Art: Bookcovers: Magritte, idiosyncratic French painter, provokes a swarm of dustjackets

La Culture des idées:

Book cover design and the spirit of Magritte

A book exhibition conceived by Karl Baden

Bapst Art Library, Boston College, February 13 - March 19, 2006

Here's a teaser from the Introduction by Jeffrey Howe

These are not Magrittes; the book covers in this exhibition are inspired by him, and appropriate his imagery. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Magritte might be said to be one of the most flattered of artists. The skeptical Walloon undoubtedly would have had something to say on this topic, however.

René Magritte (1898-1967) was the most important Belgian Surrealist; he transcends his national origins, and has become an artist of the world. His art was dedicated to the freedom of thought, and continues to have broad appeal to artists and members of the public who delight in the aesthetics of surprise. At the conclusion of his 1928 novel of mad love, Nadja, André Breton defined the essential quality of Surrealist art as “convulsive beauty” – “Beauty will be convulsive, or it will not be at all.”

The spirit of revolution manifests itself in Magritte’s refusal to accept convention; his images embody contradiction and the questioning of authority. Even his most subtle images are like depth charges, detonating in one’s consciousness long after the first encounter, shaking the foundations of conventional reality. Magritte cautioned against jumping to the conclusion that his pictures were escapist dreams; they are in fact: “ ‘Dreams’ which are not intended to make you sleep but to wake you up.”

Click-up the title of my blog-entry and enjoy the feast (if you enjoy Magrittic vittles). - Anaximaximum