René Magritte and the Contemporary Art

The playful surrealism of Rene Magritte (1898-1967) has had a tremendous and liberating influence on the art of our day, and this book is the first to take a systematic look at that influence. Cataloging a Belgian exhibition, this volume illustrates how some 50+ contemporary artists -- including Artschwager, Louise Bourgeois, Wim Delvoye, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Boyd Webb and many more -- have, in various ways and to varying degrees, shown a conceptual kinship with Magritte's work. Special attention in the book is paid to Magritte's sculptures, which are exhibited here completely for the first time, and which were created at the end of the artist's life. These works constitute a link from Magritte's life to the present, as they were mostly cast after his death. This book even considers Magritte's legacy as reflected in such mediums as film, theater, photography, video and computer art. The book features over 200 images, as well as text by noted art critics Edward-Lucie Smith and Robert Rosenblum.