Happy Valentine’s Day, dear Bacon friends!

Let’s consider – today – the rose.

A rose – in particular – imagined by Magritte in his watercolor, Utopia.

“Few flowers carry as much cultural significance as the rose… [it] has been used to symbolize a multitude of concepts and ideals, from war to peace and everything in between. Perhaps part of the rose’s universal allure is the contradiction that lies at its heart: that despite the plump velveteen petals that create its dazzling beauty, its stem bears razor sharp spikes that any admirer knows can draw blood. The Belgian artist Rene Magritte (1898-1967) emphasizes this elemental contradiction by setting a blush-colored rose on the edge of a barren cliff… As in the work of other Surrealists, basic logic and reason are dispensed with, leaving viewers to build their own narratives. Behind the rose is a turbulent sea and a partially cloudy sky – and yet the rose casts no shadow. Magritte somewhat perversely titled this work Utopia; again, as with the subject matter, the title intentionally resists straightforward interpretation. Perhaps Utopia, or a type of perfection for the artist, might be the triumph of nature and life in impossible circumstances. Despite the salt of the sea, the glare of the sun and the barren soil, beauty can still thrive against all the odds.” (From Phaidon, Flower: Exploring the World in Bloom.)

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This book is an absolute delight… one of the most wide-ranging and beautiful art books I’ve ever seen… 

 

 

 

 

 

I believe you might love it, too!

It ignites the imagination; informs; and delights.

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