Activity 1: Creating a Surreal Space

By altering the scale of objects in his paintings, Magritte's work gives an immediate sense of surreal absurdity. Everyday objects become magical, as in his painting, Personal Values, 1952.

In that painting, the artist presents a room full of familiar things: a glass, a comb, a match, and a make-up brush. However, he has dramatically increased the scale of these objects making them seem unfamiliar and strange. The interior room also becomes surreal due to the fact that he has painted the walls like an outdoor sky. Magritte enjoyed playing with and altering his viewers’ senses and their preconceived ideas of scale and perspective.

Activity:

1. Draw a room in perspective
2. Choose five objects and make simple line drawings of them
3. Photocopy the drawings to make multiples and scale them up or down
4. Cut out the drawings and create a surreal space
5. Colour the drawings and the room