When I returned home after I had visited the Picasso exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW, I remembered a book I had bought a while ago at the Rozelle markets. It is called 'Picasso: Creator and Destroyer' by Arianna Stassinopoulos Huffington. After looking at the range of his work at the gallery and the different ways of expressing himself I got curious to find out more about this artist, even though I had never really warmed to his work. The book took me in straight away. The author did a thorough research and I got the feeling to get a good portrait of Picasso's personal life. That's what the book is mostly about. It does no go into the depth of his artistic creations but rather gives an impression of his social life, the people he spend time with and his torn personality. Picasso seems to have had such a powerful and charismatic appearance that people who met him wanted to be in his presence and were not able to withdraw from him and his magic. Picasso used his power to manipulate others and to promote himself as a genius of the artworld. I don't know enough about art to lead a profound discussion about his artistic achievements and that's why the book is perfect for me. I am interested in his life as a man, husband, father and lover.
The things that I will remember from this book, that made an impression on me or that did surprise me: 1. Francoise Gilot, the strongest of his partners. I will read her book. 2. Picasso was a coward. 3. Picasso and Braque were best friends. 4. Picasso, being a communist, received the Stalin Peace price. 5. Picasso's passion for bullfights. 6. Gertrude Stein 7. Picasso's involvemnt with Ballets
0 Comments
Today I went to see the Picasso exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW. I am not the biggest fan of his surrealist work, but I did not want to miss the greatest Picasso display ever to have visited Australia. Only once I got there I realized I was wearing the fan outfit: a black and white striped T-Shirt, how embarrassing. The exhibition was packed and it was hard to get a good and close view of some of his most famous works without a running commentary of really smart people. But I was not there for the famous surrealist works anyway. What made the biggest impression on me were the pencil sketches, scribbles and drawings because they are so very personal. Each stroke can be identified and it is like watching Picasso sketch in person. I also like his sculptures, again the works of his early years are my favourite pieces. I tried to find my top five Picasso artworks of the Sydney exhibition. I did not make it to five but here are the three paintings, that made my day: 1. The Bathers (1918) 2. Jacqueline with Crossed Hands (1954) 3. Sacre Coeur (1909/10) I loved 'The Bathers' because it seems to be such an Australian scenery. This painting brings up happy memories for me and the colours and movements seems soothing like a lazy afternoon by the beach.
The exhibition will be on till the 25th of March and features around 150 artworks from the Musée National Picasso in Paris. The contemporary Sydney art festival is on for the third time this year and I have never even heard of it before, so its time to check it out. I had a look at their website and my two favourites are the 'Art at Night' events and the paper art events including the paper cutting session with Gregory and Watts this Saturday. The Art Month will run till the 25th of March and offers a diversity of events, talks, exhibitions and workshops.
|
|