Rene Magritte, 1953
Coming From The MillL.S. Lowry, 1917
Is posting two paintings, of which only one is on the list, to a top ten list of favorite paintings cheating? Probably, but I think if we get these sort of things out in the open we can move past them, don't you?
The listworthy painting is the Magritte because the general pedestrian oddity of Belgium greatly appeals to me. This time however I'm not going to ramble on about what I see in the paintings and what I think they have to say to the world. Rather I'm going to leave the juxtoposition of a pair of paintings deeply ambivalent about the lot of the social classes they represent to speak for itself.
(Collect them all: #1, #2, #3)
7 comments:
That's interesting- you think the bowler hatted men are ascending where I've always seen them as arriving home at the end of the day; dropping down into their cul-de-sacs. Its amazing how different people see things: makes me suspicious of sellers of ultimate truth.
Magritte is my favorite, favorite, favorite. I would name my son Magritte if A) it didn't sound quite so much like something a frog might say and B) I could ever get effing pregnant.
I think they're falling. I never thought about it as home at the end of the day. I just left it at that in my simplistic mind - just falling.
I've always made up spurious narratives for imobile images I like.
Does anyone think they are just suspended there?
I have roughly the same level of mistrust for Belgium as I do for Manchester.
Having said all that I have always enjoyed Lowry's work and his position as a recorder of working times.
I'm less familiar with Magritte (apart from all the famous stuff) but I'd have him round for tea if he'd come.
Deb, I was just so poor as a student (London = v. expensive, esp. if you have a beer habit) so I'd go anywhere that was free or had a student discount. Hence, I dwadled a lot in art galleries and saw a lot of French films. I also remember one magnificent day spent with Cousin Jim the Artist who took me around a bunch of galleries and explained a ton of stuff to me. Still, I haven't a clue about the technical stuff; I just say what I see.
Mondale, I have two words for Belgium: David Platt. I think any place that can give the world the waffle and this has to be worth a second look.
I wish NYC museums were free. That's the one great thing about DC and the only affordable thing about London.
The Magritte is fantastic.
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