NEW YORK AND THE MOMA - BACK ON HOME GROUND. Chapter 4

Kitsch in a city square

and peace fom a central garden
New York again. Buzzing with energy ....spilling over. A city of contrasts. Serenity and kitsch. Bustle, rush. The Apple Store which is open 24/7 and always full. Space in the museums, galleries....I love it even if I do not appreciate the coffee or the hugh helpings of food.

The Guggenheim is closed on a Thursday. Had forgotten that. As time was very short, this was to be an in and out trip, I opted for the Moma. I know it well and although there were no specific exhibitions I wanted to see so would do as I had done in Montreal, go back to the permanent collection of modern art.

The tourists were in force as well. In fact, I don’t remember visiting the Moma with so many people around. I knew what I wanted to look at again and see a few of the  latest acquisitions as well.



Woman Plaiting her hair 1906

 Picasso was top of the list. «Woman Plaiting her hair» 1906 must be the earliest in the collection. There is no real sign of cubism which was to make its big entry onto the artistic scene in 1907. And yet? Looking closely at her face, there is something angular about it which changes from his earlier figures. 


Fruit Dish 1908
 


 Even looking at one of the not so current still life of 1908, "Fruit Dish" what is to come seems to be announced. I am not a still life fan and yet Picasso....








Les Demoiselles .....1907


The big change came with «Les Demoiselles d’Avignon» in 1907. D.H.Khanweiler who became a major collector and the art dealer for Picasso also launched the cubic period. I can imagine his shock at seeing «Les Demoiselles» which must have been so out of the ordinary and more than extraordinary. 







Girl with a Mandolin 1910
«Girl with a Mandolin» in 1910 shows that he is in full cubism and yet that is what I like with Picasso, however abstract the image, there is always something new to discover in his paintings. It’s like entering into a painting - getting inside....Looking at this one once again, her right hand seemed to be more delicate than I had noted before. 


Harelquin 1915
«Harlequin» in 1915 is the war period and also that period when Picasso is involved in music and dance and creates that wonderful curtain «La Parade» which I saw in Metz some weeks ago. 




The Three Musicians 1921
His style now begins to change and is very notable by 1921 with "The Three Musicians" and 1928 with «The Studio» and even more so in 1932 with «Girl in a Miroir». 
The Studio 1927-28

Girl before a miror 1932








 I have walked myself through the different Picasso periods. Friends often ask me "but what period do you like best?" None really. Of course there are paintings that I like more than others but each time I see something new, something I hadn't seen before or quite simply discover another painting of a period I know.


I
Max Ersnt "The......"


I turned suddenly and saw the Max Ernst "The Gramineous Bicycle Garnished with Bells the Dappled Fire Damps and the Echinoderms Bending the Spine to Look for Caresses". 1920/21. A smile came to my face. How many of those creatures had I seen in my Mother’s work? She introduced me to Ernst in the 80’s when we went to Switzerland for a major retrospective of his work. For Mother Ernst was collage and his influence on her work was there as long as I can remember.
 


Marcel Duchamp....

 
 Marcel Duchamp with «Network of Stoppages» in 1914 - so far away from his ready made.




Matisse ....



Matisse and «The Red Studio» of 1954. 






Niki de Saint Phalle ....


 Then a new acquisition of Niki de Saint Phalle «Shooting Painting American Embassy 1971». I have never seen anything so removed from the work I know of this artist and next to  it, a Louise Bourgeois «Quarantinia 1» 1947-53. This too was light years away from her spiders or sexual undertones....although I am sure someone can see something eroctic in it.....
Louise Bourgeoise....

Back in Paris now with images buzzing around in my head, trying to get periods into perspective. The more I see, the more I know what I like and yet bingo, something new comes up - another artist and that takes me on....
And the first day back I did what ? Like a magnet I was drawn to the Beaubourg to see the Gerhard Richter which I had already seen in London some years ago. Would Paris present it differently ?

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I would never have recognised Louise Bourgeois! I quite like it.
5/7/12 18:21
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