The Surrealism of the Halmstad Group

The latter half of the thirties is considered to be the pinnacle of the Halmstad Group´s surrealism. The Swedish artists´ work has their own references, compared to the international surrealists, which makes their surrealism unique. Their national and local heritage influences their imagery both in expression and content. While certain of the movement´s members, in France for example, deal more explicitly with matters such as sexuality and the dark side of the human psyche, the Swedish surrealists touch on existential questions on another level; often from a spiritual angle but at the same time with a perspective close to nature. The differences are obvious in the group´s choice of motifs. The surrealist scenes are often played out in the local coastal landscape with Nordic illumination. Beachcombing finds, fishing tackle, and the waters of Kattegat recur; almost becoming symbols for the group.

There is also another significant difference between the Halmstad Group and the international surrealists — the attitude towards religion with respect to surrealism. The surrealist manifesto bans religion from the surrealist canvases, while the Halmstad Group has a more tolerant viewpoint and sees ways of integrating the two.

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