The World of the Surreal – The Vision of Gallery 446 & Shaktima Brien

By Angela Valente Romeo

The bricks and mortar location of Gallery 446 was lost to make room for a hotel complex. But today the world moves in virtual time and Gallery 446 continues its mission to showcase art that matters. The current on line exhibition, Surreal Visions Online Painting & Photography Exhibition runs through September 8, 2015.

Artist in Residence, Shaktima Brien, curated the exhibition. Shaktima is currently involved writing and producing her film noir, Mirages.

The Surreal Art movement was born out of the Dada Movement. It began to take hold in the early 1920s. The movement sought to “resolve the previously contradictory conditions of dream and reality.” Surrealist works contain elements of surprises – juxtapositions of real and fantasy. The driving force of the movement, André Breton stated that Surrealism was a revolutionary movement. For some, the movement seemed illogical, nonsensical fraught with disturbing images. For others, surrealism was the dictation of thought in the absence of all control exercised by reason. Freud, free association, dream analysis were tantamount to the Surrealist manifesto.

Surreal Visions showcases the work of 33 artists. “My intent,” stated Shaktima, “was to put out a call for artists, to review and select pieces for the show. As the submissions came I found myself in a quandary.  The relevance and talent of these artists astounded me.”

“I hope that people will receive these new visions as timeless reflections from the soul, deep consciousness, existential wholeness, and psychological insights on the human condition. For example, works such as Where I am (Angela Romeo) and The Minotaur Sheds Her Secrets (Sarah Stone), refer to mythology to remind us the organic environment we share.”

“The Surreal Visions show was a challenging task. As with curating any exhibition several submissions resonated with deeper layers in the universal psyche for the ensemble or their work. In the Art category, two artists share ex-aequo the honors:  Marie Chantal Le Breton for a paradoxical worldview, where disorder reigns with style, and Robert R. Bradshaw for his one-act play pieces that aren’t actually recording a fact so much as creating an effect. His images engage the viewer, to expand his or her imagination.”

In photography, Dale O’Dell took the honor. “He impressed me with his landscapes that exist outside the laws of physics, logic and normalcy. That’s what I call ‘surreal,’” stated Shaktima.

Gallery director, Dimitri Halkidis, continues his constant dedication in supporting and promoting the arts in the Coachella Valley. “Without Dimitri’s support, this exhibition would not have been possible,” said Shaktima. “It is important that we as a community continue to support local galleries like Gallery 446. Art needs to be seen and it is imperative that we support galleries that support our Coachella artists.”

Surreal Visions Online Painting & Photography Exhibition, juried by Shaktima Brien, runs through September 8. The work can be seen and purchased at gallery446.com/shows/surrealvisions/surrealvisions.html. For more information on the virtual world of Gallery 446, visit www.gallery446.com or the Gallery 446 Facebook Page.