Surrealism in the beginning of the 20th century and its influence on visual arts

Some historical background:

WWI left an indelible mark on whole Europe. Together with the political and economical devastation, the post-war period was characterized by a traditional morale crisis and disintegration of patriotic values.

Works like Oswald Spengler's "The Decline of the West" and Paul Valery's "The European Hamlet" appeared, marking the need for critique of culture, as well as rethinking the European idea as a whole. Gradually groups of radical youngsters, pacifists and ultimate experimenters appeared.

And Now For Some Semiotics::VW

This article is about an old favorite print ad of mine - The 2000 VW Beetle ad by Norwegian ad agency Bates Reklamebrya. I was discussing print advertising and its effects with a friend and I started thinking about the way we perceive such images, which gradually turned into a mini semiotic analysis.