Act of violence 1932

René Magritte, sometime in the 20th century, made this scene with oil on canvas. The colours are muted, and the painting is smooth, almost like glass. I can only imagine the artist Magritte, standing at his easel, moving his brush, thinking hard about what an 'act of violence' is. Is he questioning the violence of borders, the violence of images, or the violence of the male gaze? Maybe he is, like me, thinking through images. I am particularly drawn to the orb, with its little line. The way it sits there, so still, in front of the building – is it reflecting or obscuring? All these everyday objects together in a dreamscape; it reminds me of Giorgio de Chirico. These surrealists were all looking at each other, pushing and pulling on reality. Artists are always in conversation, riffing off each other's ideas. They are always working it out. They never give up. And neither should we.