The best art of the 20th century reflected modernist and postmodernist ideas of mutable perception, playing with the way the eye attends to light and how the mind processes concepts with near-automatic preconception. Where surrealists like Salvador Dali pushed these quirks to the extreme, juxtaposing unrelated images and delving into the idiosyncrasies of their own dreams, a subsequent movement known as Magic Realism attempted to take the same sense of fancy and apply it to more recognizable themes. From painters to filmmakers, the idea of incorporating the unrealistic into the familiar without a knee-jerk shock reaction resonated then and continues to capture imaginations today.

Those in search of some entry-level Magic Realism need look no further than the films of Guillermo del Toro. His famous work, such as in Pan's Labyrinth, employs both wonder and nightmarish images to convey a topsy-turvy sense of reality. Simple rearrangements like a creature with eyes on its hands are enough to bring viewers into a different mindset, accepting that del Toro's world is one in which new and unexpected things are possible.

Another popular application of Magic Realism is in trick perspective paintings like those of Rob Gonsalves. These clever creations concentrate more on the fairytale awe of the style, encouraging a child-like abandon into imaginative scenarios. Gonsalves chooses soft colors and simplified figures reminiscent of elementary picture books to set the tone of his paintings. This often leads critics to dub his work too family-friendly and even devoid of meaning beyond their sense of imagination, but this is short-sighted and cynical. Gonsalves's figures are people who have the gall to change their worlds or embrace outward reflections of their emotional states. There are layers of inspiration and even defiance to his work even if it lacks a political angle.

Of all the Magic Realist painters, perhaps the most famous is Michael Parkes. His work borrows heavily from both mythology and surrealism, placing his figures in deep but often desolate landscapes. There is a sense in Parkes's scenes that there are rules and an internal logic to the worlds he creates, but we look on as outsiders a la Alice in Wonderland. His work is considerably less PG than that of Rob Gonsalves, preferring female nudes and sharp coloration. Inherent to the themes Parkes employs is a degree of spirituality, though no creed in particular. He pulls from a diverse background including the Ancient Egyptian pantheon and pagan fertility symbols. All in all, Michael Parkes creates a definitively literary variety of art, a well-read collection of international culture appreciation pieces anchored by a flare for the classical.

Magic Realism is by no means a finished movement. Take, for instance, the work of Belinda Eaton. She has spent the past several years touring her work around the world, most recently with the International Fine Art Collection promoting African artists. There is clearly an interest in both exclusive galleries and in the mass poster market for this kind of art, and why not? Magic Realism appeals to the imagination and necessarily demands enough technical talent to bring such fantastic images to life. It is not a controversial style by any means, but politics is not and should not be the sole aim of art.