Un Mercredi Matin

Everything on this painting looks realistic. It almost seems like a photo. Yet it is instantly clear this isn’t real. Why do you think that is?

This painting strongly resembles paintings by the famous artist Dali. His paintings often consisted of empty landscapes with strange objects in them as well.

 

Salvador Dali, 'Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening' 1944

Dali was considered a ‘Surrealist’. Surrealism was an art movement in which artists tried to show the subconsciousness. They thought we should try to be driven more by our subconsciousness instead of our mind. Strange combinations of objects, weird shapes and ominous landscapes make up mysterious dreamworlds. Surrealists thought that was what the subconsciousness looked like.

Till Rabus was clearly inspired by Dali. It is not uncommon for artists to base artworks on other art. To copy something exactly is illegal, it is considered forgery if an artwork is identical. But a personal twist to an existing artwork often results in interesting new art. Like the big table by Yinka Shonibare, also shown here in the LAM museum, is inspired by the Last Supper of Leonardo Da Vinci.

Yinka Shonibare, Last Supper 2013

 

 

Leonardo da Vinci, The Last Supper 1495

Pablo Picasso once said the famous line: ‘Good artists borrow, great artists steal’. There are different opinions on what he meant by it. One idea is that you must try to make an artwork your own. Simply copying and pasting an element from one work to another is not very strong. Instead, an artist should try to convey the whole concept of an artwork.

The horizon on this painting looks to be far into the distance. Although it’s just a stroke of paint on the canvas. ‘Depth’ is something that painters have been trying to paint for centuries. Because how do you turn a two-dimensional painting into a landscape into which you can disappear? Can you see how Till managed create the depth?

This painting is a mix between two classic painting genres. It holds the middle between a still life and a landscape. In which genre, do you feel, this painting fits the best?

Till always paints ‘realistic’ paintings. The paintings often look like photos. A lot of work goes into making them. If he would just make some broad brushstrokes the illusion quickly disappears. Still he works relatively quick. One painting takes about a month to finish.

Can you inherit talent for art? In the Rabus family it seems like it. Till his brother and his father are both famous painters and his mother creates art with textile.

Eventhough it is painted with a lot of detail, all the food looks weird. Is the yellow circle in the bottomright an UFO or a piece of candy? And which meat is underneath the zucchiniflower? Maybe the reflection underneath can give you a hint? Can you recognise all the different foods?