THE CRISIS OF EMPATHY IN MODERNITY THROUGH SURREALIST PAINTING

Abstract

This art project is grounded in the phenomenon of declining empathy in modern society, characterized by individualism, social pressure, and cultural shifts driven by technological advancement and globalization. These conditions give rise to emotional alienation and the erosion of humanistic values. To conceptualize this issue, the project draws on theoretical frameworks related to empathy, modernity, and art aesthetics. A surrealist approach is employed in the creation of the artworks. The creative process utilizes tools such as an iPad, charcoal, brushes, and a palette, with materials including canvas, oil paint, brown acrylic paint, linseed oil, and turpentine. The applied technique is the impasto/opaque (plakat) technique using oil paint on canvas. The stages of creation consist of idea exploration, sketch development, visual elaboration, and final completion. The project results in six surrealist paintings that visualize a critique of the empathy crisis through the symbolism of the body, animals, and distorted objects. In conclusion, the project demonstrates that surrealism is an effective medium for philosophical and social reflection, as it is capable of revealing hidden meanings beneath modern reality. The resulting artworks are expected to encourage audiences to re-evaluate empathy as a fundamental value of human life.