Toby Zur Loye

The flaneur character, epitomized by his opposition to stasis and his receptiveness to the multitude of visual stimuli in the city, can be connected to several aspects of the Surrealist movement.  The Surrealists demonstrated their political-revolutionary agenda by condemning stasis and pursuing an autonomy through psychic and social liberation.  Flanerie appears throughout Surrealist literature and imagery literally while also representing the metaphysical qualities of the unconscious and the imagination.  Ultimately, the Surrealist interpretation of flanerie is very similar to their approach to political revolution and the representation of the repressed desires of the unconscious.