Rene Magritte (Full name René François Ghislain Magritte), 1898 - 1967
Belgian-born, Magritte worked in commercial advertising to support his experiments in painting. During his time in advertising, he developed a witty and thought-provoking style for which he became famous. By abstracting ordinary objects and giving them new meaning, his work challenges observers’ preconditioned perceptions of reality.
Magritte moved to Paris in 1927, and was inspired by renowned Surrealist artists such as Salvador Dali, Max Ernst and Joan Miro.
He later moved back to Brussels, in 1930s, where he focused time on his artworks, focusing on the notions of the unconscious mind - repository for thoughts, feelings and memories of which a person is not consciously aware. Magritte became a leading figure in the visual Surrealist movement. With his popularity taking off, it allowed him to pursue his art full time, and his works were celebrated in many international exhibitions. As a result, his imagery and aesthetic has influenced several artistic movements such as Minimalism, Conceptual Art, and Pop Art, most notably with Andy Warhol.
Notable Works:
Golconda (Golconde), 1953.
Picture credits: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-artwork-changed-life-magrittes-golconda
The False Mirror (Le Faux Miroir), 1928
Picture credits: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-artwork-changed-life-magrittes-golconda
La Reconnaissance infinie (The infinite recognition), 1963
Picture credits: https://www.wikiart.org/en/rene-magritte/the-infinite-recognition-1963
The Castle of the Pyrenees, 1959
Picture credits: https://www.renemagritte.org/the-castle-of-the-pyrenees.jsp
The “La Reconaissance Infinie (Infinite Recognition) 1963/The Castle of the Pyrenees" Bearbrick is a clever use of 2 of Magritte's famous works (4 years apart) and put together into a single Bearbrick.