René Magritte’s “The Lovers” (1928) is a harrowing depiction of isolated love as the pair are kept apart by a mere shroud of fabric, preventing a fully loving embrace. Or could it have been a look into the future world of pandemic isolation?

What is the real purpose and object of art, literature, and thought? The obvious answer would be that it is communication, but the question becomes complicated when considering what communication is? Is it the message the artist intended to ask, or is it the scope of how the viewer of the art finds the answer?

Surrealism’s goal was to liberate thought, language, art, and human experience from the oppressive boundaries of rationalism. The consequence of the approach on the artists and writers was the belief that their work was revolutionary or philosophical. Neither the questions nor the answers their work presented mattered as long as the viewer was liberated to inject any variety of options for both.

Brent M. Jones

Brent writes with quiet confidence and curiosity, exploring communication, reinvention, and what truly matters. His reflections invite readers to slow down, reconsider their stories, and reconnect with the values that guide them. Through books, essays, and his What Matters newsletter, he offers writing that doesn’t shout—but still speaks clearly.