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Calder - Picasso
Published to accompany an exhibition at the Musée national Picasso-Paris produced in partnership with the Calder Foundation and Fundacíon Almine y Bernard Ruiz-Picasso para el Arte, Calder, Picasso explores the uses of negative or empty space in the work of Alexander Calder (1898–1976) and Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), both in their resonances and their differences. With a focus on figurative as well as abstract themes, the exhibition links some 150 artworks by both artists via a thematic lens of void-as-matrix and the corollary proposition that confrontation with the void is a fundamental aspect of 20th-century modernism.
These works are interpreted objectively as well as metaphorically, using the void as a prism through which to analyze the conceptual and formal tensions both artists deploy as a means to place the direct and personal experience of the spectator at the very heart of their work. The catalog maps the tangible traces of a relationship between these two their points in common, their encounters, their collaborations and the sometimes extreme confrontation posed in their works through the use of obscure or even illusory perspectives; it includes numerous major texts on these topics by respected specialists.
These works are interpreted objectively as well as metaphorically, using the void as a prism through which to analyze the conceptual and formal tensions both artists deploy as a means to place the direct and personal experience of the spectator at the very heart of their work. The catalog maps the tangible traces of a relationship between these two their points in common, their encounters, their collaborations and the sometimes extreme confrontation posed in their works through the use of obscure or even illusory perspectives; it includes numerous major texts on these topics by respected specialists.
257 pages, Hardcover
Published May 21, 2019
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 14, 2021
I borrowed this to read before (or instead of) attending the local museum exhibit. I was hoping I could learn and see enough so that I could spend less (covid) time at the exhibit or maybe even feel okay skipping it. After reading it I think it served its purpose.
It's dense text heavy in the first parts of the book. I struggled to read it even though much of it was interesting. I liked that family members participated.
The art shown in the latter long part of the book was good. I’ve always been a huge Calder fan and like Picasso’s art too. When seeing so many of their pieces side by side I was shocked at seeing how similar they often were.
I liked the art, appreciated the included photos and source material. The story behind the exhibit is interesting, but if it wasn’t pandemic times I’d have preferred to read the shorter written pieces at the exhibit, going through in a more leisurely manner than I’m now willing to do. I still plan to go to the exhibit but if it won’t be the end of the world if I decide I don’t feel safe to do so, including leaving when I get there and seeing what “50% capacity” looks like. Last autumn I went to the Frida Kahlo exhibit at the same museum and I went through really quickly because “25% capacity” ended up being too many people for me to feel comfortable.
It's dense text heavy in the first parts of the book. I struggled to read it even though much of it was interesting. I liked that family members participated.
The art shown in the latter long part of the book was good. I’ve always been a huge Calder fan and like Picasso’s art too. When seeing so many of their pieces side by side I was shocked at seeing how similar they often were.
I liked the art, appreciated the included photos and source material. The story behind the exhibit is interesting, but if it wasn’t pandemic times I’d have preferred to read the shorter written pieces at the exhibit, going through in a more leisurely manner than I’m now willing to do. I still plan to go to the exhibit but if it won’t be the end of the world if I decide I don’t feel safe to do so, including leaving when I get there and seeing what “50% capacity” looks like. Last autumn I went to the Frida Kahlo exhibit at the same museum and I went through really quickly because “25% capacity” ended up being too many people for me to feel comfortable.
Displaying 1 of 1 review