In brief
Jean-Claude Silbermann reflects on his life as a Surrealist and the influence he's encountered along the way.
In the heart of Paris during the late 1950s, Jean-Claude Silbermann was a young dreamer, waiting outside Le Musset café for the legendary André Breton, the leader of the Surrealist movement, to arrive. At just 18 years old, he boldly introduced himself to Breton, claiming, "I’m a Surrealist," although he had little more than enthusiasm to his name. Now, at 90, as he showcases his paintings at the Independent Art Fair, Silbermann believes Surrealism transcends art — it embodies an “attitude toward the world.”Silbermann, born in 1935 in Boulogne-Billancourt, chose an unconventional path in life, breaking away from his family's successful hat-making business to pursue poetry. He shared his transformative experience of reading Guillaume Apollinaire's 'Alcools,' stating, "when I closed it, the world had changed." This awakening motivated him to delve into Surrealism — an ideology centered on exploring and challenging reality.A sample of his life reveals a wanderer’s spirit; Silbermann traveled to Oslo and Copenhagen, juggling various odd jobs to support himself. "I worked on cargo boats and sometimes read palms to make a meager living," he confessed with a hint of nostalgia. However, the lure of family and societal norms pulled him back to Paris, where the pressures of conventional life weighed heavily on him, causing both anxiety and physical discomfort.It was his chance encounter with Breton that led him back to the artistic freedom he craved. As Silbermann continued to paint and write, Surrealism maintained its critical importance throughout his creative life. His journey illustrates the essence of Surrealism not just as an art form, but as a continual rebellion against the mundanity of existence, a philosophy that he hopes to share through his works on display.
