Magritte, Meaning, and CMM

Today marks the 110^th birthday of René François Ghislain Magritte a famous Belgian surrealist artist who is well-known for his thought-provoking images. One of his most recognized painting is named the Son of Man and is most commonly and perhaps affectionately dubbed “the bowler hat painting.”

Magritte described his paintings by saying:

“My painting is visible images which conceal nothing; they evoke mystery and, indeed, when one sees one of my pictures, one asks oneself this simple question, “What does that mean?” It does not mean anything, because mystery means nothing either, it is unknowable.” (Reference: http://www.magritte.com)

In beginning my nine week introduction to the Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM) (Pearce, 2007), in which we attempt to define meaning and how meaning is made and making better social worlds, this quote from Magritte is a perfect example. The world of CMM that I am just beginning to understand and hope to understand more, has already, in its extreme short time, given me an appreciation for the question – “How do we make meaning?” 

In the next eight weeks, I will continue to delve into the world of CMM with great enthusiasm and delight.  For now, I will continue to go deeper into my thoughts on how meaning is made in my own ‘reality’ and in making a better social world.

References

Pearce, B. W. (2007). Making social worlds: A communications perspective. Malden, MA: Blackwell.