I agree. The word 'hack', while we're on the subject of surreal paintings, would be more appropriate for some of Dali's works such as 'Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea which at Twenty Meters becomes a Portrait of Abraham Lincoln' (yes, that's the full title). As the name of this work suggests, it is a painting of a woman looking at the sea which, when viewed from a sufficient distance, becomes Lincoln's portrait.
http://www.authenticsociety.com/about/GalaMediterraneanLinco...
These paintings are... amazing. I love this guy's style. I wish there were a game stylised like this (it's sort of like Braid, but somehow better). Thanks for this post.