Darkroom Dynamics

Photomontage

Allen Dutton

I grew up in an era when much art was influenced by Freud. Surrealists were intrigued by Freud’s theories of the dynamic effect of unconscious processes on consciousness and action and the central role of mental conflict in development. His belief that the world of the unconscious mind, as expressed by fantasies and dreams, has a reality superior to that of the phenomenal world became an influence on many painters. I was introduced to surrealism early and found great satisfaction in the work of Magritte, Tanguy, and Dali. When I became a painter it was natural that I turn to surrealism. Photography seemed to ...