I have read Burroughs and Kafka, purchased Carrington paintings, watched many movies by Lynch, Jodorowsky, Tarkovsky, Bergman, Resnais, etc. I love surrealist works, they speak to me in a way no other kind of art does. But it also feels as though whenever you discuss surrealist stuff, contemporary works never come up. You can't discuss historical fiction today without naming writers like Whitehead, Doerr, Than Nguyen, etc, you can't talk much about sci fi without either retreading the same discussion you've had for decades about Star Wars/Trek or at least mentuoning Villeneuve, Nolan, Weir, etc. Despite not quite being a genre, it feels an apt conparison to me that whenever I speak to anyone about surrealism, we discuss it as though it's a thing entirely of the past.

But I know that in art, this can never be the case.

Which brings me to want to ask, who are the best surrealists of the modern broader art scene - painters, directors, poets, sculptors, writers, architects, anybody.

I self-hypnotise via drawing. This one was Switzerland

Painting i did a while ago , gouache on paper

This is my all time favorite album artwork and was my introduction to surrealism. Artwork for The Fundamental Elements of Southtown.

Content Warning / Trigger Warning:

This artistic piece and artist statement contain references to:

• Dissociation and depersonalization
• Trauma responses
• Sensory processing experiences
• Mental health themes
• Neurodivergent experiences
• Altered states of consciousness
• Disconnection from self
• Death imagery (skull symbolism)
• Surreal/potentially disturbing imagery
• Complex trauma

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Please engage with this content at your own pace and be mindful of your own wellbeing while viewing/reading. It's okay to step away if needed.

Passenger Through the Darkage

In "Passenger Through the Darkage," I explore the liminal space between reality and unreality created by trauma and dissociation. Through digital mixed media, this piece visualizes how an overwhelming sensory landscape, viewed through a neurodivergent lens, compounds with complex trauma to create profound experiences of disconnection from the self.

The central figure merges three symbolic elements that embody this state: a translucent butterfly representing transformation and the ethereal nature of dissociated consciousness; a human skull speaking to mortality and the death-like quality of being severed from one's own existence; and the protective canopy of an Amanita muscaria mushroom cap. These elements coexist in a dreamlike atmosphere where cherry blossoms float through mist, capturing the sensation of watching life unfold through the filtered lens of trauma.

The intentional interplay of light and shadow mirrors the internal struggle of trauma survival, while heightened contrasts reflect the intense sensory experiences that, as an autistic individual, can become overwhelming and contribute to states of disconnection. A gentle luminescence emanates from within the butterfly's core, suggesting the persistent spark of resilience that remains even when navigating both trauma responses and sensory challenges. The surrounding environment creates a liminal space where identity, presence, and consciousness dissolve and reform.

This work emerged from my personal journey with trauma through an autistic perspective, where the combination of heightened sensory processing and complex trauma creates particularly intense experiences of depersonalization. Through its creation, I sought to give form to the complex state of being a passenger in one's own existence, offering viewers insight into how these distinct yet interrelated challenges shape the psychological territory between presence and absence.

The piece invites contemplation of healing while acknowledging the raw reality of trauma-induced dissociation and the unique challenges of processing both trauma and sensory information through a neurodivergent perspective. Through this work, I hope to contribute to broader discussions about mental health, neurodiversity, and trauma recovery, while deepening understanding of these profound psychological experiences that exist in the shadows between connection and disconnection.