Magritte and the Romanticization of Precarity
Magritte’s 1953 painting Golonda is a perfect representation of the romanticization of precarious work. In particular, this excerpt from an interview with Charly Herscovici explains both the painting and the painter:
"Magritte was fascinated by the seductiveness of images. Ordinarily, you see a picture of something and you believe in it, you are seduced by it; you take its honesty for granted. But Magritte knew that representations of things can lie. These images of men aren't men, just pictures of them, so they don't have to follow any rules. This painting is fun, but it also makes us aware of the falsity of representation."
Every stroke of Magritte's brush represents the reality of false promises in the images we see. Today, media consumers are seduced by and believe in the promises images of precarious work offer. These promises are: freedom and flexibility, as well as job and life satisfaction. These promises congragate in the collective image of a freelance coffee shop blogger, or stay at home internet vlogger. Both are examples of precarious work, that media representations romanticizes. With regards to famous YouTubers as an example, a question arises: where will they be in 10 years? Will anyone truly want to watch a 35-year-old make-up tutorial artist? Will anyone truly want to watch a 45-year-old vlogger talk about their life the same way they have been talking about it for the last 25 years? We may love them now, but we will not love them the same way in the future. Therefore, the romanticized image they give off is misguided. For every famous YouTuber there are numerous others who have failed in the pursuit of fame's promises.
Returning to the title of the painting, “Golonda” referrs to an ancient city and source of great wealth, akin to a Utopia. Ultimately, the promises of precarious work are unattainable, and just like the ancient city of Golonda, these promises disappear. The message of this painting then harkens back to Magritte’s 1929 painting, The Treachery of Images. The text of this painting translates to the phrase “this is not a pipe.” Again, the image is a lie. It is a painting of a pipe, not a pipe. As a result, the romanticized images of precarious work are not a promise, they are merely a picture of a promise.