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See Magritte’s Artwork in Motion via Raphaëlle Martin’s Animated GIFs
The Belgian Surrealist's work comes alive.
Lauren Palmer
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René Magritte, La Condition Humaine (1935).
Image: © Raphaëlle Martin
What started as a mild dislike for René Magritte quickly became admiration. Once German artist Raphaëlle Martin started to animate the Surrealist Belgian’s paintings, he saw how completely dynamic they were.
“I’ve thought a lot about which other artist’s works I could use, but there really is none that inspire me as much as Magritte does,” Martin told artnet News in an email. “I think almost every single one of his paintings just would make a great GIF.”
Martin’s animations are saturated, grainy—as if the viewer was watching vintage film. The idea came to Martin while he was trying to make a GIF of water from footage he shot. “I must’ve read something about Magritte or seen some derivative work and thought his paintings would make good animations,” Martin told artnet News.
While Martin is quick to say that he wouldn’t sell the work (“I don’t really see them as ‘my work,’ explains Martin. “Magritte is the artist and I don’t think it would feel right to sell them”), he is interested developing his process of creating GIFs. “I’m definitely planning on making more,” he wrote.
We can’t wait to see what artworks are next to get Martin’s treatment.
René Magritte, La Trahison Des Images (1929).
Image: © Raphaëlle Martin
René Magritte, L’invention Collective (1934).
Image: © Raphaëlle Martin
René Magritte, Golconde (1953).
Image: © Raphaëlle Martin
René Magritte, La Légende Dorée (1958).
Image: © Raphaëlle Martin
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