Rene Magritte, Voice of Space

   I thought it was time to look at something really fun this week. So, I give you Rene Magritte (1898 - 1967) and Voice of Space.  Magritte was Belgium surrealist whose work became universally popular late in his life influencing pop art and music, and minimalism.  He was part of a group of European surrealist during the 1920's thru 1940's.   This is a very difficult period in world history which is  completely reflected in this movement. 
  Surrealism, by definition, presents a dream like quality, and Magritte in particular, loves to challenge our perception of reality.  His precision painting adds to the mystery of seeing three metal bells floating above the earth. 
   My personal love of Magritte's work comes from his skies.   Often he selects a particular time of day that looks "right" but is it?   Here we have light at the horizon with a deepening of color moving to the top and no strong shadows on the landscape.  Has the sun set, not risen yet? Is this green/blue a "right" choice for sky? 
   There are lots of fun questions about this painting, and of course, no right answers.  The title Voice of Space suggests these are bells, but, if so, they are not ringing.  All seems quiet - way to quiet!   So, enjoy.   A fun image to contemplate.
   Original title is La Voix des airs.  It was painted in 1931, measures 72.7 x 54.2 cm., is an oil on canvas, and is part of the permanent collection of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice. 
   Make Art a part of your life, it's a beautiful thing to do. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Wayne Thiebaud, Sunset Streets

Image
   In giving title to this landscape, California artist, Wayne Thiebaud not only provides the location, but also the time of day.  Knowing that Thiebaud is a California artist provides the last clue to guessing the probably location.  Smartly, The San Francisco Museum Of Modern Art purchased this painting for its permanent collection in 1986, a year after it was completed.  Sunset Streets is an oil on canvas measuring 48" x 35".      Wayne Thiebaud was born in 1920 and resides in California. He is one of several artists creating a distinct California aesthetic using heavy pigment and exaggerated color.   He is best known for his commonplace objects, figures, and landscapes. of which this is a perfect example.    The composition of this work is amazing.  Right down the center, at a slight tilt is this blue-black stripe, K shape, beginning with a heavy base and capped with a large triangle of sorts.  The painting is a geometry lover's dream, completely dedicated to ever
Read more

Jimmy Baker, "Double Tillman"

Image
   It has been a while since we have looked at a contemporary artist and new work, and this particular image by Jimmy Baker is somewhat different from others of his.   At first glance our painting for this week appears to be a landscape, maybe a setting or rising sun.  Our attention is drawn to the circle just slightly above middle center, and the arches above and swirls of color high light it.  Look at the lower half, the earth.  The light has highlighted rocks or wood chips, but we are unable to distinguish more.   I think this painting allows us to determine for ourselves what to make of it.   Is this a dying earth, or one recovering from tragedy?         Jimmy Baker (1980-) is from Ohio.  He was born here, received his education in Ohio, and is presently and associate professor at the Art Academy of Cincinnati.  His work has achieved critical acclaim with solo exhibitions in Europe and across the United States.  He has developed an interesting technique of digital painting.  Accord
Read more

Childe Hassam "The Avenue in Rain"

Image
    I probably should have saved this for the 4th of July, but that is a little far off and this work is among Childe Hassam's finest.      I have known of Childe Hassam (1859 - 1935) for a very long time, but only recently did Wikimedia straighten me out about the correct way to pronounce his first name.  It seems the "e" is silent; and his last name is pronounced as written, with two syllables.        From what I have read, Hassam was a pretty sharp guy, and possibly a little  arrogant.  He created 3,000 some works of art in his career and lived his entire adult life on the proceeds of their sale.  This is quite remarkable.  Most artists, (at least before 1930) had to supplement their income by teaching, commissioned portraits or careers outside the art field.  But Hassam figured out not only how to market his work, but also what subjects would be popular.  Timing is always a big issue, and he was at the forefront of marketing impressionist paintings to Americans.      
Read more