Why did Clement Greenberg not like Surrealism?

Clement Greenberg did not like Surrealism because he felt that it did not require any changes to the conventions of Western art that had existed since the Italian Renaissance. His criticism stems from the fact that many Surrealists focused more on subject matter than pioneering new techniques. They sought to incorporate the inner workings of the unconscious mind into their pieces. However, Greenberg was not entirely correct in stating that Surrealists failed to innovate. One novel new approach that emerged from Surrealism was automatic drawing, which can be likened to a stream of consciousness to channel psychological experiences. Shop a wide range of Surrealist art on 1stDibs.