Being Picasso
The exhibition Atelier Picasso at BASTIAN gallery in London recreates Picasso's Cannes studio
What was happening in the brilliant mind of Picasso when he created? Can we understand what he thought? The exhibition Atelier Picasso, on view at BASTIAN gallery in London through October 31, is a wonderful opportunity to approach the genius himself, as well as the mystery of creation, from a very personal point of view – the exposition recreates Picasso's Cannes studio, using his treasure trove of objects including furniture, ceramics, drawings and prints.
André Villers. “Le salon de la villa. La Californie à Cannes”. 1953.
Signed lower right. Stamp André Villers and annotated “print made by myself” and signed on the back.
Photography. Silver print.
24 x 30 cm
Picasso moved to the South of France after the Second World War, in 1946; despite an already remarkable career, he was determined to keep experimenting and longed to escape war-torn Paris. A hoarder, Picasso piled the surfaces and floors of his studio with source material and original works. Included in Atelier Picasso are a number of photographs from André Villers, a close friend of Picasso since their first encounter in March 1953. At the time when Picasso was immersing himself in working in clay and producing an overwhelming body of ceramic works, Villers produced many portraits of the artist, offering an unparalleled glimpse into Picasso’s studio.
Andre Villers. Picasso dans son atelier de sculpture, 1953.
Le salon de la villa shows Picasso's studio within his famed Villa La Californie, where the frenetic atmosphere is apparent. Picasso took ordinary vases and plates and transformed thousands of them, twisting some into birds and zoomorphic shapes, and painting others – these can be seen across his workspace and in the exhibition. Included in BASTIAN’s exhibition are The Complete Set of 20 Visage Plates from 1963. Whilst the motif of a smiling face is recurrent in Picasso's oeuvre, this is the only occasion in which he focuses solely on playing with the reduced form on round plates.
Other works in the exhibition include the masterpiece Minotaure caressant une dormouse from Picasso’s Vollard Suite; the mythical Minotaur was Picasso’s alter ego in the 1930s and part of a broader exploration of Classicism that persisted in his work for many years. For Picasso it expressed complex emotions at a time of personal turmoil, symbolising lasciviousness, violence, guilt, and despair. The exhibition also includes Picasso's lithographs, linocut posters and books, thereby illustrating the multi-layered nature of his creative signature and modes of expression.
Pablo Picasso. “Wood Owl”. 1969.
White stoneware, coloured and partially glazed.
30 x 16.5 x 25 cm
Picasso’s well-documented love of birds is evident in a number of his ceramic works. Wood Owl (1969), a truly captivating ceramic owl, is substantiated by the fierce gaze being sent from its piercing black eyes. With a bright colour palette, this stunning work allows Picasso's artistic handling to shine through. Picasso’s three-dimensional ceramics mainly refer to the animalistic genre. His favourite, owls with human faces, prevail among the characters; he kept an owlet and a goat as pets, after all. Picasso’s expertise gave ceramics a new existence – taking simple objects of everyday life, he transformed them through nature into object d’arts.
Arterritory.com presents the following short conversation with Chris Craig, Sales Director at BASTIAN, and one of the co-creators of the exhibition.
What makes the Atelier Picasso show relevant in the times that we are living in right now? How did the idea for this exhibition come about?
The idea for the exhibition came about before we went into lockdown. We were looking to produce something which would show the context within which the works were made. Also, rather than being too precious about the art, we wanted to show how Picasso had intended to live with them. It has perhaps taken on another meaning during the Covid-19 pandemic, as the period of Picasso’s life that the exhibition seeks to capture was about him emerging from his restricted life in Paris during the Second World War and being free in the idyll that is Provence.
Pablo Picasso. La Voyeur, 1933. Pen and brush and ink on paper, 40.2 x 50.5 cm
Pablo Picasso. “Minotaure caressant une dormeuse”, 1933. drypoint, 29.9 cm x 36.5 cm
What did you discover anew in Picasso's work while working on this exhibition – was there anything that you perhaps did not notice before?
It is impossible to know everything about Picasso and his work. What is always satisfying about curating exhibitions is the opportunity to really drill down into a specific part of an artist’s life and work. In this case, it is fascinating to look at the primary source material from the studio and the photos of him working there to see how the studio filled up with time. He started with a single easel and a stool, and over 20 years surrounded himself with work and furniture to the extent that you could hardly move without bumping into something.
Pablo Picasso. Le gout du bonheur, 1970. Color lithograph, 50 x 40 cm
In the South of France, Picasso immersed himself in working in clay, and his three-dimensional ceramics of that time mainly refer to the animalistic genre. Could one say that during his days in the South of France, he shifted his artistic oeuvre closer to nature, perhaps even reconsidering his relationship with nature as both an artist and as a human?
Picasso always had an affinity for nature; his dissection of it during his cubist phase is testament to his studies of nature and three-dimensionality. However, the introduction of animal forms starts with his encounters with the surrealists in the 1920s & 30s, who associated animals with specific human traits. Specifically, we see in this exhibition his use of the Minotaur as a symbol of sexual potency, and owls, in their legacy as Athena’s animal, as a marker of wisdom. As Picasso became older, he saw himself slide from the former to the later.
Pablo Picasso. Carreau Visage d'homme, front, 1965. Ceramic glazed tile, 26 x 26 x 2.2 cm
How would you characterise the friendship between André Villers and Picasso? Was it a friendship between two men, or was it also in some way an artistic collaboration – a documentation of the artistic process?
Their relationship was born out of a mutual interest in the ways of seeing. Forty years after Picasso had worked on Cubism, he and Villers started to experiment with cubist photography. The respect that they had for each other allowed Villers access to Picasso which others could not get. The photographs that he subsequently produced show Picasso at ease and not posturing.
Pablo Picasso. Painter and model, 1966. Drypoint, 27.5 x 38.5 cm
There have been many books, studies and exhibitions devoted to Picasso's life and works. Could one say that the mystery of his genius has been discovered? Do we now understand what was happening in the brilliant mind of Picasso when he created? Can we understand what he thought?
It is dangerous to say that you ever fully understand the mind of anyone, but unlike many artists, Picasso was very clear on the importance of biographical context. From the early 30s onward, he dated everything he produced; even including the order within the day of production that a work was made. This has, in part, made it easier for critics and historians to develop narratives around his legend. For me, quite simply, the evidence of his genius is in the work he made and the emotion that is captured within it. He was not shy in revealing his feelings within this work, whether that be lust or fear.
Pablo Picasso. Femme assise (Dora Maar). 1955. Color lithograph, 92 x 60 cm
Picasso moved to the South of France in 1946, after the Second World War. The current pandemic/post-pandemic situation is frequently being compared to the post-war period. Do you see any similarities? And what are the biggest challenges facing art institutions and the art world in general now?
During the Second World War, the art world was occupied with trying to preserve artworks for posterity, either by keeping them out of Nazi hands or by preventing them from being lost in the Blitz. Today we face a very different problem about access. With travel restricted, the ability for people to view art is hindered. There has been an inevitable move to take things online, and whilst this serves a great purpose, it cannot replace the physical act of viewing a work in person. Until people feel comfortable to travel again, museums and commercial galleries face a grave threat to their existence. There simply isn’t a way to fix that; all we can do is make our spaces safe for staff and visitors alike.
Pablo Picasso. The Couple, 1968. Colour proof on paper, 16.5 x 16.5 cm
Title image: Pablo Picasso “The Complete Set of 20 Visage plates”. 1963.
