Born on this day - René Magritte (21 November 1898 – 15 August 1967) René François Ghislain Magritte was a Belgian surrealist artist. He became well known for a number of witty and thought-provoking images that fall under the umbrella of surrealism. His work is known for challenging observers preconditioned perceptions of reality. Magrittes style of surrealism is more representational than the automatic style of artists such as Joan Miró. Magrittes use of ordinary objects in unfamiliar spaces is joined to his desire to create poetic imagery. He described the act of painting as the art of putting colors side by side in such a way that their real aspect is effaced, so that familiar objects—the sky, people, trees, mountains, furniture, the stars, solid structures, graffiti—become united in a single poetically disciplined image. The poetry of this image dispenses with any symbolic significance, old or new. René Magritte described his paintings as visible images which conceal nothing; they evoke mystery and, indeed, when one sees one of my pictures, one asks oneself this simple question, What does that mean?. It does not mean anything, because mystery means nothing either, it is unknowable.” Contemporary artists have been greatly influenced by René Magrittes stimulating examination of the fickleness of images. Some artists who have been influenced by Magrittes works include John Baldessari, Ed Ruscha, Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Jan Verdoodt, Martin Kippenberger, Duane Michals and Storm Thorgerson. Notable works: The Treachery of Images On the Threshold of Liberty The Son of Man The Human Condition Golconda The Menaced Assassin From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 11:44:09 +0000