SHARING WITH ME

I had read about Joëlle Kem Lika in « Arts Magazine » - a little while ago as a matter of fact.     My decision had been to visit the galleries in Paris more often. I wasn’t getting very far. She intrigued me. There was an energy in her work that I hadn’t seen for a while. French and that too was a plus as I hadn’t seen too many new French artists in the galleries or museums recently. When I spoke to the vey beautiful young woman in the gallery, (her daughter)  she confirmed what I know to be true, French artists only seem to get on the local map once they have had exhibitions overseas. As if we can’t be proud of our own artists. Sad isn’t it? What I have seen of her work on internet, I prefer her abstracts to her more realistic paintings. They breathe and the colors flash outwards, nothing seems to be closed in. I like that as you know. The brush movements seem to leap across the canvass but they are strong strokes and that is where the energy comes from...

It’s been twisting and turning around in my head for a couple of days. How was I going to write the chapter on Picasso.mania? One of those block busters that usually leaves me cold. Too much to see, to take in and too many people to avoid. As I had gone along a couple of days after it had opened, there were no queues when I arrived although there were quite enough people inside.  What it will be like in a few weeks time is another matter. Picasso is with us at the Grand Palais and at the end of the month there is another exhibition starting at the Picasso museum. Looking at what is going on around France you would think that we are celebrating something special. But no. Just Picasso. In 1959, Picasso (1881-1973) was interviewed by a well known magazine of the period. « Will you keep on painting much longer? » He was only 78 and most great artists continue painting until they die. 
His answer was « Yes, it’s my mania ». Well that’s  a begi...