I squeezed in a visit to MoMA’s incredible exhibit of Picasso Sculpture this week. While I appreciate Picasso’s genius, I also get tired of seeing his most famous work (i.e. paintings) in museums. Whereas his paintings show a very linear, outside view of his career, his sculpture shows a much more personal and intimate side of the artist. This probably has something to do with the fact that many of his sculptures were personal works he did not intend to exhibit. The show was eye-opening for me; in fact I was surprised to learn many new things about Picasso. The exhibit is absolutely worth a visit.
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WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT PICASSO AT MOMA:
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– – – He loved children. – – –
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[girl playing]
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[mother and child]
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[dolls for artist’s daughter]
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– – – He was very adept and humorous in his portrayal of animals. – – –
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[cat]
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[bull]
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[horse]
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.– – – He made art with cardboard. – – –
[And other unusual materials.]
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[guitar made of cardboard]
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[sculpture with cardboard imprint]
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– – – He made ceramics. – – –
[Picasso took up ceramics in adulthood, mastered it, then broke all the rules.]
[Sound familiar? He did the same with classical painting as a teen.]
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[bull]
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[owl]
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[woman]
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– – – He made complicated works in metal. – – –
[with the technical help of other artists.]
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– – – He made tiny art! – – –
[He engraved faces in pebbles and made tiny works in clay.]
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– – – He brought his female figures to life in 3-D. – – –
[Using paint on sculpted sheet metal.]
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Images: MoMA, NY Times, Hyperallergic, Art News, Gothamist, Bonnie Hislop, another eye opens
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