Réne's Apple is a digital still-life project paying homage to Réne Magritte's well known surrealistic dreamscapes, extending the theme of reality distortion. Similar to 'The Son of Man', an apple is used to substitute a face; while the face itself is metaphorically depicted with a mirror instead of an actual image of a man.
A classic motif in still-life paintings, the mirror challenges the perception of self: a mirror in real life is supposed to reflect oneself; as an artist paints/creates the work, however, they are supposed to include the reflection of themselves if they were being honest to what they are seeing. This dilemma makes either scenario an inevitable compromise of reality in a still-life piece.
The apple, however the viewer choose to interpret it, offers an artistic and philosophical solution. The apple here is decaying, unlike the fresh glistening apple used in Réne's original piece. The idea of decay, commonly used in classic still-life paintings, is borrowed here to further explore the idea of self, temporality and time.
Software: Adobe Illustrator