PICASSO.MANIA
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.
It was a chronological event as well as thematic. The real theme is to study the work of all his spiritual heirs and how they pay tribute to the greatest and most prolific artist of the 20th century. Prolific is right.
He created more than 50,000 works: 1885 paintings: 1228 sculptures 2800 ceramics: 7089 sketches: 342 tapestries and 30000 engravings. Hardly surprising that in my travels around the world I am always discovering new Picasso’s. Would I again? Added to those few statistics, he is also the most expensive artist in the world. Only the oligarchs can fork out over 180 million dollars for a painting.
There are so many of his remarks that have been recorded. You don't forget them.
He may well have been a genius but as I have said before, I doubt if he was the nicest of people on earth. Never the less artists everywhere were inspired by his work.
Before going into the first gallery there was a short video with 19 artists describing who Picasso was for them. It’s worthwhile looking at the list as nearly all of them were English speaking. Adel Abdessemed (French Algerian), John Baldessari (Californian), Miquel Barcelo (Spanish), Cecily Brown (British), George Condo (American), Frank Gehry (American) Romuald Hazoumé (Republic of Benin), Thomas Houseago (British), Jeff Koons, (American), Bertrand Lavier (French), Philippe Parreno (French), Richard Prince (American), Faith Ringgold (African-American) Ed Ruscha (American), Julian Schnabel (American), Frank Stella (American), Sarah Sze (American) Agnes Varda (Belgium), Lawrence Weiner (American).
I might add though that there were 75 painter's works in this exhibition......
When I first glanced at the list, I wondered if the choice had been made on a global level. As you can see, the artists are American oriented. One artist, an American’s sums up Picasso as
Before we start this mammoth task of showing Picasso, I would like to point out one thing. From my point of view, the titles and very often the names of the « other » painters were so badly presented, they were hard to find and rushing from left to right in a room looking for them, irritated me. Consequently you will not always find an artist’s name. Nor will you find the title or date for many of Picasso’s paintings. You will know however, that they are Picasso. This said, let’s go into the first gallery. Here though is a self portrait done in 1901. Frankly, I think he looks a little older than 20!
Marizio Cattelan welcomes us with a rather grouchy looking Picasso he did in 1988.
This is quite surprising: Zeng Fanzhi, Chinese and you have « met him » in your wanderings with me….he did this in 2011.
As I’m a fan of Miquel Barcelo, both of these works interested me. Popera done in 2015. So much of his work is a metamorphose. Like Picasso then. Many of his creatures are from the depths of the sea or he has an empathy with the animal world, like Picasso. This can be seen in Boc Encapironat, 2006.
Chéri Samba, Picasso from 2000. This is practically a classic today. Taken from one of the funnier photos taken by Robert Doisneau
We stroll into the second gallery and this is already where my frustration set in. Walls of work where so much was regrouped and trying to work out who do what was too much for me. We are starting to see the beginning of cubism in 1908. I have said so much over the years about this period which continued until the first world war. Braque and Picasso revolutionized painting - and yet as far as I could see, there was no picture by Braque.
Some of the wooden sculptures were quite new to me. I would like to have known more.
Now it looked interesting. David Hockney. I have been following this British artist for years and hope sooner or later to see his museum near Leeds in the U.K.
Hockney saw « obstinate realism » in the Spanish artist’s prolific creativity. He started studying his work when he was a student at the Royal College of Art in the 60’s. Picasso had moved away from the formalism of that era. Hockney talks about cubism:
However, Hockney used the cubic approach with photographs and painting. Some of it is quite fascinating.
I can understand Harlequin,
but am not too sure what the reference is to Picasso in his « A Bigger Card Players » (2015).
I do like what he said though very recently
Considering the number of people trying to see the video in the next room, I would give it a miss. Come back perhaps.
What caught my attention at once was Frank Stella’s work on the ceiling. There were two sculptures . A real move away from his usual geometric work. Part of the pieces in steel are made thanks to a 3D printer. They could be described as collages or assemblages and in reference to Picasso’s cubist period around 1910.
The Demoiselles were everywhere.
Some were so like the original which of course was not there. « They now reside » at the Moma.
Totally immoral when Picasso painted it and when unveiled in 1907/08, it was not only the first cubic painting but also those ladies were prostitutes. It is not surprising perhaps that so many artists have copied it,
Richard Pettibone (1976) (Born in 1957, he was much more into the Punk Rock scene in the USA),
André Raffray (1988). (A French graphic artist 1925-2010. Greatly influenced by Marcel Duchamp - and - Picasso)
Mike Bidlo (1984) was born on the 20th of October in 1953. He is an American conceptualist who uses a range of media including oil painting, silkscreened sculpture, drawings and living art forms and he lives and works in New York.
Alfred Raffray in 1988
Robert Colescott - « Les Demoiselles d’Alabama" done in 1985.
(1925 — 2009) He was an American painter, known for satirical genre and crowd subjects, often conveying his exuberant, comical, or bitter reflections on being African-American. He studied with Fernand Léger in Paris, but there is no resemblance here.
Sigmar Polke (2006 and no titles). It can only be a Polke. As a German painter and photographer.
Polke experimented with a wide range of styles, subject matters and materials. These are rather vulgar pin-ups taken from advertising and magazines reproduced using his usual techniques
Richard Prince (untitled - 2011) (1949-) Nothing was said about this photographer artist but I think he started off by copying other photographer’s photos. This certainly has Picasso references, but am not so sure that I like them.
Wangecho Muti « Shy Side-Eye » is a collage done on linoleum. I knew nothing about her. She comes from Kenya and is quite young, born in 1972. Another collagist who was and is still influenced by Picasso. Wangechi Mutu observes:
“Females carry the marks, language and nuances of their culture more than the male »…..
We leave the Demoiselles behind and I was happy to. Remold Hazomé’s work is fun. He is from Benin and was one of artists interviewed for this exhibition.
He only uses recycled materials to create his works.
Hazoumè is also known for his mask series. He started this phase of his art in the mid-1980s. These masks, made from discarded gasoline canisters, resemble those used in traditional African culture and ceremonies. In explaining these works, Hazoumè has said:
I would think the African masks came from Picasso’s passion for African native work.
Guernica I am not going to dwell on. Of course the painting will never leave Madrid. There were two very strong and huge paintings which looked into massacre in general. Adel Abdessemed. (Algerian born in 1971)
« Who’ Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? » (2011-2012)
It’s the same dimension of Guernica - Standing at 3.49 metres (11 ft 5 in) tall and 7.76 metres (25 ft 6 in) wide. The human drama has left its place to animal massacre. The title is a question and the answer I imagine is « No-one » as these by now were stuffed wolves and could harm no-one. But of course this is human savagery, don’t you think?
The second painting is by Leon Golub (1922-2004: American) . He lived in Europe for quite a while but when he returned to New York State, the Vietnam War was escalating, and he responded with his two series. This is Vietnam ll. As with « The Big Bad Wolf », I could only take bits of this painting….
We now are reintroduced to many of Picasso’s women. This is where I was unable to get all the details and dates about the work. I was not the only one running backwards and forwards. I just gave up. I know them all - but remember names and dates?
Erro called this « Picasso Melting Point. He discovered Pop art when he went to visit the States in 1962. There is quite a bit of « Les Demoiselles » to be found but it was during this period that Erro did an inventory of Picasso’s work, placing side by side work from the 50’s…
Other Pop Artists are definitely in place Lichentstein and Warhol..... of course and to end the exhibition, there were the four seasons of Jasper Johns. I have always liked these.
Perhaps it was this pop art which really communicated Picasso’s work as never before. It became familiar to larger public and it was then that the name Picasso became a generic. The first Picasso car in Paris was launched…what Andy Warhol said in 1975 is very revealing.
and to end the exhibition, there were the four seasons of Jasper Johns. I have always liked these.
Now here are the photographs I took of his work. I couldn’t leave without giving you a sample of these. Titles are pretty rare….Perhaps you are thinking that I should have placed Picasso’s work along side all those who are paying tribute to him.
At the beginning of this chapter I told you that I wasn’t too sure how I would « attack » it. In studying the other painter’s works alone, I could conjure up in my mind at once, a Picasso painting. I hope you can too. Please, I am not boasting but I had seen at least 90% of these works before and there were some 400 pictures on show. As you can see, I did not take too many photos.....
I walked home across the Tuileries gardens and the installations were in preparation for our major contemporary art show...the FIAC. Somehow I felt that I was still with Picasso....
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.
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« Will you keep on painting much longer? » He was only 78 and most great artists continue painting until they die. His answer wasWell that’s a beginning. We know where the title of the exhibition came from.
« Yes, it’s my mania ».
It was a chronological event as well as thematic. The real theme is to study the work of all his spiritual heirs and how they pay tribute to the greatest and most prolific artist of the 20th century. Prolific is right.
He created more than 50,000 works: 1885 paintings: 1228 sculptures 2800 ceramics: 7089 sketches: 342 tapestries and 30000 engravings. Hardly surprising that in my travels around the world I am always discovering new Picasso’s. Would I again? Added to those few statistics, he is also the most expensive artist in the world. Only the oligarchs can fork out over 180 million dollars for a painting.
There are so many of his remarks that have been recorded. You don't forget them.
« When I was a child, my mother said : if you want to be a soldier, you’ll become a general : if you want to be a monk : you’ll become the Pope.
I wanted to be a painter and I became Picasso ». (1998)
He may well have been a genius but as I have said before, I doubt if he was the nicest of people on earth. Never the less artists everywhere were inspired by his work.
Before going into the first gallery there was a short video with 19 artists describing who Picasso was for them. It’s worthwhile looking at the list as nearly all of them were English speaking. Adel Abdessemed (French Algerian), John Baldessari (Californian), Miquel Barcelo (Spanish), Cecily Brown (British), George Condo (American), Frank Gehry (American) Romuald Hazoumé (Republic of Benin), Thomas Houseago (British), Jeff Koons, (American), Bertrand Lavier (French), Philippe Parreno (French), Richard Prince (American), Faith Ringgold (African-American) Ed Ruscha (American), Julian Schnabel (American), Frank Stella (American), Sarah Sze (American) Agnes Varda (Belgium), Lawrence Weiner (American).
I might add though that there were 75 painter's works in this exhibition......
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When I first glanced at the list, I wondered if the choice had been made on a global level. As you can see, the artists are American oriented. One artist, an American’s sums up Picasso as
SORTOFFABULOUS
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| 1901 - Self portrait |
Before we start this mammoth task of showing Picasso, I would like to point out one thing. From my point of view, the titles and very often the names of the « other » painters were so badly presented, they were hard to find and rushing from left to right in a room looking for them, irritated me. Consequently you will not always find an artist’s name. Nor will you find the title or date for many of Picasso’s paintings. You will know however, that they are Picasso. This said, let’s go into the first gallery. Here though is a self portrait done in 1901. Frankly, I think he looks a little older than 20!
 |
| Marizio Cattelan -1988 |
Marizio Cattelan welcomes us with a rather grouchy looking Picasso he did in 1988.
 |
| Zeng Fanzhi - 2011 |
This is quite surprising: Zeng Fanzhi, Chinese and you have « met him » in your wanderings with me….he did this in 2011.
As I’m a fan of Miquel Barcelo, both of these works interested me. Popera done in 2015. So much of his work is a metamorphose. Like Picasso then. Many of his creatures are from the depths of the sea or he has an empathy with the animal world, like Picasso. This can be seen in Boc Encapironat, 2006.
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| Boc Encapironat |
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| Popera |
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| Chéri Samba - Picasso 2000 |
Chéri Samba, Picasso from 2000. This is practically a classic today. Taken from one of the funnier photos taken by Robert Doisneau
We stroll into the second gallery and this is already where my frustration set in. Walls of work where so much was regrouped and trying to work out who do what was too much for me. We are starting to see the beginning of cubism in 1908. I have said so much over the years about this period which continued until the first world war. Braque and Picasso revolutionized painting - and yet as far as I could see, there was no picture by Braque.
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| Etude pour une tête de Femme 1909? |
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| The Violin ou Nature morte -1914 |
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| Musicien Assis 1912? |
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Some of the wooden sculptures were quite new to me. I would like to have known more.
 |
 |
Now it looked interesting. David Hockney. I have been following this British artist for years and hope sooner or later to see his museum near Leeds in the U.K.
Hockney saw « obstinate realism » in the Spanish artist’s prolific creativity. He started studying his work when he was a student at the Royal College of Art in the 60’s. Picasso had moved away from the formalism of that era. Hockney talks about cubism:
« It is increasingly clear that cubism is a progression upon realism, a progression upon the description of the space occupied by the mind, where out bodies exist. (Lecture at Harvard University in 1986).
(I am using my own words from now on. Sometimes I think these quotes are little pompous).
However, Hockney used the cubic approach with photographs and painting. Some of it is quite fascinating.
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| Artist and model- 1974 |
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| David Hockney - Kasmin - 1982 |
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| D.H. Still Life Blue Guitar |
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| Mother l, Yorkshire Moors, August 1985 |
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| Place Furstenberg - 1985 |
I can understand Harlequin,
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| Harlequin - 1980 |
but am not too sure what the reference is to Picasso in his « A Bigger Card Players » (2015).
I do like what he said though very recently
« ‘When I’m working, I feel like Picasso, I feel I’m 30’ »
He was born in 1937.
Considering the number of people trying to see the video in the next room, I would give it a miss. Come back perhaps.
What caught my attention at once was Frank Stella’s work on the ceiling. There were two sculptures . A real move away from his usual geometric work. Part of the pieces in steel are made thanks to a 3D printer. They could be described as collages or assemblages and in reference to Picasso’s cubist period around 1910.
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| K140 |
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| Frank Stella |
The Demoiselles were everywhere.
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| Studies for |
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| Les Demoiselles |
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| P.P. Femmes aux mains jointes -1907 |
Totally immoral when Picasso painted it and when unveiled in 1907/08, it was not only the first cubic painting but also those ladies were prostitutes. It is not surprising perhaps that so many artists have copied it,
 |
| Richard Pettibone |
Richard Pettibone (1976) (Born in 1957, he was much more into the Punk Rock scene in the USA),
André Raffray (1988). (A French graphic artist 1925-2010. Greatly influenced by Marcel Duchamp - and - Picasso)
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| P.P. Study for "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" 1907 |
Alfred Raffray in 1988
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| Rober Colescott - 1985 |
Robert Colescott - « Les Demoiselles d’Alabama" done in 1985.
(1925 — 2009) He was an American painter, known for satirical genre and crowd subjects, often conveying his exuberant, comical, or bitter reflections on being African-American. He studied with Fernand Léger in Paris, but there is no resemblance here.
Sigmar Polke (2006 and no titles). It can only be a Polke. As a German painter and photographer.
Polke experimented with a wide range of styles, subject matters and materials. These are rather vulgar pin-ups taken from advertising and magazines reproduced using his usual techniques
Richard Prince (untitled - 2011) (1949-) Nothing was said about this photographer artist but I think he started off by copying other photographer’s photos. This certainly has Picasso references, but am not so sure that I like them.
Wangecho Muti « Shy Side-Eye » is a collage done on linoleum. I knew nothing about her. She comes from Kenya and is quite young, born in 1972. Another collagist who was and is still influenced by Picasso. Wangechi Mutu observes:
“Females carry the marks, language and nuances of their culture more than the male »…..
We leave the Demoiselles behind and I was happy to. Remold Hazomé’s work is fun. He is from Benin and was one of artists interviewed for this exhibition.
He only uses recycled materials to create his works.
 |
| Remold Hazomé |
Hazoumè is also known for his mask series. He started this phase of his art in the mid-1980s. These masks, made from discarded gasoline canisters, resemble those used in traditional African culture and ceremonies. In explaining these works, Hazoumè has said:
“I send back to the West that which belongs to them, that is to say, the refuse of consumer society that invades us every day".
I would think the African masks came from Picasso’s passion for African native work.Guernica I am not going to dwell on. Of course the painting will never leave Madrid. There were two very strong and huge paintings which looked into massacre in general. Adel Abdessemed. (Algerian born in 1971)
« Who’ Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? » (2011-2012)
It’s the same dimension of Guernica - Standing at 3.49 metres (11 ft 5 in) tall and 7.76 metres (25 ft 6 in) wide. The human drama has left its place to animal massacre. The title is a question and the answer I imagine is « No-one » as these by now were stuffed wolves and could harm no-one. But of course this is human savagery, don’t you think?
The second painting is by Leon Golub (1922-2004: American) . He lived in Europe for quite a while but when he returned to New York State, the Vietnam War was escalating, and he responded with his two series. This is Vietnam ll. As with « The Big Bad Wolf », I could only take bits of this painting….
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| Without the crowds and you can see that the paintings are not identified.... |
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| P.P. Femme au chapeau -1939 |
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| Portrait de Dora Maar, 1979 |
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| Not next the paintings |
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| See what I mean? |
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| Erro - Picasso Melting Pot - 2014 |
Erro called this « Picasso Melting Point. He discovered Pop art when he went to visit the States in 1962. There is quite a bit of « Les Demoiselles » to be found but it was during this period that Erro did an inventory of Picasso’s work, placing side by side work from the 50’s…
Other Pop Artists are definitely in place Lichentstein and Warhol..... of course and to end the exhibition, there were the four seasons of Jasper Johns. I have always liked these.
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| Andy Warhol |
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| Andy Warhol |
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| Andy Warhol Head (After Picasso) n°Xll, 1985 |
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| Roy Lichenstein |
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| Roy Lichenstein |
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| Roy Lichenstein- Woman with Flowered Hat 1963 |
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| Roy Lichenstein - Still Life After Picasso - 1964 |
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| Jasper Johns - Sketch for 2 cups -1971-72 |
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| J.J. Cups 4 Picasso -1972 |
Perhaps it was this pop art which really communicated Picasso’s work as never before. It became familiar to larger public and it was then that the name Picasso became a generic. The first Picasso car in Paris was launched…what Andy Warhol said in 1975 is very revealing.
« Picasso said that he could paint a master piece in a day: I can do 100 masterpiece in an hour ».I think that sums up the mediatization of the Master’s work.
and to end the exhibition, there were the four seasons of Jasper Johns. I have always liked these.
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| J.J. Autumn - 1986 |
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| J.J. Spring - 1986 |
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| J.J. Summer - 1985 |
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| J.J. Winter 1986 |
Now here are the photographs I took of his work. I couldn’t leave without giving you a sample of these. Titles are pretty rare….Perhaps you are thinking that I should have placed Picasso’s work along side all those who are paying tribute to him.
 |
| P.P. L'acrobate bleu, 1929 |
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| New for me - Minotaure à la Cariolle |
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| P.P. L'Ombre ou la chambre à coucher de l'artiste - 1979 |
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| P.P. Ceramics 1952-1961 |
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| equipe Cronica - Hommage à Picasso - 1966-75 |
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| Paul MacCarthy - Dick Eye 2002 |
At the beginning of this chapter I told you that I wasn’t too sure how I would « attack » it. In studying the other painter’s works alone, I could conjure up in my mind at once, a Picasso painting. I hope you can too. Please, I am not boasting but I had seen at least 90% of these works before and there were some 400 pictures on show. As you can see, I did not take too many photos.....
I walked home across the Tuileries gardens and the installations were in preparation for our major contemporary art show...the FIAC. Somehow I felt that I was still with Picasso....
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| Small notice telling us they were for the FIAC |
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