Superrealism in Children's Picture Books—Based on Anthony Browne's Gorilla and Other Works

Abstract: Superrealism was an important artistic movement in the last century. Anthony Browne, English master of children’s picture books, is well-known for his superrealistic style. Through analyzing the application of... [ view full abstract ]

Abstract: Superrealism was an important artistic movement in the last century. Anthony Browne, English master of children’s picture books, is well-known for his superrealistic style. Through analyzing the application of superrealistic elements in his works, especially the famous Gorilla, the present paper attempts to demonstrate the utilization and influence of superrealism in Children’s picture books and the future development of superrealistic picture books.

After giving a general description of superrealism and Anthony Browne’s superrealistic picture books, the paper focuses on a rather thorough analysis of Gorilla: its creation of metaphoric characters, such as the strong and gentle Gorilla representing an ideal father; its arrangement of superrealistic details, inspiring sense and sensibility; its contrast between picture and word, blending logic into fantasy; its themes of positive and negative orientation, mainly criticizing the deterioration of parent-child relation and advocating the cathartic imagination of children. The paper then deals with the children’s special ability to understand and accept superrealistic picture books and their positive influence on the physical and psychological growth of children. Finally, the paper points out three dimensions of the future development of superrealistic picture books of children: stronger integration of picture and word, actual reality and virtual reality; greater attention to details, helping children obtain more sensual and sensible experiences; deeper probe into reality, preparing children for the real world.

Key words: Anthony Browne;Gorilla;picture book;superrealism