Friday, July 15, 2011

Inspiration Avenue Challenge: Pablo Picasso

This week at Inspiration Avenue, Tammy asked us to interpret our take on Pablo Picasso. Since I'm not a painter, but I am a collage artist, I brought out the one and only thing I ever made that was influenced by Picasso.

A few months ago I was searching for an artist who might have created sunflowers, possibly similar to the ones made by Van Gogh. However, there were no other examples of artists and sunflowers. It was at that time I stumbled onto a term called synthetic cubism. I continued to read and learned this was the final stage of Cubism, made popular by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. According to the Encyclopedia of Irish and World Art:
This process of incorporating everyday materials (newspaper cuttings, tickets, tobacco wrappers etc) into their paintings marked a move away from the austere cerebral abstraction of Analytical Cubism to the more relaxed and decorative Synthetic Cubism. In effect, this advanced form of Cubist art reversed the compositional principle of analytical Cubism. Instead of breaking down an object into fragments and then re-assembling them (analytical Cubism), the image was being built up (synthesized) from new elements and shapes. Moreover, the inclusion of these items suggested that art could be made with scissors and glue as easily as with brushes and paint.
Possibly the most famous of this style by Picasso was Three Musicians. Of further interest, according to Art History at About.com:
The invention of collage, which integrated signs and fragments of real things, is one aspect of "Synthetic Cubism."
So I asked myself what if Picasso had used sunflowers as a model or theme to depict synthetic cubism during that time period (1912-1914). What I came up with is the above, using paint chips and painted book pages, "fragments of real things" using scissors, and a sewing machine in place of glue. I really liked how this piece turned out, but I have to admit, sewing through four layers of paint chips was a bit of a challenge. In the end, I thought this piece looked vaguely like the sunflower I was going for.Link

And although this is a piece I created for my friend Marlynn several months ago, it is how my synthetic cubism sunflower, in the vein of Picasso, came to be a part of this Inspiration Avenue challenge.

13 thoughtful remarks:

Healing Woman said...

Brilliant! Great example of Synthetic Cubism. I have learned something new by coming here today. Now that I look at your piece with new eyes, I do see a sunflower. Thanks so much for the lesson!

Dianne said...

Terrific! Again, you are so thoughtful in your approach to the challenge...I just remember that in one of Picasso's pieces he added a square of linoleum to his painting, and collage was born...love the shades of color and stitching!

Halle said...

Very interesting art lesson. Great piece.

Jo Murray said...

Thanks for the informative post. Good work.

Ngillette said...

Wow! You really took this challenge and ran with it....I love that you looked at his artistic style and made it your own. No wonder you have such good ideas and techniques here on your blog! Thanks!

Marlynn said...

So LOL - I'm going - I know that work, and I kept reading, and lo and behold - it was my sunflowers! Thanks for giving me a chuckle, loved it. It is like seeing someone you met at a business meeting than seeing them on a weekend and you know you know them but can't remember from where. Then I was squinting looking closer, yup, I know that work. OK, enough rambling, stay cool, love to you all from me and my all.

Maggie said...

I loved reading about synthetic cubism. I learned something new today! Very interesting about the origins of collage, something I love.

Your piece is beautiful...I love the spot of red and the stitching.

~*~Patty S said...

So interesting E...I always learn new things when I come to visit...Loved seeing your inspired sunflower!
Lucky Marlynn!
oxo

Unknown said...

This is a fabulous entry for the Picasso theme. Thanks for the lesson on Art and cubism. And I love your cubistic sunflower, it is so cool. The eye can put the details together from the cubes of color. Very creative.

WrightStuff said...

Well it is always great to learn something new so thank you for that!! I must confess I know very little about cubism, so that was fascinating. Love this piece, very cleverly done.

Elisa said...

beautiful work! I love your creativity and just putting things out to make a work of art! Very piccaso-ish!

Unknown said...

Wow, I thought I'd left a comment here the other day when you first posted this.....my mind must be slipping :)
I LOVE this and the way you took his style and incorporated it into your own coming up with such a beautiful (and unique) sunflower....gorgeous and VERY clever take on the challenge! LOVE those paint chips and the sewing!

Priti Lisa said...

I love to research too! I LOVE to read and learn and think and just...you know! I Love that we have this in common. And I love what you created. LOVE! It is abstract-ish...picasso-ish and totally elizabeth! ♥♥♥