Picasso

[LeatherneckPA]

I never really paid much attention to him. But now, after spending 20 minutes looking at his work on Google, I can honestly say that I truly dislike his work. How in the world did someone who paints like a pre-schooler ever get such a grand reputation? Calling it abstract is being pretty darned generous as far as I am concerned.

 

[calmloki]

know what you mean - as with many artistic types he just had to keep pushing, trying new things. Same as a sax player i knew - he could play beautifully, but prefered to play these awful honking squealing jazz things. I didn't even get it, but accepted that i was just not in the same realm music-wise. Track Picasso periods back and i betcha you find a time he was doing stuff you can appreciate - even if it was when he was a teen. f'rinstance, here's a 3 line drawing that Donheff found for me that just nails female form - that right line....

 

[retire@40]

If you ever go to a museum of contemporary art, you will have the same thoughts. Most of it is a waste of space.

 

[TromboneAl]

I've made Picasso's work more contemporary:

 

[FUEGO]

My 2 year old scribbles kinda like Picasso. I tried putting some of her masterpieces on ebay for a few million bucks. No one bought them.

 

[retire@40]

Ya, well I made it more contemporary AND more realistic.

 

[haha]

What we need to complete this thread is a link to our other triumph of culture, Why Books Are Too Long.

Ha

 

[Goonie]

How in the world did someone who paints like a pre-schooler ever get such a grand reputation?

The same way that the cr*p that rappers and hip-hoppers produce is called music. Nope! Huh-uh! Not EVEN close to real music! Not only can most of them not sing, I don't think a lot of them can even speak in any definable or understandable language!

I like rap, as long as I don't have to hear any of it! And I like Picasso, as long as I don't have to look at it!

 

[calmloki]

So is this any more accessible? It's a self portrait he did. Maybe he just saw himself more clearly than he saw other stuff? It's no Guernica... And frankly, i appreciate realism much more, but if an artist can do classic realistic art, or play music that wouldn't get them kicked out of an advanced band class, then i'm willing to give 'em a pass and admit that they know more than i and may be in touch with some different side of the muse. Besides, i like his Quixote/Sancho/windmill sketch. But all rap sux. mostly.

 

[FinallyRetired]

I heard he once ate at a fancy restaurant and found he left his wallet at home. So he took a napkin, drew a figure on it, and gave it to the waiter. Worth thousands now. Whatever you think about his art, anyone who can draw money is OK with me.

 

[calmloki]

Maybe it's like Bob Dylan or Tom Petty - not what i would call pretty - or in Dylan's case even pleasant - voice, but they have something to say that reaches many... or jazz, which beyond Dave Brubeck just tends to irritate me. But we are all the supreme judges of what we each like, fer sure fer sure!

 

[Martha]

Picasso was all of 15 years old when he painted this self portrait:

 

[FinallyRetired]

Picasso was all of 15 years old when he painted this self portrait:

So looks like he peaked at 15.

 

[Goonie]

So looks like he peaked at 15.

...

 

[FUEGO]

Picasso was all of 15 years old when he painted this self portrait:

All that time spent painting that portrait - you would think he could get the lighting in the studio a little more even!

 

[retire@40]

I heard he once ate at a fancy restaurant and found he left his wallet at home. So he took a napkin, drew a figure on it, and gave it to the waiter. Worth thousands now. Whatever you think about his art, anyone who can draw money is OK with me.

That was a "Saturday Night" skit.

 

[UncleHoney]

How in the world did someone who paints like a pre-schooler ever get such a grand reputation?

Schmoozing and sucking up to the wherewithalls and the haveitalls. Every once in a while one is chosen to be propelled into stardom if they fill the bill for weirdness or eccentricity.

Look at Chihuly, lost of glitz and color but only so so glass. In fact he doesn't even do any glass, it's all production stuff by peons. Add a little showmanship and an eye patch and the money never stops pouring in. Don't get me wrong, Chihuly has done some great things for the studio glass movement, but most of his work leaves a lot to be desired. One of his best accomplishments;

Pilchuck Glass School - Home

 

[ERD50]

This was always one of my fav's. I have to see it on every trip thru the Chicago Art Institute:


-ERD50

 

[HFWR]

The same way that the cr*p that rappers and hip-hoppers produce is called music. Nope! Huh-uh! Not EVEN close to real music! Not only can most of them not sing, I don't think a lot of them can even speak in any definable or understandable language!

I like rap, as long as I don't have to hear any of it! And I like Picasso, as long as I don't have to look at it!

I remember a time when the "old people" told us to "turn down that noise". Some of this noise belonged to the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Pink Floyd...

 

[FinallyRetired]

That was a "Saturday Night" skit.

I looked that up, and the skit was that picasso threw up on the napkin and it became a work of art

I also looked up the drawing on the napkin paying for his dinner, and maybe it's an urban myth, but it's recounted in several places.

 

[LeatherneckPA]

Yep, definitely peaked at 15. But that 3 line drawing was actually beautiful in it's simplicity.

Hate rap and hip-hop. Seems every black con in the joint thinks he's a rap star. They walk the compound talking their vitriolic hate lyrics and their "look at how bad/dangerous I am" crap all the time.

As was previously said, it ain't music, and they can't sing.

Now Reggae,,,,,I have started to make a weekly appearance at the indoor rec just to hear the Reggae band practice. The reggae and the hard rock bands are both pretty good.

 

[armor99]

This topic reminds me of an arguement I once got into with an english professor in High School. One day the professor explained to the class what it was that made a novel considered a "great work" of literature. He explained that the novel had to be written in a certain style, needed to be over a certain number of years old, some of the worlds most learned professors needed to discuss and vote on it, and only then can that novel be considered a "great work" of literature.
I remember thinking about that for a few, raised my hand and told him I disagreed with him. So he asked me what I thought made a great work of literature. He was very pompous about how he asked it too... extremely eliteist attitude. So I told him, "A great work of literature is exactly the same as a great painting, or sculpture, or really good joke I heard yesterday. It has exactly one person in all the world to prove itself to, and that would be me. I, and I alone have the power and authority to determine for myself, what is beautiful and what is ugly. What is inspiring, or what is depressing. What is great... and what is crap. And not you, or 1000 of the most learned professors who have ever lived can ever tell me otherwise! Art in any form is an opinion, and never a fact." Let's just say that his reaction was less then positive. But I will wager he will never forget about the 16 year old student that crumbled his whole world in less then 5 minutes one day in class

 

[TromboneAl]

The Picasso story/myth I hear a lot is this:

A woman asks Picasso to draw something for her on a napkin. He puts down a few lines, and says "That will be $10,000."

"What!" says the woman, "That only took you five seconds to draw."

"No, that took me 40 years to draw."

--------------------

BTW, know why God created rap music? So that country western fans would have something to look down on.

 

[calmloki]

The Picasso story/myth I hear a lot is this:

A woman asks Picasso to draw something for her on a napkin. He puts down a few lines, and says "That will be $10,000."

"What!" says the woman, "That only took you five seconds to draw."

"No, that took me 40 years to draw."

--------------------

BTW, know why God created rap music? So that country western fans would have something to look down on.

Think that is the story i heard applied to the three line drawing. And BTW - nice way to bring that drawing into 2008 USA format. Although it's also kind of classic Rubenesque...

 

[xyz]

I heard a slightly diffrent story...

I was recently on a tour in Barcelona and the tour guide told this story... Picasso was in a restaurant and doodling on his napkin. When it came time to pay the bill the restaurant owner who was a big fan of Picasso, said "There is no need for you to pay the bill, just please sign this napkin". Picasso looked at the restaurateur and stated "sir, I wish to pay for my meal not purchase the entire restaurant".