What is Juxtaposition in Surrealism?

Juxtaposition in Surrealism refers to the deliberate placement of unrelated or contradictory elements side by side to create surprising, thought-provoking, or dreamlike effects. This technique disrupts normal associations and forces viewers to find new meanings in familiar objects. Rene Magritte excelled at juxtaposition, placing ordinary objects like bowler hats, pipes, and apples in unexpected contexts that question perception and reality. The technique creates uncanny effects by making familiar things strange. Lautreamont’s famous phrase ‘beautiful as the chance meeting of a sewing machine and an umbrella on a dissecting table’ became a Surrealist touchstone for the power of unexpected combinations. Juxtaposition remains one of Surrealism’s most influential tools, widely used in contemporary art, advertising, and digital art.