networks (GANs) and machine learning, to create artwork that is both unique and thought-provoking. GANs involve two neural networks contesting with each other to generate new, original images that can mimic various artistic styles or create entirely novel visuals. Machine learning allows these systems to analyze vast datasets of artwork, learning and synthesizing new creations that reflect learned patterns and aesthetics.

The emergence of AI art brings to the forefront an intriguing dialogue with the principles of Surrealism. Surrealists aimed to unlock the unconscious mind, channeling its unfiltered thoughts and images to create art that defied rational explanation and conventional aesthetic standards. Similarly, AI art bypasses the traditional artist’s conscious control, relying instead on algorithms and neural networks to ‘dream up’ its creations. In this sense, AI art aligns with the Surrealist principle of automatism, producing work that can surprise, unsettle, or delight viewers without human intention guiding its formation (Chatterjee 2022; Aris, Aeini, & Nosrati 2023; Zylinska 2020; Schröter 2019; Danesi 2024; Shamir et al. 2010; Notaro 2020; Miller 2020; Brodskaïa 2012; Grba 2022).

Dyonix, Nature and Technology
Dyonix, Nature and Technology, AI created

However, the divergence between traditional Surrealist art and AI-generated art becomes apparent in the origin of inspiration and execution. Surrealism, deeply rooted in the human experience, sought to explore the psyche, dreams, and the subconscious mind’s role in creativity. Surrealists believed that by tapping into the unconscious, they could access a more authentic and untainted wellspring of creativity. In contrast, AI art originates from data and algorithms. While it can mimic the unpredictability and abstraction of Surrealist works, its ‘unconscious’ is not derived from human experience but from coded instructions and pre-existing datasets.

Moreover, Surrealism was as much a philosophical and political movement as it was an artistic one. Surrealist artists and writers were not just exploring new aesthetic territories but were also questioning societal norms, challenging cultural conventions, and seeking deeper truths. The personal, human touch inherent in Surrealist works carries meanings, emotions, and critiques that AI-generated art, as of now, cannot replicate in the same depth due to its lack of consciousness or lived experience.

Yet, the intersection of Surrealism and AI art raises fascinating questions about the nature of creativity and the future of artistic expression. As AI technologies evolve and become more sophisticated, the potential for truly innovative and unexpected collaborations between human artists and AI systems grows. These collaborations could further blur the lines between human and machine-generated art, pushing the boundaries of what is considered possible in the realm of artistic creation.

The dawn of AI art represents a new chapter in the ongoing exploration of the relationship between technology and creativity. It prompts us to reconsider the essence of art and the role of the artist, offering a modern reflection of the Surrealist endeavor to surpass the limitations of the rational world. In this evolving artistic landscape, the spirit of Surrealism — with its embrace of the bizarre, the unpredictable, and the uncanny — finds a new expression, suggesting that the quest to explore the unknown continues to inspire, whether through the human mind or the silicon of computers (Kratky 2021; Papia, Kondi, & Constantoudis 2023; Maerten & Soydaner 2023; Daniele, Di Bernardi Luft, & Bryan-Kinns 2021; O’Meara & Murphy 2023; Nguyen, Ho, Nguyen, Tu, & others 2023; Chen & Kao 2022; Oppenlaender, Linder, & Silvennoinen 2023; Khan, Kim, Jha, Mohamed, Chang, & others 2024; Wang & Sun 2023).

Kim Godgul AI Art
Kim Godgul AI Art

Apollinaire’s Legacy in Today’s AI: Examples and Case Studies

Guillaume Apollinaire’s pioneering spirit and his conceptualization of surrealism have found a curious echo in the digital age, particularly within the field of artificial intelligence (AI) in art. Today’s AI projects and artworks, in many ways, reflect the surrealist influences Apollinaire championed, blending reality and dream to create something entirely new. Here, we explore contemporary AI projects and artworks that resonate with Apollinaire’s vision of surrealism, highlighting how these modern creations align with and diverge from traditional surrealist principles (Aris, Aeini, & Nosrati 2023; Chatterjee 2022; Grba 2022).

DeepDream: A Journey into the Neural Network’s Subconscious

Google’s DeepDream is perhaps one of the most direct descendants of surrealist thought in AI technology. Initially created to understand how neural networks recognize patterns and images, DeepDream modifies images in a dream-like, sometimes unsettling manner, emphasizing and exaggerating features to create bizarre, surrealistic landscapes. This algorithmic approach to creating art not only mirrors the surrealist fascination with dreams but also aligns with Apollinaire’s desire for art to transcend reality, offering a glimpse into what a machine’s ‘subconscious’ might produce (Chen & Kao 2022; Gkotzos 2015; Ferreira 2019; Komala, Bhushan, Anthony, & others 2023; Somaini 2023).

DeepDream created image
DeepDream created image

GANs and the Creation of the ‘Impossible’

Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) have been used to create artworks that defy straightforward interpretation, much like the work of surrealist artists. For instance, the project “This Person Does Not Exist” generates hyper-realistic images of human faces that belong to no one. These faces, while eerily lifelike, are entirely the product of AI’s imagination, reminiscent of Apollinaire’s call for art that exists beyond the limits of the real world. Similarly, artists like Mario Klingemann use GANs to produce art that blurs the line between the familiar and the fantastical, a direct nod to the surrealist movement (Wang et al. 2020; Shahriar 2022; Elgammal et al. 2017; Xue 2021; Alqahtani et al. 2021; Berman 2020; Chen et al. 2018; Tan et al. 2017; Pan et al. 2019; Xue et al. 2021).

Mario Klingemann Self Portrait
Mario Klingemann Self Portrait

AI Duets: Breathing Life into Surrealist Poetry

In the literary domain, AI has been employed to write poetry that could be considered surreal in its disjointedness and abstraction. Projects like “Deep-speare” which crafts Shakespearean sonnets, or OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which generates text based on prompts, have been used to create pieces that echo the surrealists’ love for automatic writing. By feeding these AI systems with Apollinaire’s own texts or surrealist poetry, they can generate new works that, while not conscious creations, resonate with the unpredictability and linguistic innovation characteristic of Apollinaire’s era (Kratky 2021; O’Meara & Murphy 2023; Danesi 2024; Chatterjee 2022; Joensuu 2010; Chalmers 2023; Beals 2018; Gilchrist 2022; Voigts 2021; Bajohr 2020).

Analyzing AI-Generated Works Through Apollinaire’s Lens

When we analyze AI-generated works through the lens of Apollinaire’s vision of surrealism, several parallels emerge. These artworks often manifest a blend of reality and dream, creating a “surreality” that Apollinaire envisioned as the new frontier of artistic expression. However, whereas Apollinaire’s surrealism was deeply human, rooted in the complexities of the psyche and the subconscious, AI-generated art originates from data, algorithms, and machine learning processes.

Despite this difference in origin, the output of AI in art captures the essence of surrealism’s quest to explore the unknown and redefine the boundaries of creativity. These modern creations challenge our perceptions, invite us to question the nature of art and creativity, and ultimately, carry forward Apollinaire’s legacy into the digital age.

As we continue to explore the intersections between AI and art, it becomes clear that Apollinaire’s influence persists, not just in the themes and methods of contemporary artworks but in the very quest to push beyond the conventional into new fields of possibility. Through these examples and case studies, we witness the enduring power of Apollinaire’s vision, reimagined for a world where technology and creativity converge (Danesi 2024; Weintraub 2023; Gross 2023; Aris, Aeini, & Nosrati 2023; Kratky 2021; O’Meara & Murphy 2023; Chatterjee 2022; Papia, Kondi, & Constantoudis 2023; Yusa, Yu, & Sovhyra 2022; Zylinska 2020).

Surrealism, Apollinaire, and AI: A Philosophical Reflection

The fusion of Apollinaire’s Surrealism with artificial intelligence in art raises profound philosophical questions that challenge our preconceived notions about authorship, creativity, and the essence of art. As we explore the domains where machines create works that resonate with the core principles of Surrealism, we’re compelled to reconsider the role of the human artist and the creative process itself.

Authorship in the Age of AI

The concept of authorship undergoes a dramatic transformation when AI is involved in the creation of art. Traditionally, art is seen as a direct expression of the artist’s vision, experiences, and emotions. However, when an AI generates a piece of art, authorship becomes a more complex issue. Can a machine be considered the author of a work, or does authorship reside with the programmers who designed the AI, or perhaps with the individual who prompts and curates the AI’s output?

Apollinaire’s vision of Surrealism celebrated the liberation of the subconscious and the embrace of chance in the creation of art. AI-generated art, devoid of consciousness yet capable of producing work that captures the unpredictability and abstraction characteristic of Surrealism, prompts us to question what we consider the ‘source’ of creative expression (Miller 2019; Ginsburg & Budiardjo 2019; Cetinic & She 2022; Gervais 2019; Hertzmann 2018; Gaut 2010; Zylinska 2020; Nowak-Gruca 2022; Colton & Wiggins 2012; Abbott 2016).

Redefining Creativity

Creativity has long been viewed as a distinctly human trait, an inherent ability to generate ideas, solutions, or works that are novel and valuable. The advent of AI art challenges this notion, presenting a form of creativity that is algorithmically derived. If creativity is the ability to produce work that is both novel and surprising, then AI has certainly demonstrated a capacity for creativity, albeit in a form distinct from human creativity. This raises philosophical questions about the nature and origins of creativity. Is creativity an attribute that requires consciousness, or is it a process that can be replicated in silicon as well as it can in the human brain? The surrealists were fascinated with automating the creative process to bypass rational thought; AI-generated art extends this fascination to its logical, if not surreal, conclusion (Miller 2019; Lim 2018; Townsend & Hunt 2019; Pope 2005; Boden 2016; Brockman 2020; Kolbjørnsrud, Amico, & Rahavan 2016; Kryssanov, Tamaki, & Kitamura 2001; Zylinska 2020; Walia 2019).

The Nature of Art Itself

Finally, the intersection of Apollinaire’s Surrealism and AI forces us to reconsider the nature of art itself. Surrealism sought to transcend the ordinary, to reveal the uncanny and extraordinary layers beneath the surface of reality. AI-generated art, with its capacity to produce works beyond human imagining, also transcends the ordinary, but without intention, emotion, or consciousness behind its creations. This challenges the traditional view of art as a means of human expression and communication. If art is a mirror to the human condition, what does it mean when a non-human entity produces art? Does the lack of human intentionality in AI-generated art diminish its value or authenticity as a work of art, or does it open new horizons for what art can be and do?

As we reflect on these questions, it becomes clear that the dialogue between Surrealism, Apollinaire, and AI is not just about the past and the future of art. It’s a deep philosophical exploration of creativity, consciousness, and the evolving relationship between humans and the tools we create. In this light, AI-generated art becomes a deep philosophical question, a surreal exploration of what it means to be creative, to be an author, and ultimately, to be human in an increasingly technologically mediated world (Celtinic 2022; Wellner 2022; Aris 2023; Epstein 2020; Lima 2021; Anscomb 2022; Danesi 2024; Buraga 2022; Helliwell 2023).

mamelles de tirésias apollinaire
Human and AI Creator

The Enduring Influence of Apollinaire’s Surrealism in the Age of AI

From Apollinaire’s pioneering ideas to the dawn of AI in art. Over the span of one century, our perception and creative processes have undergone radical changes.

Apollinaire’s work and the broader concept of Surrealism had their focus on transcending the boundaries of reality and exploring the depths of the unconscious. This has found a new appeal in the age of artificial intelligence. AI’s ability to produce surprising and original works of art is reminiscent of the surrealists’ desire to free art from the limitations of conscious control and reason.

Apollinaire’s legacy and his role in birthing Surrealism underscore the movement’s enduring relevance. As we face the challenges of the 21st century, the principles he advocated—embracing the irrational, valuing the imaginative over the logical, and seeking beauty in the bizarre—remain as compelling as ever.

In the context of AI-generated art, these principles are being reinterpreted, challenging us to reconsider what constitutes creativity, authorship, and, indeed, the essence of art itself.

Looking to the future, AI in art promises to further expand the boundaries of what can be imagined and created. As technology evolves, so too will how AI engages with and reflects upon surrealist principles.

FAQ

Q: How did Guillaume Apollinaire influence the transition from Cubism to Surrealism?
A: Guillaume Apollinaire played a pivotal role in the transition from Cubism to Surrealism by championing the use of abstract ideas and the exploration of the subconscious in art. His theoretical writings and poetic works, rich with imagery that transcended reality, laid the groundwork for the Surrealist movement’s emphasis on dreamscapes and the irrational. Apollinaire’s intellectual and artistic endeavors bridged the gap between the analytical deconstruction of Cubism and the imaginative freedom of Surrealism, marking him as a central figure in the evolution of modern art.

Q: What was the impact of Francis Poulenc’s musical composition on modern opera with works like Les Mamelles de Tirésias?
A: Francis Poulenc’s composition of Les Mamelles de Tirésias significantly impacted modern opera by infusing the genre with elements of Surrealism and innovative musicality. Poulenc’s adaptation of Apollinaire’s play into an opera marked a departure from traditional operatic narratives, introducing whimsicality, gender fluidity, and the fantastical into the lyrical and musical dimensions of the form. This work exemplifies how Poulenc’s compositions, characterized by their blend of humor, poignancy, and melodic clarity, redefined operatic expression and contributed to the broader dialogue on art and identity in the 20th century.

Q: What defines the Surrealism in Les Mamelles de Tirésias and its relevance today?
A: Surrealism in Les Mamelles de Tirésias is defined by its exploration of themes such as transformation, the fluidity of identity, and the subversion of traditional societal roles, all conveyed through a narrative that defies logical progression in favor of dream-like sequences and fantastical occurrences. This opera’s relevance today lies in its challenge to conventional norms and its celebration of creativity and liberation, echoing contemporary discussions on gender, autonomy, and the role of art in societal change. Apollinaire’s and Poulenc’s collaborative masterpiece continues to inspire and provoke, demonstrating the timeless nature of its surrealistic inquiry into human desire and the power of imagination.

Q: How do Apollinaire’s poetic techniques reflect the essence of Surrealism?
A: Apollinaire’s poetic techniques, such as the use of free verse, unexpected juxtapositions, and vivid, dream-like imagery, reflect the essence of Surrealism by pushing beyond the boundaries of rationality and conventional narrative structures. His work embodies the Surrealist aim to unlock deeper truths through the exploration of the subconscious mind, utilizing language and form in innovative ways that provoke thought and evoke profound emotional responses. Apollinaire’s techniques in poetry, especially in collections like Alcools, prefigured Surrealist methods, highlighting his crucial role in the movement’s formation and its quest to redefine reality.

Q: What makes Apollinaire and Poulenc’s collaboration on Les Mamelles de Tirésias uniquely significant in the history of art and music?
A: The collaboration between Guillaume Apollinaire and Francis Poulenc on Les Mamelles de Tirésias is uniquely significant for its successful fusion of Surrealist drama with musical composition, creating a groundbreaking work that challenges traditional opera conventions. This partnership exemplified the productive intersections between different art forms, showing how literature and music can coalesce to explore and express complex themes like identity, freedom, and the absurd. Their collaboration not only enriched the respective fields of literature and music but also set a precedent for future artistic endeavors that seek to innovate and transcend genre boundaries.

Q: What is the significance of Guillaume Apollinaire in the context of surrealism?
A: Guillaume Apollinaire is credited with coining the term surrealism, marking a pivotal moment in the art movement’s history. His work explored the blending of dreams and reality, laying foundational concepts for surrealism. Apollinaire’s influence extends beyond poetry, impacting visual arts and cultural theory.

Q: How did Apollinaire and Francis Poulenc collaborate in the field of opera?
A: Francis Poulenc and Guillaume Apollinaire collaborated on the opera Les Mamelles de Tirésias, a work that showcases surrealistic elements through music and libretto. This collaboration merged Apollinaire’s innovative narrative with Poulenc’s musical genius, creating a unique operatic experience. Their partnership is a celebrated example of surrealism’s influence on various art forms.

Q: What themes are explored in Apollinaire’s poetry found in Alcools?
A: Alcools, a collection by Guillaume Apollinaire, delves into themes of modernity, love, and alienation against the backdrop of early 20th-century Europe. His poetry blends traditional forms with avant-garde experimentation, reflecting the tumultuous changes of his time. Apollinaire’s work in Alcools is notable for its emotional depth and innovative use of imagery and rhythm.

Q: Can you describe an example of surrealism painting influenced by Apollinaire’s surrealism?
A: An example of surrealism painting influenced by Apollinaire’s vision is Salvador Dalí’s “The Persistence of Memory.” This artwork embodies surrealism’s exploration of dreamscapes and the subconscious, themes Apollinaire championed in his writings. The melting clocks symbolize the fluidity of time, a concept that resonates with Apollinaire’s interest in the interplay between dreams and reality.

Q: What role did Apollinaire play in the development of Cubism, and how did it relate to his friendship with Picasso?
A: Guillaume Apollinaire played a critical role in the development of Cubism through his writings and support for the movement, advocating for the innovative approach to visual representation. His close friendship with Pablo Picasso influenced his understanding and promotion of Cubism, highlighting the movement’s significance in modern art. Apollinaire’s theoretical contributions and his advocacy helped shape Cubism’s direction and reception in the early 20th century.

Q: How did Apollinaire’s work on art influence his relationship with the Parisian artistic community?
A: Guillaume Apollinaire’s work on art, especially his essays and criticisms, established him as a leading figure in the Parisian avant-garde community. His writings provided intellectual grounding for new art movements, including Cubism and Surrealism, fostering a vibrant dialogue among artists. Apollinaire’s engagement with the Parisian art scene helped bridge the gap between artists like Picasso and the public, cementing his legacy as a pivotal figure in modern art history.

Q: What is the plot of Les Mamelles de Tirésias, the opera by Francis Poulenc based on Apollinaire’s play?
A: Les Mamelles de Tirésias, the opera composed by Francis Poulenc and based on Guillaume Apollinaire’s play, unfolds in a French town and explores themes of gender, identity, and the desire for change. The story revolves around Thérèse, who transforms into the male Tirésias to embrace freedom and authority, leaving her husband to grapple with domestic life and the challenge of repopulating their town alone. This surreal narrative combines humor with profound social commentary, reflecting Apollinaire’s innovative approach to surrealism.

Q: How does Apollinaire’s approach to Cubism differ from his contributions to surrealism?
A: Apollinaire’s approach to Cubism involved articulating the theoretical foundations of the movement and advocating for its acceptance in the broader artistic community, emphasizing its revolutionary approach to perspective and form. In contrast, his contributions to surrealism focused more on exploring the subconscious, dreams, and the illogical, aiming to transcend the boundaries of reality through literature and art. While both movements benefited from Apollinaire’s intellectual rigor, his influence on surrealism delved deeper into challenging the conventions of perception and narrative.

Q: What is Guillaume Apollinaire known for in the context of Apollinaire surrealism?
A: Guillaume Apollinaire is renowned for pioneering the term surrealism, marking a significant shift in art and literature towards embracing the subconscious and dream-like imagery. His works, particularly in poetry and art criticism, laid the foundational ideas for surrealism, advocating for a departure from traditional forms to explore the depths of human imagination and emotion. Apollinaire’s contributions to surrealism have cemented his status as a visionary who reshaped the modern artistic landscape.

Q: How does Apollinaire’s poetry reflect his artistic and philosophical ideologies?
A: Apollinaire’s poetry is a reflection of his innovative artistic and philosophical ideologies, where he seamlessly blends elements of surrealism, cubism, and modernist themes. His works, such as those found in Alcools, transcend conventional narrative structures, employing free verse, complex symbolism, and visual typography to evoke a sense of the uncanny. Through his poetry, Apollinaire challenges the reader to see the world anew, pushing the boundaries of language and form to explore the interplay between reality and imagination.

Q: What distinguishes Les Mamelles de Tirésias as a significant example of surrealism in opera form?
A: Les Mamelles de Tirésias by Apollinaire significantly embodies the spirit of surrealism in its operatic adaptation by Francis Poulenc. The opera’s narrative and staging incorporate surreal elements, such as gender transformation and nonsensical plot twists, mirroring the surrealist fascination with dream logic and the subconscious. This work stands as a pivotal example of surrealism transcending visual art to influence theatrical and musical domains, showcasing Apollinaire’s and Poulenc’s combined efforts to redefine artistic expression.

Q: How do Francis Poulenc’s piano works reflect his collaboration with Apollinaire?
A: Francis Poulenc’s piano works often reflect the nuanced emotional depth and avant-garde spirit he admired in Apollinaire’s poetry. Though primarily known for their operatic collaboration, the ethos of Apollinaire’s surrealism and lyrical intensity permeates Poulenc’s compositions, offering a musical counterpart to Apollinaire’s literary innovations. This synergy between Poulenc and Apollinaire showcases how cross-disciplinary collaborations can enrich both music and literature, merging lyrical beauty with compositional finesse.

Q: How does AI technology contribute to the reinterpretation of Apollinaire’s surrealism in contemporary art?
A: AI technology contributes to the reinterpretation of Apollinaire’s surrealism by enabling the creation of art that mirrors his fascination with the subconscious and dream states. Through algorithms and machine learning, AI can generate images and texts that embody the unpredictability and imaginative scope characteristic of Surrealist art, providing new ways to explore and visualize the abstract concepts Apollinaire championed. This digital resurgence of Surrealism through AI not only honors Apollinaire’s legacy but also pushes the boundaries of what is possible in the realm of artistic creation.

Q: What implications does AI have for the future of surrealist poetry?
A: AI holds significant implications for the future of surrealist poetry, potentially expanding the genre in many ways by generating text that defies conventional logic and structure, mirroring the spontaneity and abstraction characteristic of Surrealism. As AI algorithms become more adept at understanding and mimicking human language patterns, they could offer novel poetic expressions that challenge our perceptions of authorship and creativity. This technological evolution invites a reevaluation of poetry’s essence and its creative processes, echoing Apollinaire’s revolutionary spirit in the digital age.

Q: How does AI art challenge traditional definitions of surrealism?
A: AI art introduces a new dimension to surrealism by generating artworks that reflect the movement’s focus on the unconscious and dream-like imagery without human intervention. This raises questions about the role of the artist’s intention and the source of creativity, as AI can create surrealistic images that are both novel and complex, pushing the boundaries of what is considered surreal. The involvement of machines in the creative process invites a reevaluation of surrealism’s principles in the context of contemporary technology.

Q: Can AI replicate the creative processes of surrealist artists?
A: AI can mimic the creative processes of surrealist artists to an extent by using algorithms designed to produce unexpected and abstract patterns, similar to the automatic drawing or writing techniques used by surrealists. However, AI lacks the conscious experience and emotional depth that influence human creativity, meaning its output, while visually or textually surreal, may not fully capture the human elements of surprise and subversion inherent in surrealist art. This distinction highlights the ongoing debate about the nature of creativity and its relationship to technology.

Q: What role does AI play in the future of surrealism in art?
A: AI plays a transformative role in the future of surrealism by offering new tools and methodologies for creating art that explores the unconscious, serendipity, and the juxtaposition of disparate elements. As AI technologies evolve, they could enable artists to explore deeper levels of abstraction and complexity in their work, potentially leading to a resurgence of surrealism with a digital twist. AI’s capacity to generate unexpected outcomes aligns with surrealism’s core ethos, suggesting a symbiotic relationship between the movement and technological innovation.

Q: How do AI-generated artworks reflect the influence of Guillaume Apollinaire’s surrealism?
A: AI-generated artworks reflect the influence of Guillaume Apollinaire’s surrealism through their exploration of themes and techniques that blur the boundaries between reality and dream, much like Apollinaire’s pioneering work. By leveraging machine learning algorithms to create images or texts that defy logical conventions, AI art embodies the surrealistic goal of accessing deeper truths beneath the surface of the visible world. These artworks, while created by machines, resonate with Apollinaire’s vision of surrealism as a means to unlock the creative potential of the unconscious mind.

Q: What philosophical questions does the emergence of AI in creating surreal art raise?
A: The emergence of AI in creating surreal art raises several philosophical questions, including the nature of creativity and its relationship to consciousness, the definition of authorship in artworks produced by non-human entities, and the role of intention in the artistic process. It challenges preconceived notions about the uniqueness of human artistic expression and invites a reevaluation of what constitutes art. This development also prompts discussions on the ethical implications of using AI in art, such as the potential for diminishing the value of human creativity and the responsibilities of artists working with AI.

Kay, S., & Mathews, T. (2020). The Modernist Bestiary: Translating Animals and the Arts Through Guillaume Apollinaire, Raoul Dufy and Graham Sutherland.

Joan Miró: Surrealism Through the Eyes of an Abstract Genius

This book explores the interdisciplinary connections between literature, art, and culture through the lens of Apollinaire and other artists.

Read, P. (2008). Picasso and Apollinaire: The Persistence of Memory.

This book discusses the creative dialogue between Apollinaire and Picasso, highlighting their contributions to modern art and literature.

Bogousslavsky, J., & Tatu, L. (2016). Neurological Impact of World War I on the Artistic Avant-Garde: The Examples of André Breton, Guillaume Apollinaire, and Blaise Cendrars. War Neurology.

This article explores how World War I influenced the literary and artistic contributions of prominent figures, including Apollinaire.

Becker, A. (2020). 1913, Between Peace and War: Chagall’s Homage to Apollinaire and the European Avant-Garde.

This piece discusses the year 1913 as a pivotal moment for European modernism, with a focus on Apollinaire’s contributions.

Hicken, A. (2017). Apollinaire, Cubism, and Orphism.

This book delves into the lesser-studied aspects of Apollinaire’s influence on Cubism and Orphism, providing a fresh perspective on his artistic legacy.

Apollinaire, G. (2011). The Bestiary, or Procession of Orpheus.
This source provides insights into Apollinaire’s work and its significance in literary and artistic movements.

Lloyd, D.J. (2002). Directing a Production of Francis Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias at the University of California, Los Angeles.
This dissertation offers a unique perspective on bringing Apollinaire’s play to the stage, exploring its thematic and technical challenges.

Read, P. (2016). Dramaturge et démiurge: l’image et l’espace dans le théâtre d’Apollinaire.
This study delves into Apollinaire’s theatrical works, including Les Mamelles de Tirésias, focusing on his use of space and imagery.

Thomson, S. (2013). ‘La justice, c’est la femme à barbe!’: The bearded lady, displacement and recuperation in Apollinaire’s Les Mamelles de Tirésia.
This article explores themes of gender and identity in Apollinaire’s play, offering a critical analysis of its surreal elements.

Becker, A. (2000). The avant-garde, madness and the great war. Journal of Contemporary History.
Although more broadly focused on the avant-garde movement, this source provides context for Apollinaire’s contributions within the historical backdrop of World War I.

Perancis, P.B.H.S., & Erlangga, A.L. (2018). Surealisme dalam teks drama Les Mamelles des Tirésias karya Guillaume Apollinaire. UNY-Fle.

This study delves into the surrealism present in the drama text of Les Mamelles de Tirésias, showcasing its significant role in the evolution of the surrealist movement.

Apollinaire, G. (2004). The Cubist Painters.

This book is Apollinaire’s own exploration of Cubist art, providing commentary that has significantly influenced the understanding of 20th-century art.

Genova, P. A. (2003). The Poetics of Visual Cubism: Guillaume Apollinaire on Pablo Picasso. Studies in 20th & 21st Century Literature.

This paper examines Apollinaire’s critical writings on Pablo Picasso and their role in shaping the Cubist movement.

Morita, I. (2008). Le théâtre de Guillaume Apollinaire: ses rapports avec la culture populaire. 仏文研究.
This research paper explores how Apollinaire’s theatrical works engage with and reflect popular culture, highlighting his innovative theatrical strategies.

Ellison, T. (2021, August 19). Guillaume Apollinaire: Cubist, Orphist, Surrealist. The Collector. https://www.thecollector.com/guillaume-apollinaire-surrealism-french-poet/

The Art Story. (n.d.). Guillaume Apollinaire. Retrieved from https://www.theartstory.org/influencer/apollinaire-guillaume/

Balakian, A. (1949). Apollinaire and the Modern Mind. Yale French Studies, (4), 79-90. Yale University Press. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2928981

Dubatti, J. (2017). Les Mamelles de Tirésias (1917) de Guillaume Apollinaire en la historia teatral:¿ vanguardia histórica o experimentalismo? análisis de su poética. Revista Colombiana de Artes Escénicas.
This article offers an analysis of Les Mamelles de Tirésias‘s poetics, positioning it within the historical context of theatrical avant-garde and experimentalism.

Allred, E. (2013). “Disembodied identity: Patriotism, gender, and homosexuality in Francis Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias”. Gli spazi della musica.
An analysis of Les Mamelles de Tirésias, focusing on how the opera, based on Apollinaire’s play, addresses traditional gender roles and incorporates elements of surrealism.

Thomson, S. (2013). “‘La justice, c’est la femme à barbe!’: The bearded lady, displacement and recuperation in Apollinaire’s Les Mamelles de Tirésia”. The Last Taboo.
This article examines the play’s engagement with gender norms and surrealism, specifically through the figure of the bearded lady.

Kimbal, C. (2000). “Les mamelles de Tirésias. Francis Poulenc”. The Opera Quarterly.
An overview of Poulenc’s adaptation of Apollinaire’s play into an opera, noting its initial reception and surrealistic elements.

Brown, J. (n.d.). Surrealist Artists and Their Poets: Rousseau-Apollinaire and Kahlo-Breton. Musings on Art. Retrieved from https://www.musings-on-art.org/blogs/art-reviews/surrealist-artists-and-their-poets-rousseau-apollinaire-and-kahlo-breton

Bohn, W. (2010). “The Mammaries of Tiresias”. Apollinaire on the Edge.
This source provides an in-depth look at the reversal of gender roles in Apollinaire’s play and its contributions to surrealism.

Bhattacharya, S., & Das, M.A. (2022). “Self-Deception and Disillusionment of Gender Roles in the Selected Literary Representations of Tiresias”. Journal of Positive School Psychology.
This paper explores the representation of gender ambiguity in Les Mamelles de Tirésias, highlighting Apollinaire’s impact on surrealism.

Read, P. (2000). “Apollinaire et ‘Les Mamelles de Tirésias’: la revanche d’Éros”. French Studies.
A review that discusses the themes of new technologies, gender-bending, and surrealism in Apollinaire’s play.

Frick, A. (2012). “Eliot, Ovid and Apollinaire: Female Sexuality in ‘The Waste Land'”. Litera: Journal of Language, Literature and Culture Studies.
An examination of T.S. Eliot’s use of Tiresias, comparing it with Apollinaire’s surrealist play and its exploration of gender and sexuality.

Marsico, F. (2023). “Les Mamelles de Tirésias by Francis Poulenc: the authenticity of desire ‘beyond all this folly'”. Rivista di Analisi e Teoria Musicale.
This analysis looks at the protagonist’s challenge to societal norms in Poulenc’s opera, based on Apollinaire’s play, and its commentary on gender roles.

Flynn, C. (2011). “‘Circe’ and Surrealism: Joyce and the Avant-Garde”. jml: Journal of Modern Literature.
Though focusing on Joyce, this source provides context for surrealism’s broader impact, including Apollinaire’s contributions to challenging traditional gender roles.

Klingsöhr-Leroy, C. (2004). Surrealism. Taschen.
This book provides an overview of Surrealism, recalling the early challenges and contributions of artists such as Max Ernst, Salvador Dalí, and Joan Miró to the movement.

İlden, S., & Cengiz, B.N. (2021). Biomorphism in The Works of Joan Miro in The Context of Surrealism. Art Time.
The article discusses the role of biomorphism and the concept of automatism in Surrealism, particularly highlighting the works of Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, Man Ray, and Joan Miró.

Oswald, V. (2018). The Great Surrealists: Dreamers and Artists.
This book highlights the familiar images and key figures in Surrealism, including Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, Max Ernst, and Joan Miró, and comments on the movement’s enduring influence.

Marques, L. (2008). Triptych on surrealism. Journal of Romance Studies.
An exploration of Surrealist thought and its impact on contemporary poetics, examining the work of Miro and its influence on Surrealist writers like Breton.

Havard, R. (2004). Companion to Spanish Surrealism. Tamesis Books.
This comprehensive guide explores the contribution of Spanish artists like Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró to Surrealism and its cultural impact.

Rudosky, C. (2021). Surrealist Objects. In Surrealism, ed. Natalya Lusty, Cambridge UP.
The paper cites the work of Duchamp and Max Ernst, discussing the Surrealist manipulation of objects and their significance.

Davis, A.K. (2006). Radiant darkness: The juxtaposition and alignment of Surrealist thought and contemporary poetics.
An exploration of the connections between Surrealist imagery and poetic expression, highlighting the work of figures like Max Ernst, Joan Miró, and their influence on Surrealism and beyond.

Wallis, J.S. (2020). Exhibition Review:’Monsters and Myths: Surrealism and War in the 1930s and 1940s’.
A review that places Surrealist art in the context of the war, discussing how it was influenced by the experiences of artists like André Masson and Max Ernst.

Ades, D. (2011). Surrealism and its legacies in Latin America. Proceedings of the British Academy.
This paper discusses the influence of Surrealism in Latin America, including the impact of Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró, and the role of Max Ernst in shaping the movement.

Lagana, L. (2013). Dadaism, Surrealism, and the Unconscious. This paper explores the natural progression of surrealists in creating dream-like scenes and images, heavily influenced by Freud’s work on the unconscious.

Lingis, A. (2017). This Immense Fascination with the Unconscious: Psychoanalysis and Surrealism. The symptoms leading Freud to posit unconscious drives are examined alongside Surrealism’s efforts to mask these desires, thereby eluding the censor.

Veselý, D. (2008). Surrealism and the Latent Reality of Dreams. This article discusses the surrealists’ assumption that a dream, produced by desires seeking to mask themselves, draws on the content of the unconscious.

Jiménez, J., Ades, D., Sebbag, G., & others. (2013). Surrealism and the Dream. The formulation close to Freud’s theory of the dream as an expression of latent content is explored, emphasizing the surrealists’ pursuit of the lost images of dreams.

Jałocha, A. (2016). The sleep of reason produces surreality: surrealism in the context of dreams. Surrealism’s worldview posits the dream as real, deeply informed by Freud’s The Interpretation of Dreams, suggesting that surrealists sought to grant dreams the status of reality.

Lomas, D. (2000). The haunted self: surrealism, psychoanalysis, subjectivity. This book addresses the status of the unconscious in surrealist images and objects, questioning the consecration of the unconscious through the medium of the dream.

Baxter, J. (2016). The Persistence of Surrealism: Memory, Dreams and the Dead. This source explores how ‘unconscious processes over which we have little or no control’ are precisely what the Surrealists sought to express, with Freud’s work becoming a touchstone for their explorations.

Perry, S. (2010). ‘Only In Dreams’: Philip Larkin and Surrealism. While focusing on Larkin, this article provides context for surrealism’s broader preoccupation with the unconscious realms of sleep and the dream.

Rabaté, J.M. (2002). Loving Freud madly: Surrealism between hysterical and paranoid modernism. The encounter between Freudianism and Surrealism is linked to the promotion of concepts such as psychic automatism, unconscious dictation, and the “over-determination” of dream images.

Dezeuze, A., & Kelly, J. (2013). Found sculpture and photography from surrealism to contemporary art. This book examines the legacy of Surrealism in contemporary sculpture and photography, emphasizing its enduring influence on artistic expression.

Jacobs, S. (2017). Screening Statues: Sculpture in Film.
This book explores the depiction of sculpture in film, including Surrealist cinema, and how these visual representations challenge traditional views of art.

Klingsöhr-Leroy, C. (2004). Surrealism.
This comprehensive overview of Surrealism covers its impact across various mediums, including photography, film, and sculpture, highlighting key artists and their works.

Finkelstein, H. (2017). The Screen in Surrealist Art and Thought.
This book delves into Surrealism’s exploration of the “screen” as a concept, particularly in the context of cinema, and its philosophical implications for art and perception.

Hopkins, D. (2004). Dada and Surrealism: A very short introduction.
This introduction to Dada and Surrealism offers insights into how these movements challenged traditional art forms, including photography, film, sculpture, and performance art.

Bohn, W. (2005). Marvelous encounters: surrealist responses to film, art, poetry, and architecture.
This book examines how Surrealism responded to and influenced various art forms, including film and architecture, underscoring its multi-disciplinary impact.

Wells, L. (2021). On and beyond the white walls: Photography as art.
This chapter discusses the significance of Surrealist photography within the broader context of art, including performance and community arts.

Cachia, A. (2016). Disabling surrealism: Reconstituting surrealist tropes in contemporary art.
An exploration of how contemporary artists reinterpret Surrealist themes, particularly in sculpture and photography, to challenge conventional narratives.

Caws, M.A. (2018). Ladies Shot and Painted: Female Embodiment in Surrealist Art

Minneman, G. (2019). Francis Poulenc and Surrealism. This study explores Poulenc’s relationship with surrealism by focusing on two of his song cycles, highlighting the profound impact of surrealists Guillaume Apollinaire and Paul Éluard.

Horner, A. (2019). In 1917 Guillaume Apollinaire used the term ‘sur-réaliste’. Edinburgh Companion to Gothic and the Arts. This source discusses how Apollinaire’s early use of “sur-réaliste” laid the foundations for what would later be formally established by André Breton.

Nikolova, V. (2022). Surrealism, Approaches and Factors of Influence in Art in the XX Century. The report analyzes new methods of imagining reality combined with modern technologies, highlighting the relationship between surrealism and radical innovations.

Curto, R. (2012). Modernist Exoticism, Technology, and Expanding Worldviews in Guillaume Apollinaire. Meridian Critic. This source explores how Apollinaire’s engagement with different worlds and his influential lectures delivered in 1917 have impacted surrealism.

Aspley, K. (2010). Historical Dictionary of Surrealism. This book highlights the influence of Apollinaire on several Surrealist artists and situates his contributions within the broader context of the movement.

McCorristine, S. (2009). Lautréamont and the Haunting of Surrealism. COLLeGIUM Studies across Disciplines in the Humanities and Social Sciences. This source ranks Apollinaire among the venerated figures influencing surrealism, examining his lasting impact.

Bohn, W. (2002). The Rise of Surrealism: Cubism, Dada, and the Pursuit of the Marvelous. This book explores strategies for creating Surrealist works and examines Apollinaire’s treatment of marvel and wonder, which would significantly impact Surrealism.

Ungureanu, D. (2017). From Paris to Tlön: Surrealism as World Literature. This book explores the major influence of surrealism globally, paying attention to the roles of both Apollinaire and the surrealists of the 1930s.

Flynn, C. (2011). “Circe” and Surrealism: Joyce and the Avant-Garde. Journal of Modern Literature. This source mentions Apollinaire’s term “surrealism” in the context of Joyce’s work, underlining the wide-ranging influence of Apollinaire’s ideas.

Klingsöhr-Leroy, C. (2004). Surrealism. This source emphasizes Apollinaire’s critical role in coining “surrealism” and his influence on Surrealist film and the movement’s development.

Baackmann, S., & Craven, D. (2009). Surrealism and Post-Colonial Latin America: Introduction. This introduction discusses Surrealism’s deep impact on the visual arts of Latin America and its connection to liberation movements in the Third World.

Ades, D., Eder, R., & Speranza, G. (2012). Surrealism in Latin America: vivísimo muerto. This book explores the crystallized impact of interconnections between Surrealism and conceptual art in Latin America.

Tythacott, L. (2003). Surrealism and the Exotic. Surrealism’s engagement with cultures outside of Europe, notably in Asia and Latin America, is examined for its global multi-cultural impact.

D’Alessandro, S., & Gale, M. (2021). Surrealism beyond borders. The interconnected global impact of Surrealism, particularly its reception in parts of Latin America, Asia, and Africa, is explored.

Eburne, J.P. (2021). Decolonial Surrealism. This source considers Surrealism as a global or international movement, especially in its influence on Caribbean writing and other regions including Africa and Latin America.

Bellan, M., & Drost, J. (2021). Surrealism in North Africa and Western Asia: Crossings and Encounters. This book examines Surrealism’s deep penetration in modernism across Africa, South America, and Asia, highlighting its global and interconnected nature.

Antle, M. (2006). Surrealism and the Orient. This article discusses the noticeable impact of Surrealism on painting and literature in Egypt, situating its roots in Oriental or Asian contexts.

Chanady, A. (2008). The Latin American postcolonialism debate in a comparative context. The influence of Surrealism on Latin American artists in Paris is highlighted, especially in the years just preceding World War II.

Rosemont, F., & Kelley, R.D.G. (2009). Black, brown, & beige: Surrealist writings from Africa and the diaspora. This book introduces readers to black surrealists around the world, emphasizing Surrealism’s global reach.

Greet, M. (2018). Transatlantic encounters: Latin American artists in Paris between the wars. This book discusses the resurgence of interest in Latin American Surrealism by artists in Paris, exploring how surrealism by Latin American artists was influenced and evolved in the interwar period.

Allred, E. (2013). “Disembodied identity: Patriotism, gender, and homosexuality in Francis Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias”. This article explores the themes of patriotism, gender, and homosexuality in Poulenc’s opera, highlighting how it addresses these issues within its surrealistic narrative.

Lloyd, D.J. (2002). “Directing a Production of Francis Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias at the University of California, Los Angeles”. This dissertation discusses the directorial challenges and creative decisions involved in staging Poulenc’s opera at UCLA.

Marsico, F. (2023). “Les Mamelles de Tirésias by Francis Poulenc: the authenticity of desire ‘beyond all this folly'”. This analysis reflects on Poulenc’s interpretation of desire in Les Mamelles de Tirésias, offering insight into the opera’s thematic depth and emotional resonance.

Purvis, A. (2013). “Masculinity in Crisis: Transvestism and Gendered Expression in Les Mamelles de Tiresias”. This paper analyzes the ‘crisis’ of masculinity in Poulenc’s opera, considering how gender roles and identities are represented and challenged.

Langlois, J. (2014). “Francis Poulenc and the Poetics of the Quotidian”. Provides an overview of Poulenc’s opera within the context of the post-war French operatic scene, emphasizing its innovative qualities and historical significance.

Carandini, S. (2009). “War and Peace in the Art of Francis Poulenc: Les Mamelles de Tirésias”. Discusses the war themes in Apollinaire’s play and its adaptation into an opera by Poulenc, highlighting the continuity and divergence between the two works.

Giroud, V. (2014). “Francis Poulenc, Fifty Years On”. Reflects on the legacy of Francis Poulenc fifty years after his death, including his contribution to opera with Les Mamelles de Tirésias.

Purvis, T. (2011). “Words and Music in Francis Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tiresias”. Offers a comparative study of words and music in Poulenc’s opera, examining how gender and sexuality are constructed through the lyrical content and musical composition.

Read, P. (2016). “Apollinaire and ‘Les Mamelles de Tirésias’: The Revenge of Eros”. Explores Apollinaire’s influence on Poulenc’s opera, particularly focusing on the theme of Eros and its representation in the adaptation.

Chatterjee, A. (2022). “Art in an age of artificial intelligence”. Explores the promise of AI for the creative fields, using examples to demonstrate AI’s potential to evoke complex emotions and artistic beauty.

Zylinska, J. (2020). “AI art: machine visions and warped dreams”. Raises poignant questions about art production in the age of AI, discussing how AI art challenges traditional notions of creativity and authorship.

Schröter, J. (2019). “Artificial intelligence and the democratization of art”. Examines the role of AI in the art world and its potential to redefine the traditional myth of the artist, drawing parallels with surrealistic automatic writing.

Danesi, M. (2024). “AI-Generated Art”. Discusses the role of AI in the art world, questioning whether an AI painting qualifies as true art in the usual sense and examining AI art’s place within movements like pop art.

Shamir, L., Macura, T., Orlov, N., Eckley, D.M., & others. (2010). “Impressionism, expressionism, surrealism: Automated recognition of painters and schools of art”. Highlights AI’s capability to analyze and recognize artistic styles, underscoring its utility in classifying paintings by different artists and art schools.

Notaro, A. (2020). “State-of-the-art: AI through the (artificial) Artist’s Eye”. Discusses AI’s role in art creation, including the influence of surrealists on AI art and its surreal qualities.

Miller, A.I. (2020). “Creativity in the Age of AI: Computers and artificial neural networks are redefining the relationship between art and science”. Explores GANs and their role in AI art creation, mentioning artists who use AI to create portraits and other artworks.

Brodskaïa, N. (2012). “Surrealism”. Provides historical context on Surrealism, mentioning key figures and sources of art as it began to develop, offering insights into its unusual effect on future Surrealists.

Grba, D. (2022). “Deep else: A critical framework for ai art”. Discusses the dynamics of contemporary AI art, focusing on AI art’s perspectives and the creative processes involved.

Kratky, A. (2021). “Poetic Automatisms: A Comparison of Surrealist Automatisms and Artificial Intelligence for Creative Expression”. Explores the relationship between Surrealist techniques and AI in creating art, questioning the authenticity and originality of AI-generated artworks.

Papia, E.M., Kondi, A., & Constantoudis, V. (2023). “Entropy and complexity analysis of AI-generated and human-made paintings”. Analyzes the differences between AI and human art through entropy values, suggesting unique characteristics in AI-generated artworks.

Maerten, A.S., & Soydaner, D. (2023). “From paintbrush to pixel: A review of deep neural networks in AI-generated art”. Reviews the use of deep neural networks in creating AI art, noting the transformative effect on traditional artistic practices.

Daniele, A., Di Bernardi Luft, C., & Bryan-Kinns, N. (2021). “‘What Is Human?’ A Turing Test for Artistic Creativity”. Discusses the challenge of distinguishing AI-generated art from human-made art, exploring the concept of creativity across both domains.

Nguyen, M.Q., Ho, K.D., Nguyen, H.M., Tu, C.M., & others. (2023). “Unmasking the artist: Discriminating human-drawn and ai-generated human face art through facial feature analysis”. Investigates the differences between AI-generated and human-made artwork, focusing on abstract and surreal digital paintings.

Chen, H.C., & Kao, Y.F. (2022). “Mirroring Reality: Surreal Tourist Gaze of Chinese Landscape Painting by Artificial Neural Networks”. Explores how AI-generated art mirrors reality in a surreal manner, blending traditional Chinese landscape painting with modern AI techniques.

Oppenlaender, J., Linder, R., & Silvennoinen, J. (2023). “Prompting ai art: An investigation into the creative skill of prompt engineering”. Discusses the creative process behind AI-generated art, including the influence of styles such as Surrealism.

Khan, F.F., Kim, D., Jha, D., Mohamed, Y., Chang, H.H., & others. (2024). “AI Art Neural Constellation: Revealing the Collective and Contrastive State of AI-Generated and Human Art”. Analyzes the differences between human and AI-generated art, focusing on the balance of elements like symmetry and artistic principles.

Wang, Y., & Sun, Y. (2023). “The Relevance of Emotional AI-Generated Painting to the Painting Subject and Main Colors”. Investigates the emotional relevance of AI-generated paintings, questioning the depth and authenticity of emotions conveyed compared to human-made art.

Gkotzos, K. (2015). “Google’s DeepDream: Algorithms on LSD”. Examines how DeepDream’s image manipulation techniques result in visuals that are both surrealistic and reminiscent of psychedelic experiences, aligning with Surrealism’s fascination with dreams and the subconscious.

Ferreira, D.P. (2019). “Artificial dreams: contemporary intersections between art and technology”. Discusses how DeepDream generates images that bear striking resemblance to Surrealist paintings, through distortions in Google’s artificial neural networks, suggesting a digital continuation of Surrealist traditions.

Komala, C.R., Bhushan, K.K., Anthony, P.H., & others. (2023). “Multimedia generation using neural network DeepDream”. Explores how DeepDream can be used to create surreal videos, demonstrating the technique’s versatility and its ability to produce striking visual effects.

Somaini, A. (2023). “Dreams, Hallucinations, Visions. Generative AI and the Long History of Surrealism”. Shows that the connections between AI-generated images and Surrealism are profound, using DeepDream as a case study to argue for the deep historical ties between AI art and Surrealist practices.

Wang, L., Chen, W., Yang, W., Bi, F., & Yu, F.R. (2020). “A state-of-the-art review on image synthesis with generative adversarial networks”. This review discusses the advancements in GANs for image synthesis, showcasing their ability to generate realistic and complex images.

Shahriar, S. (2022). “GAN computers generate arts? A survey on visual arts, music, and literary text generation using generative adversarial network”. Explores the application of GANs in the arts, highlighting their transformative potential in creating visual arts, music, and literary texts.

Elgammal, A., Liu, B., Elhoseiny, M., & Mazzone, M. (2017). “Can: Creative adversarial networks, generating ‘art’ by learning about styles and deviating from style norms”. Introduces CANs, which generate art by learning about styles and deviating from style norms, echoing the surrealist desire for art beyond the real world.

Xue, A. (2021). “End-to-end chinese landscape painting creation using generative adversarial networks”. Discusses the use of GANs for creating Chinese landscape paintings, showcasing the fusion of traditional art with modern AI techniques.

Alqahtani, H., Kavakli-Thorne, M., & Kumar, G. (2021). “Applications of generative adversarial networks (gans): An updated review”. Reviews the latest applications of GANs across various fields, including their innovative role in art generation.

Berman, A. (2020). “Generative adversarial networks for fine art generation”. Investigates the use of GANs in the task of fine art generation, highlighting the technology’s potential to create novel artistic works.

Chen, Y., Lai, Y.K., & Liu, Y.J. (2018). “Cartoongan: Generative adversarial networks for photo cartoonization”. Presents CartoonGAN, a method for transforming photographs into cartoon-style images using GANs, illustrating GANs’ ability to alter and reimagine visual content.

Tan, W.R., Chan, C.S., Aguirre, H.E., & others. (2017). “ArtGAN: Artwork synthesis with conditional categorical GANs”. Proposes ArtGAN for synthesizing artworks, showcasing the versatility of GANs in generating diverse artistic styles.

Pan, Z., Yu, W., Yi, X., Khan, A., & Zheng, Y. (2019). “Recent progress on generative adversarial networks (GANs): A survey”. Provides a comprehensive survey on the recent progress of GANs, including their application in art and beyond.

Xu, W., Long, C., Wang, R., & Wang, G. (2021). “Drb-gan: A dynamic resblock generative adversarial network for artistic style transfer”. Explores DRB-GAN for artistic style transfer, demonstrating GANs’ capability in blending and transferring artistic styles across images.

O’Meara, J., & Murphy, C. (2023). “Aberrant AI creations: co-creating surrealist body horror using the DALL-E Mini text-to-image generator”. Examines the artistic practices and formats influenced by AI, surrealism, and body horror, highlighting AI co-creations and aesthetic mimicry.

Joensuu, J. (2010). “Digital Poetry and/in the Poetics of the Automatic”. Discusses the role of “automatic” techniques in both Surrealist art and AI-generated poetry, highlighting the poetic capacity of AI/ML as emergent and explorative.

Chalmers, M. (2023). “…he knows himself to be. BENJAMIN PÉRET”. Reflects on the technique of “automatic writing” as a symbol of freedom and a distinctive feature of French AI narratives.

Beals, K. (2018). “Do the New Poets Think? It’s Possible: Computer Poetry and Cyborg Subjectivity”. Investigates the blurred lines between human and artificial intelligence in poetry generation, questioning the necessity for computers to feel the emotions behind their poems.

Gilchrist, B. (2022). “Poetics of Artificial Intelligence in Art Practice: (Mis) apprehended Bodies Remixed as Language”. Opens up to art enabled by AI and machine learning, revealing the poetics of AI-enabled art in the process.

Voigts, E. (2021). “Algorithms, Artificial Intelligence, and Posthuman Adaptation: Adapting as Cultural Technique”. Discusses algorithmic empathy and the paradigms of digital generative literature, emphasizing the need for a critique of AI works.

Bajohr, H. (2020). “Algorithmic Empathy: On Two Paradigms of Digital Generative Literature and the Need for a Critique of AI Works”. Explores the connection between Dada, Surrealism, Oulipo, Fluxus, and AI in the generative tradition of literature.

Weintraub, C. (2023). “The Artist Augmented: AI in the studio.” Analyzes AI-generated art’s similarities with surrealist techniques such as automatic writing, exploring AI’s use in art creation.

Gross, E.C. (2023). “Artificial Intelligence Generated Art Imitation and the Art World: Implications and Further Questions.” Considers the potential of AI for generating complex and surreal compositions, examining the impact on art appreciation.

Aris, S., Aeini, B., & Nosrati, S. (2023). “A digital aesthetics? Artificial intelligence and the future of the art.” Discusses the capacity of AI, like DALL-E, to create surreal and captivating artworks, questioning the value and authenticity of AI-generated masterpieces.

Papia, E.M., Kondi, A., & Constantoudis, V. (2023). “Entropy and complexity analysis of AI-generated and human-made paintings.” Uses mathematical analysis to gain a deeper understanding of creativity as it manifests in both AI-generated and human-made art.

Yusa, I., Yu, Y., & Sovhyra, T. (2022). “Reflections on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Works of Art.” Reviews and analyzes the aesthetic, technical, and social dimensions of AI-generated art, exploring the surreal and nonsensical outcomes.

Zylinska, J. (2020). “AI art: machine visions and warped dreams.” Investigates the technological aspects of art in the age of AI, questioning the provenance of AI-generated pieces and their connection to surrealism.

Miller, A.I. (2019). “The artist in the machine: The world of AI-powered creativity.” Explores the cultural and creative aspects of AI, offering insights into the intersection of art, literature, philosophy, and science.

Ginsburg, J.C., & Budiardjo, L.A. (2019). “Authors and machines.” Discusses the challenges of attributing authorship in the age of AI, exploring how creative contributions are defined when machines are involved.

Cetinic, E., & She, J. (2022). “Understanding and creating art with AI: Review and outlook.” Reviews the influence of AI technologies on art creation and understanding, focusing on the artistic and philosophical aspects of AI Art.

Gervais, D.J. (2019). “The machine as author.” Examines the concept of authorship and creativity in the context of AI, questioning the role of AI in the creative process.

Hertzmann, A. (2018). “Can computers create art?” Investigates the psychological and philosophical dimensions of art creation by AI, pondering whether computers can possess artistic creativity.

Gaut, B. (2010). “The philosophy of creativity.” Delves into the philosophical underpinnings of creativity, including the impact of AI on our understanding of creative processes.

Zylinska, J. (2020). “AI art: machine visions and warped dreams.” Explores the implications of AI-generated art, questioning the boundaries of creativity and the role of machines in artistic expression.

Nowak-Gruca, A.J. (2022). “Could an artificial intelligence be a Ghostwriter?” Analyzes the philosophical and legal questions surrounding authorship and creativity in works created by AI.

Colton, S., & Wiggins, G.A. (2012). “Computational creativity: The final frontier?” Considers computational creativity as a pivotal area of AI research, exploring its philosophical significance and future directions.

Abbott, R. (2016). “I think, therefore I invent: creative computers and the future of patent law.” Discusses the inventive capabilities of AI, raising philosophical and societal questions about creativity and authorship in the digital age.

Lim, D. (2018). “AI & IP: innovation & creativity in an age of accelerated change.” Examines the implications of AI for intellectual property and creativity, reflecting on how innovation is redefined in the digital era.

Townsend, D.M., & Hunt, R.A. (2019). “Entrepreneurial action, creativity, & judgment in the age of artificial intelligence.” Considers how AI influences entrepreneurial creativity and decision-making, highlighting the evolving nature of creative judgment.

Pope, R. (2005). “Creativity: Theory, history, practice.” Explores the concept of creativity through various lenses, including its historical development and its relevance in the modern world.

Boden, M.A. (2016). “AI: Its nature and future.” Provides an overview of artificial intelligence, its capabilities, and its future, including its creative potential.

Brockman, J. (2020). “Possible minds: Twenty-five ways of looking at AI.” Compiles perspectives from leading thinkers on AI’s future and its implications for human cognition and creativity.

Kolbjørnsrud, V., Amico, R., & Rahavan, R. (2016). “How artificial intelligence will redefine management.” Discusses AI’s impact on management practices, with a focus on creativity and innovation.

Kryssanov, V.V., Tamaki, H., & Kitamura, S. (2001). “Understanding design fundamentals: how synthesis and analysis drive creativity, resulting in emergence.” Analyzes the creative process in design, emphasizing the role of synthesis and analysis.

Zylinska, J. (2020). “AI art: machine visions and warped dreams.” Investigates the creative and philosophical aspects of AI-generated art, comparing it to human-driven artistic processes.

Apollinaire, G. (2011). The Bestiary, or Procession of Orpheus.
This source provides insights into Apollinaire’s work and its significance in literary and artistic movements.

Lloyd, D.J. (2002). Directing a Production of Francis Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias at the University of California, Los Angeles.
This dissertation offers a unique perspective on bringing Apollinaire’s play to the stage, exploring its thematic and technical challenges.

Read, P. (2016). Dramaturge et démiurge: l’image et l’espace dans le théâtre d’Apollinaire.
This study delves into Apollinaire’s theatrical works, including Les Mamelles de Tirésias, focusing on his use of space and imagery.

Thomson, S. (2013). ‘La justice, c’est la femme à barbe!’: The bearded lady, displacement and recuperation in Apollinaire’s Les Mamelles de Tirésia.
This article explores themes of gender and identity in Apollinaire’s play, offering a critical analysis of its surreal elements.

Becker, A. (2000). The avant-garde, madness and the great war. Journal of Contemporary History.
Although more broadly focused on the avant-garde movement, this source provides context for Apollinaire’s contributions within the historical backdrop of World War I.

Apollinaire, G. (2004). The Cubist Painters.

This book is Apollinaire’s own exploration of Cubist art, providing commentary that has significantly influenced the understanding of 20th-century art.

Genova, P. A. (2003). The Poetics of Visual Cubism: Guillaume Apollinaire on Pablo Picasso. Studies in 20th & 21st Century Literature.

This paper examines Apollinaire’s critical writings on Pablo Picasso and their role in shaping the Cubist movement.

Kay, S., & Mathews, T. (2020). The Modernist Bestiary: Translating Animals and the Arts Through Guillaume Apollinaire, Raoul Dufy and Graham Sutherland.

This book explores the interdisciplinary connections between literature, art, and culture through the lens of Apollinaire and other artists.

Read, P. (2008). Picasso and Apollinaire: The Persistence of Memory.

This book discusses the creative dialogue between Apollinaire and Picasso, highlighting their contributions to modern art and literature.

Bogousslavsky, J., & Tatu, L. (2016). Neurological Impact of World War I on the Artistic Avant-Garde: The Examples of André Breton, Guillaume Apollinaire, and Blaise Cendrars. War Neurology.

This article explores how World War I influenced the literary and artistic contributions of prominent figures, including Apollinaire.

Becker, A. (2020). 1913, Between Peace and War: Chagall’s Homage to Apollinaire and the European Avant-Garde.

This piece discusses the year 1913 as a pivotal moment for European modernism, with a focus on Apollinaire’s contributions.

Hicken, A. (2017). Apollinaire, Cubism, and Orphism.

This book delves into the lesser-studied aspects of Apollinaire’s influence on Cubism and Orphism, providing a fresh perspective on his artistic legacy.

Walia, C. (2019). “A dynamic definition of creativity.” Proposes a new approach to understanding creativity, challenging traditional definitions in the context of AI advancements.

Helliwell, A.C. (2023). “Art-ificial: The Philosophy of AI Art.” Explores the emerging philosophical discussions surrounding AI art, questioning authorship, creativity, and the role of AI in artistic expression.

Buraga, A.P. (2022). “The Emergence of the Type-Generated AI Art Community: A Netnographic and Content Analysis Approach.” Investigates the community and cultural impact of AI-generated art, including philosophical debates on art’s future.

Renza, V. (2023). “AI Generated Art.” Discusses the philosophical and ethical questions surrounding AI-generated art, including considerations of creativity and authorship.

Anscomb, C. (2022). “Creating art with AI.” Explores the production of artworks using AI, examining philosophical responses to AI-generated works within the art world.

Lima, G., Zhunis, A., Manovich, L., Cha, M. (2021). “On the social-relational moral standing of AI: An empirical study using AI-generated art.” Analyzes interactions with AI-generated art to question the moral and social implications, including philosophical considerations of AI’s role in art.

Epstein, Z., Levine, S., Rand, D.G., Rahwan, I. (2020). “Who gets credit for AI-generated art?” Uses a case study to explore authorship and creativity questions in AI art, highlighting the philosophical debates surrounding these issues.

Wellner, G. (2022). “Digital imagination, fantasy, AI art.” Investigates the philosophical implications of AI in art, particularly focusing on imagination and the differences between human and AI-generated works.

Cetinic, E., She, J. (2022). “Understanding and creating art with AI: Review and outlook.” Offers a comprehensive review of AI’s role in art creation, setting a framework for philosophical thinking about machine art.

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