A thing which is present can be invisible, hidden by what it shows
Interpretation
Visibility can be deceiving; what we see may hide deeper truths.
This quote by Rene Magritte reflects the paradox of perception in art and reality. It suggests that things may appear prominent to our senses yet still cloak essential aspects beneath their surface, urging us to look beyond mere appearances to uncover hidden meanings and truths.
In practice
In a discussion about the interpretation of modern art.
I detest my past, and anyone else's. I detest resignation, patience, professional heroism and obligatory beautiful feelings. I also detest the decorative arts, folklore, advertising, voices making announcements, aerodynamism, boy scouts, the smell of moth balls, events of the moment, and drunken people.
Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we see.
Everything that is visible hides something that is invisible.
The famous pipe. How people reproached me for it! And yet, could you stuff my pipe? No, it's just a representation, is it not? So if I had written on my picture βThis is a pipeβ, I'd have been lying!
Nothing is confused except the mind.
We must not fear daylight just because it almost always illuminates a miserable world.
All stories interest me, and some haunt me until I end up writing them. Certain themes keep coming up: justice, loyalty, violence, death, political and social issues, freedom.
A writer has to be driven crazy to help him to see. A writer needs his poisons.
Music has no effect on research work, but both are born of the same source and complement each other through the satisfaction they bestow
The notion of directing a film is the invention of critics - the whole eloquence of cinema is achieved in the editing room.
We're told that independent film lovers... folks that are used to watching art house films, won't come out and see a film with black people in it - I've been told that in rooms, big rooms, studio rooms, and I know that's not true.
The mark of all good art is not that the thing done is done exactly or finely, for machinery may do as much, but that it is worked out with the head and the workman's heart.
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