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... of our century. (Flam, 1990) In the Three Women at the Spring Picasso gave his figures a sense of maximum volume, mass and density. The figures in the Three Musicians are the same size but by contrast are weightless, disembodied, almost two dimensional. Yet, as presences, they are equally "real" and even more impressive.
In 1920 Picasso had designed costumes for Pulcinella, a ballet based on the old Italian Commedia dell " Arte. The following year, in the Three Musicians, the traditional Commedia characters appear again as musicians seated around a table: Pierrot in white at the left playing a recorder, Harlequin in the center with a guitar, and at the right a strange figure in a domino or monk's black habit, singing behind his veiled mask while he holds his music on his knees. Beneath Pierrot's chair sprawls a dog. (Andreae, 1995) The subject of the Three Musicians is traditionally gay; but by means of the monumental size of the picture, its sombre background and mysterious masks Picasso transforms the three music-making comedians into a solemn and majestic triumvirate. Now, after these observations, let the reader be warned by Picasso's words to Zero: "People who try to explain pictures are usually barking up the wrong tree. Gertrude Stein joyfully announced to me the other day that she had at last understood what my picture of the three musicians was meant to be.
It was a still life!" (Danton, 1998) While Picasso was constantly creating, he loved confronting the unknown. "If one knows exactly what one is going to do, " he would say, "what good is it. Because one knows it, it is of no interest. It is better to do something else. " (Flam, 1990) Within the human element there is a basic need to create. Each person must make the fundamental choice to be creative and doorways will open. Art then becomes the perfect vehicle for self discovery. It is an injustice to one's self to hold back creativity when curiosity and imagination generate natural enthusiasm.
To be immersed in an environment rich in creativity is of great importance. Thus, to intoxicate the senses, one must have the opportunity to bathe leisurely in an imaginative environment. New concepts and ideas may develop slowly. In time, with practice and determination, a direction will form. Within the urgency to create there is an internal desire to make our creations meaningful. (Andreae, 1995) When the consciousness unites and coincides with the inner being, a significant work of art may occur. These successful connections are the life pulse that drive the universe.
They come from the heart, motivate the senses and soothe the soul. Trips to various museums and galleries stimulate one's creative energies and helps the inner self make connections to the external world. One can find equilibrium in their work by studying design and space. There is a need to be surrounded by the beauty of art to better understand it. It's true purpose and value can not be taught, it must be felt. Cubism was one of Picasso's great revelations.
His discovery inspired him to search for new meaning in "the total disintegration of form. " (Danton, 1998) He pursued his idea with vigor and created an interpretation that became widely accepted. Picasso stated, "Cubism is not about reality, it is more like a perfume, in front of you, behind you, to the sides. The scent is everywhere. But you don't know where it comes from, " Picasso's explorations presented him with new ideas regarding the union of mind, soul and art. (Flam, 1990) His successes proved that he was not afraid to take risks and make mistakes. The Cubist style emphasized the flat, two-dimensional surface of the picture plane, rejecting the traditional techniques of perspective, foreshortening, modeling, and chiaroscuro.
The objects were broken up the realized in an abstract form. To the cubist the painting was a flat object in its own right and not a representative of the real world trough a window. One idea behind cubism is to allow the viewer to see all sides of the object from a single vantage point. An example might be a bottle where the mouth is painted from the top view but the rest of the bottle is painted from the side. (Flam, 1990) Cubism is of major significance because it revolutionized art by showing objects reduced to their geometric forms and introduced a new concept of space. Cubism was completely new and un imitative. Cubism had an impact on art in general that extended far beyond the existence of the painting style itself; it paved the way for other art revolutions, such as futurism, Dada and surrealism, and was seminal to much of abstract art.
Picasso and Braque found the precedents and initial concepts for cubism in two art sources. One was primitive art -- African tribal masks, Iberian sculpture, and Egyptian bas-reliefs. The other influence was the work of Paul Cezanne, especially his late landscapes. Cubism is a term that was created by Louis Vauxcelles in 1909, after a discussion with Henri Matisse about a work that Braque had submitted to the Salon d'Automne that was "entirely made up of little cubes." (Andreae, 1995) Cubism can be defined as either analytical or synthetic. Analytical cubism occurred between 1908 and 1912, when Braque and Picasso were becoming terribly aware of the space found around and inside an object. In an analytical cubist painting, the object was "taken apart" and reshaped with the use of flat intersecting planes. (Danton, 1998) A new phase in the development of the style, called Synthetic Cubism, began around 1912.
In the center of the painters' attention was now the construction, not the analysis of the represented object -- in other words, creation instead of recreation. Color regained its decorative function and was no longer restricted to the naturalistic description of the form. Compositions were still static and centered, but they lost their depth and became almost abstract, although the subject was still visible in synthetic, simplified forms. A Synthetic Cubist work had bits of real objects worked into the picture. Items like newspaper clippings, rope and other "found objects" were attached to the canvas and combined with drawings or paintings. This was the beginning of a "flimsy sculpture" known as Collage. (Danton, 1998) The construction requirements brought about the introduction of new textures and new materials.
Cubism lasted till 1920 s and had a profound effect on art. Synthetic Cubism developed to accommodate the new unexpected ideas through the new media of collage. Cubists gained control over the color and texture in a way they had formerly only been able to use in the reduction of real objects to lines, planes and values. They were then able to exploit their expressive and constructive elements.
Picasso was extremely passionate about his work. This enthusiasm for life is deeply evident in his paintings and is revealed in his insight. "I've always felt that paintings must awaken something new in the man who doesn't ordinarily look at pictures. " (Flam, 1990) Picasso believed that by mixing what the common person knew with what they did not, their knowledge of understanding would increase. Picasso's paintings were an extension of his momentary feelings. "A style, " he once said, "is something that locks the painter into the same vision, the same technique, the same formula for years and years. Repetition is contrary to the laws of the spirit, to it's flight forward. " (Flam, 1990) True to his words, his paintings are expressions of constant changes in mood, style, and temperament. At times he would begin illustrating a concept, paint it endlessly and transform his original idea. His work depicts the belief that reorienting and redefining goals is a requisite evolutionary process.
Of the many influences in his life, that of imitating his artist father's work enabled him to develop a classical style. As a result of the death of a good friend, he began his blue period. During that time he limited himself to one color and ultimately worked through his grief. Because of his experimentation his art developed a sense of soul. Throughout his life he was highly influenced by fashionable artists of the times. As apparent in Picasso's art, personal life should rightfully influence one's work.
These influences can provide a vast resource of motivation and inspiration. Pablo Picasso's pedagogy embraces the soul. It is not his talent as an artist that inspires, but his ability to transform his meaning with paint and brush. His creative essence transcends consciousness, ignites his passion and gives his work strength and purpose. At times his paintings call out and provoke. Frequently, they ask a question and demand a response. "A good painting ought to bristle with razor blades, " he remarked. (Danton, 1998) Picasso's lasting contributions society are evident because he chose to partake in the journey to self realization.
For teachers, there is a need to reach beyond the boundaries of life's experiences and participate in the struggle to find meaning of self. Picasso has proved that through the artistic experience, one can challenge the outer limits of the imagination, create pathways of perceptions and connect with one's inner voice. The journey to find eternal peace and harmony remains to be traveled. The consciousness sleeps, waiting to be awakened. Bibliography Andreae, Christopher. Picasso as Cubist Landscape Painter.
Christian Science Monitor. Vol. 87 (November 13 th, 1995): 16 - 19. Danton, C. Arthur.
Picasso. Nation. vol. 266 (April 20 th, 1998): 33 - 37. Flam, J. Exhibition reviews: Another look at cubism. Art Journal.
Vol. 49 (Fall 1990): 313 - 317. Pages, Peter. Cubism, American Style. Newsweek. Vol. 119 (January 1992): 54.
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Research essay sample on Synthetic Cubism Three Musicians
