A take on the mesmerising surrealist work of Rene Magritte, 'Pas du Surrealisme' is a painting by Axel Bottenberg which reflects his time spent in French lectures discussing 'The Treachery of Images'. The painting is very much “in the style of René Magritte”, referencing Bottenberg’s (mostly failed) attempts to teach Year-9 pupils about art history.
- Dimensions: 80 x 122 x 5cm
- Price: £4200.00
A take on the mesmerising surrealist work of Rene Magritte, 'Pas du Surrealisme' is a painting by Axel Bottenberg which reflects his time spent in French lectures discussing Magritte's 'The Treachery of Images'. Magritte's original piece merges Foucault's philosophy with surrealist imagery - Bottenberg's interpretation reflects his admiration for Magritte, who was a prominent cultural figure during his own upbringing in Brussels. An iconic part of his youth culture, Magritte was 'the' Belgian artist - Bottenberg often recalls friends during his youth having Magritte posters up on their walls. Many other pieces in Bottenberg's oeuvre reflect this interest, and tastefully portray his admiration for the artist, as well as the surrealist phase within his own work. 'Pas du Surrealisme' is a punchy piece painted in the style of Magritte, where we are presented with a game of 8-ball. Bottenberg has placed us on a wooden path, as though we are rolling along it ourselves - where are we going? “If you’re going to rip someone else’s art off you should at least make the effort” The font is an exact copy of Magritte's original text, and efforts have been made to re-create Magritte's signature skies - at first glance, this piece could be an original. Bottenberg is renowned for the use of pastiche throughout his oeuvre, alongside a multitude of pop culture and art history references. Often contrasting high and low art, Bottenberg's works are charged with irony and social commentary, perhaps a reflection of his time studying alongside the YBAs (Young British Artists) at the Royal College of Art in the 1980s. Communicated through painting, sculpture, drawing and more, Bottenberg's cultural awareness and references makes him stand out amongst his contemporaries; they foster a familiarity which makes his work accessible to a wide audience, not only art world professionals. A piece that is imbued with precision and cultural meaning, 'Pas du Surrealisme' is a statement piece that is full of vigour; a perfect addition for any contemporary art collection, business space, or home.
Axel Bottenberg is a mixed media artist who works to create bright, compelling compositions which blur the boundaries of painting and sculpture. Born in 1961 in Darmstadt, Germany, Bottenberg studied Fine Art and Printmaking at the Canterbury College of Fine Art, and later Printmaking at the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London. Bottenberg is now based at Bankley Studios in Levenshulme, Manchester, and is renowned for challenging the sphere of contemporary art through his practice. Bottenberg's oeuvre is imbued with entertaining pop culture and art historical references, and his works often reject art tradition through juxtaposing high and low art iconographies. Bottenberg is heavily inspired by 1960s Pop Art and its resurgence in the 1990s, which he portrays through his own eclectic lens and bold colour palette. Bottenberg's researched approach gives scope for sardonic appraisals within a varied, eccentric body of work. Any piece from Axel Bottenberg's oeuvre would be a valuable and compelling asset to any contemporary art collection, business space or home.
Other images of Pas du Surréalisme by Axel Bottenberg