For some strange reason, I don't mind walking in cities. Walking in suburbs....pass, nature hike, no thanks. But, in the city, most certainly a crowded one like NYC, It doesn't phase me a bit. Perhaps it's the hustle, the bustle, the excitement, the flow of the masses that helps me pass the time as I make the most of my bipedal nature.




Visiting the Moma - Museum of Modern Art, the archetypal place for viewing unique pieces, was a long time coming. A fasciation with modern artists such as Piet Mondrian, was what propelled me to travel by car, train, then by foot. Travelling to cities seems to bring up quirks, quirks such as looking up at a facade of a tall building before I enter, or tapping on a plane twice before entering. Some might dismiss the act as a nervous tick, but for me it enhances the experience.



Lillie P. Bliss, Cornelius J. Sullivan and Mrs. John D, Rockefeller, probably never had any inkling that an initial gift of eight prints and one drawing, would lead to the massive collection, it boasts today.



Like a fish who outgrew the fishbowl, the museum moved three times in ten years since its inception (1929). Now firmly embedded in mid-town Manhattan, the MOMA now hosts an eclectic collection of over 150,000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints and photographs. The museum also houses app. 22,000 films, 300,000 books and information on over 70,000 artists.

One of the nicest surprises of my re-discovery of museums, is finding new favorite artists. One such artist is Rene Magritte.



Rene Magritte (1898-1967) a Belgium artist who utilized the Surrealist method ( a method of reuniting the conscious / unconscious and promoting the fusion of dream and fantasy to form an "absolute reality.")



Surrealism (a more optimistic view of art) realised art should say something, albiet small, which mixed ordinary objects in an unusual context that gives new meaning to the familiar) grew out of the Dada (anti-establishment / non-art) and Cubism period( fragmented, jarring images) suited Magritte just fine.

Witnessing his mother drown, her face covered with her dress, would severely impact Magritte's work. Utilizing symbols of mirrors, eyes, windows, stages and curtains, his subjects faces would be obscurred. Dry, academic and polished "in the technical sense," Magritte's work remaining mostly unchanged. Experimenting with a "Renoir" style in the 1940's proved a fleeting experience, moving him back to familiar territory.




Studying at the Royal Academy of Arts in Brussels, Magritte honed his artistic skills in wallpaper and commercial art.

Painting the "Lost Jockey" in 1926, one of Magritte's defining moments as an artist was not warmly received by critics. Licking his wounds, moved to Paris where he further moved into Surrealism.




Two things I admire about Magritte's work is his recognizable style, as evidenced by his 1950 painting - "The Empire of Light, II." - Oil on Canvas 31" x 39" and his ability to pose a question and never really answer it. Drawing the viewer in closer, letting them in on a private joke, which they're are no answers only more questions. This type of the "dog chasing the tail," fits in nicely with his (magritte's) work. Questions as why, the lighted sky does not illuminate the scene below? Or why the motif is mainly monochromatic? Darkened hues surrounded by more of the same?

The enlargement of the chimney-type structure seems to be out of place, confusing the on-looker, pushing them off-balance, by challeging ideals with pre-conceived notions of acceptable composition. The use of light and darkness, although perhaps atypical, melds nicely, to form a cohesive unit.






Until then......