What is magical realism?✨

Magical realism is a type of art that situates magical elements in apparently realistic environments.

As literature professor Matthew Strecher said:

You can find touches of magical realism in paintings, novels, and films.

Some examples of magical realism combine elements of realism with magical or impossible objects or themes.

Others combine realist techniques to create a sense of the surreal — without including obviously magical elements.

The 1963 painting “The Equilibrium of Forces” by Dutch artist Albert Carel Willink is an example of this form of magical realism:

Magical realist literature is known for inserting remarkable magical elements into unremarkable contexts.

Such phenomena may include telepathy, precognition, or talking animals & objects.

Characters in magical realist literature usually ignore the magical elements, or take them for granted. 

This makes the magic seem normal and mundane.

The genre doesn’t explain magic when characters use it, just as other genres do not explain electricity when characters flip a light switch.

This differs from fantasy literature (like Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones), which often clarifies magical events by situating them within larger magical systems or processes.

Magical realism often has chaotic plot structures, with chapters and characters frequently jumping forward & backward in time.

The magical elements are woven into these non-linear narratives, leaving readers with unanswered questions about what is real.

Author Angel Flores explained:

The history of magical realism

Franz Kafka’s 1915 book The Metamorphosis famously begins with the line:

Despite the grotesque premise of the story, Samsa’s new form doesn’t come as a surprise to his family.

They’re embarrassed but not shocked by it, making it seem like an everyday event.

In 1925, German art critic Franz Roh used the word “magischer realismus,” (“magic realism,”) to describe a new trend he’d noticed in paintings of the time.

The trend emphasized the presence of magical or fantastic objects in mundane contexts. (see this 1926 painting entitled The Painter’s Family by Giorgio de Chirico)

By 1955, Angel Flores used the term “magical realism” to describe a new form of Latin American literature, saying:

Magical realist literature continued to develop as a recognizable genre toward the end of the 20th century, with novelists like Colombia’s Gabriel García Márquez leading the way for the genre’s popularization.

His most famous work, 100 Years of Solitude, has sold over 50 million copies worldwide since its publication in 1967.

Other prominent contributors to the genre of magical realist literature include:

• Chilean author Isabel Allende

• British-American author Salman Rushdie

• Japanese author Haruki Murakami

• African American author Toni Morrison

How did Latin America influence magical realism?

Magical realist literature was shaped by its Latin American roots, emerging in the context of rapid modernization, growing U.S. cultural influence, and revolutionary politics in the 1960s and 70s.

According to Latin American literature professor Ignacio Lopez-Calvo:

During this period, Latin America rapidly adopted modern technologies and ways of life.

The changes were particularly dramatic in rural areas.

Because of the pace of modernization, modern ways of life often overlapped with older magical worldviews.

Magical realism expressed the worldview of many Latin Americans who saw modern technology and magic as equally real.

Some final reflections

To me, magical realism is not only about enchanting fictional worlds.

It is meant to reveal how our world is enchanted.

Magical realism indirectly shows how our modern disenchantment with the apparently mundane realities of daily life is misplaced.

What we consider ordinary might seem like magic — if it didn’t happen every day.

The lack of interest or surprise that the genre’s fictional characters display toward magical events reflects the nonchalance that we exhibit toward the magic we encounter every day.

Magical realist art offers a vibrant lens for viewing the world — and for reconsidering our relationship to the magic we find in nature, other people, and ourselves.

This newsletter was written by Dr. Gregory Bridgman & Dr. Daniel Smith.

ART OF THE DAY

A Night Garden by Brian Connelly. 1955.