Description
This is my 29th painting featuring a man (or men) in bowler hat as part of my ongoing homage to the man who made them famous: Rene Magritte. With all my paintings, I am always trying to get better as an artist and by paying as much attention to details and the core idea as Magritte did, I think "The Plot Thickens" is my new favorite. It shows four bowler-hatted men huddled together beneath an impossibly blue, cloud-filled sky, their arms wrapped around one another as though they are sharing a secret, making a pact—or perhaps trying to figure out what to do next. We never see their faces. That’s important. The anonymity makes the group feel simultaneously familiar and mysterious. Are they conspiring? Negotiating? Consoling one another? Planning something? The viewer is invited to supply the story. The four nearly identical bowler are a direct nod to the Belgian master, while the embracing arms bring a surprising human warmth to what could otherwise feel like a secretive gathering. The title, “The Plot Thickens,” adds another layer: it suggests that something is happening, but refuses to tell us exactly what. The viewer can create his or her own version of what is going on between the four gentlemen. I certainly have.
