MAGRITTE'S MYSTERY

The first warm day of the year is such a teaser. Even though I knew the mid-'70s would only last for a short time, it was difficult to imagine going back to cold weather after a balmy afternoon on the beach. At least it was a reminder that spring is on its way!

Since I wanted to take advantage of the springlike temperature and proximity of the ocean, my outfit was inspired by Belgian Surrealist, René Magritte.

Many of Magritte's (1898-1967) thought-provoking Surrealist paintings have become popular culture icons, like the one below.

He was interested in the juxtaposition of reality and fantasy, and championed a more representational style of painting than other Surrealists, like Dalí and Miró.

One of his primary artistic devices was placing ordinary objects in unexpected environments, causing the viewer to think about the object in a new way.

Though many of Magritte's works seem as though they should have a narrative explanation, he characterized them as "unknowable", like a mystery the viewer has to solve but that there exists no real answer.

"Art evokes the mystery without which the world would not exist." --René Magritte

My response to Magritte's work was to pair both menswear-inspired and nautical pieces with a beach setting, completed by the green apple necklace which represents a recurring theme in his work.

I'm wearing a Uniqlo tee, PRPS jeans, thrifted woven leather suspenders, Literature Noir chalkstripe boyfriend blazer, Marc bag, H&M socks and necklace, and Matiko wedges.

[Magritte images from kazucopy.wordpress.com, hubpages.com, just-take-a-boo.blogspot.com, and gipsygeek.wordpress.com, respectively.]