I feel no heat in the vacuum of the beyond

In Brussels, opened last June a Museum exclusively devoted to the Belgian surrealist artist. To better understand his work. "This mysterious universe is cold." I feel no heat in the vacuum of the beyond. Indeed, is the insensitive that I try to transform into matter, and this insensitive cannot be that cold. "Painting of the insensitive, cold... These words of Magritte are a key element of his work. Can be read, written large in the new very didactic Museum that is devoted entirely to Brussels. An event around the world. It is the largest Magritte collection visible: 200 works including 100 is property of the Belgian State, 50 loaned by the President of the Fondation Magritte, Charly Herscovici, and entrusted 50 for one year at least by collectors private. The result is conclusive: all periods and almost all of the major themes are represented.

Magritte is a readily identifiable popular artist who created "icons" of the art of the 20th century. Success therefore the appointment for this new institution. This fact, the visit is in a permanent background of heckling, who is evil cold desire expressed by the artist. This impression is accentuated by the fact that all of the collections is immersed in an exaggerated darkness. Michel Draguet, Director justification: "It is a way to strengthen the idea of his inner world, but also to preserve the light of the works on paper."

Magritte lived his childhood in an atmosphere of drama which certainly explains this desire to distance to life decision-making. The Belgian painter was born in Hainaut in 1898. He is the eldest of the family and his gloomy mother made several suicide attempts, until the day of 1912 where she drowns in the Sambre. René is fourteen years old. Will be his remains seventeen days later, the face covered by his shirt. The editors of the catalogue of the exhibition noted: "some critics have seen reminiscent of this tragic event in the veiled faces Magritte paint more later."But as to rectify, Magritte would have said: "I did not know of circumstances that would have determined my character, or my art." I do not think to determinism.

Magritte young moved to Brussels, where he was a bohemian life. It manifest its contempt for academicism, is provocative and occasionally follows artistic education. The first shock, it is the discovery of a catalogue dedicated to the Italian Futurism movement: "I eyes a challenge to common sense that bored me so hard." It was this light that I was once up in the cellars of the old cemetery where, as a child, I spent my vacation. "And then Magritte, who will marry, seeks to earn a living. Then it's advertising. The Museum presents a set of its production of its kind. It is fun to see how his universe in gestation should be to so called "advertisements". This leads to the conclusion that it is, in General, a painter - painting is flat, not embossed - but a creator of strong images and slogans in titles.

Creative process

After meeting with painting of Giorgio de Chirico, "the first painter" who has thought to speak something other than the paint painting, Magritte will develop his vocabulary and his universe. Its purpose is, as he says himself, "making visible the mystery".In the large canvas "The secret player", 1927, he painted a forest of oversized bowling in which play baseball two men in white. A black turtle flies in the sky. A silent woman is trapped in a box. Magritte is implementing its "revenue": the inert becoming alive (of bowling out flowering branches); the proportions between the different elements are not met. And then there is the recopiée black turtle of an encyclopedia, that you will find on several paintings.

The creative process is gradually built during the visit of the rooms of the Museum. A single incident émaillera creator of strange icons straight career. Between 1943 and 1948 he painted differently. It is the "period Renoir" then the "cow period". A material-rich and free, painting out the codes it has established itself. The home is execrable. After war, the painter was an American merchant, Iollas, the obvious commercial requirements. Magritte is the repetition, although it says not to comply with its requests. He said, according to a witty formula: "my only desire is to enrich me new exciting thoughts."An artist for the market, such as later Warhol and Damien Hirst... In this, also, Magritte is a forward-thinking.

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