Rene Magritte & blog work

Rene Magritte

Working with Surrealism

Questions to answer about the reading:

1.     What is surrealism? 

An art movement that releases the creative potential of the unconscious mind. Surrealist develop their ideas from the strange things that happen in dreams. They juxtapose objects and as result, the images seem both unreal and surreal. 

2.     What motif did Magritte use in many of his works? Why was this significant? 

A man wearing a bowler hat. His motifs, are subjects that he puts in his works. He created at least 21 different paintings in which a businessman is featured. His first one was a self portrait. He referred to himself as a motif. 

3.     In his work Golconda, why is it important that Magritte varied the image of the man in the bowler hat?  How does it add depth to the work?  

To create surrealism and to make it interesting. There is variation among the men even though it seems identical. Some have hands in their pockets, some carry briefcases. Without the variation, the repeated figure might make the painting boring. Subtle differences encourages viewers to look more closely. 

4.     Why did surreal artists choose to create strange worlds with their art? 

Because surrealists develop their idea from the strange things that happen in their dreams..it's going to be strange.

5.     Explain how the techniques of juxtaposition, altered scale, and language help Magritte explore Surrealism. 

Juxtaposition puts objects next to each other to compare and puts unrelated objects side by side as a way to express their ideas and abstractness. He altered scales in his art by making the smaller men in the background and the larger men in the foreground which makes them seem closer to the viewers. 

6.     What would be a few reasons why Magritte would cover the faces of his subjects? 

It creates mystery of the identity of the faces. It creates wonder and curiosity. 

7.     Why did Magritte strive for realism & precision in his paintings?

He developed techniques to mimic things that happen in dreams. He attempts to make his art make sense of the dreams when awake. 

8.     Google more of Magritte’s work and include 2 images that interest you.

the lovers
The background notice how the wall looks like its seen from an laying down point of view. The blankets covering the face creates mystery. The surrealism is the blankets on the face of the lovers as they kiss and the reallism is the lovers - people. Juxtaposed to create a dream like image. 

·      Examples from artists that inspire you (6)