THIS IS NOT A PIPE
Artist: René Magritte
Title: The treason of Images
Year produced: 1928-1929
Oil on Canvas
Size: 23.5 * 37 inch
Style: Surrealism
Location: County
The following review is part of my art review essay years ago:
We recognize the image on the canvas as a pipe, because it looks like its object, the substantial pipe. It is an icon of the substantial pipe. The French inscription (Ceci n’est pas une pipe, which means this is not a pipe in English) below the image is clearly classified as the category of symbol. However, if the viewer did not understand one word of French, the markings would turn to be meaningless. It is known that words are perceived as markings with convention and it is highly arbitrary, the word pipe would make no sense if the viewer didn’t know the conventions agreed amongst the French users. John Fiske once pointed out that sings with no conventional dimension are purely private and thus do not communicate (Fiske, 1990 p56). Then we can basically conclude that the whole painting is a combination of icon and symbol.
Nevertheless, when people find the icon and the symbol of the painting lead to absurdity, it can be considered that this contradiction is an index of emotional attitude. People are all familiar with the substantial pipe, so we usually do not take notice of it. The words “This is not a pipe” bring us a new way of understanding our own reality through shock. When taking a deeper look at the canvas, we can find that the pipe is presented in an undefined space, it seems like floating in the air and it has no shadow which it should be in a three dimensional object, moreover, it’s not functioning for there is no smoke. However, a defined space, shadow, and functioning are the characteristics that a substantial pipe possesses. As a result, it can be claimed that to quota “This is not a pipe” is correct.
In conclusion, the painting The Treason of Images is composed of icon, symbol and index. With a familiar image in an unfamiliar context, the painting brought us a new way of understanding the reality. Finally, I want to notice that the painting cannot be well analyzed by the Swiss linguist Saussure’s sign system because actually there is no signified for the signifier.
References:
Fiske, J 1990, Introduction to Communication Studies,
Foster, H, Krauss, R, Bois, Y, Buchloh, BH 2002, Art Since 1990,
René Magritte’s other paintings include: The son of Man, La condition humaine, Time Transfixed and Delusions of Grandeur.
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