The Object of Art

The Surrealists of the mid-1930s explored how art could elevate everyday objects and give them meaning beyond function

The 1936 Surrealist Exhibition of Objects is a good place to start discussing the subject of the object as art — the so-called objet — and its definitions. This hugely important event was held in the Paris gallery of Charles Ratton, already a dealer in African, Oceanic, and Native American arts — all of which provided inspiration for the early Surrealists. The eclectic exhibition featured more than 200…