Rene Magritte is was a Belgian surreal painter whose artwork emphasizes the juxtapositions in our surroundings through a witty matter.
His work challenges viewers to investigate and find meaning behind unusual context and displaced objects.
Rene Magritte’s Not to be Reproduced is a 1937 oil painting made for the British poet and early surrealist art movement patron, Edward James. The movement was formed during the brink of war and political frustration. He sponsored many surreal artists such as Salvador Dali and Rene Magritte.
This painting shows a man looking into a mirror with his reflection having its back facing the viewer. However, the book’s reflection stays true to reality. The illusion could represent a lost in self-identification.
I emulated the same concept of a lost in self-identification in this picture. In addition, I added an exterior element by having two mirrors reflect different worlds. One world is shown having a cityscape with a lot of smog. However, the second world contains heavenly and blissful clouds. This shows how there is a part of me that looks forward to that happy place in life. Yet, I still can never picture myself being able live in that environment.
http://lejoseph.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/intertextuality/