The Embrace 

Conroy Maddox created 'The Embrace' using watercolor, a medium associated with the surrealist movement that rejected logic in favor of tapping into the unconscious mind. Maddox was a British surrealist painter, collagist and writer. During the 1930s, the British Surrealist Group was formed in London. As a social movement, Surrealism was rooted in the radical politics of the left, it grew out of the Dada movement after World War 1 and was influenced by the writings of Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud. It challenged social and political conventions in interwar Britain. Maddox's paintings often feature dreamlike imagery and explore themes of sexuality, violence, and the subconscious. Maddox was particularly interested in Freudian psychoanalysis and its potential for unlocking hidden desires and fears. To understand his images better, we might look at surrealist journals, manifestos, and accounts of the group's exhibitions in Britain. It is through detailed historical inquiry that the role of this art in challenging existing social norms, can be fully appreciated.