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picasso as a ceramist....not.

updated sun 4 mar 07

 

Donald Burroughs on fri 2 mar 07


This just in from the Associated Press. "Pair of Picasso paintings stolen
from Paris home of artist's granddaughter".
While it is disturbing to see this 20th c. master's works being pilfered
and I do like Picasso's work even his painting on ceramics, the AP bungled
in their reporting. Quote unquote " The paintings join 549 other missing
or stolen works by the prolific Spanish painter, sculptor, graphic
artist,and ceramist, considered by many the leading artist of the 20th
century." Yes, Picasso was a great artist, but a ceramist...really.
Although to see the term ceramist in the common press is enlightening,
associating it with Picasso is ludicrious. He was an accompolished painter
of pots no doubt, but he definitely did not make his vessels. That he left
to the Spanish potter for whom we know little about. A ceramist in my
definition is that creative who makes their vessels/sculpture from the raw
materials to the finished glazed(or unglazed) end. If they are fortunate
enough they make their own clay body. A ceramist is also one who fires
their own work, I really do doubt that Picasso had the inclination to fire
his work given that he did make the effort to actually manipulate the clay
itself. He was primarily concerned with the surface and the volumetric
planes of the vessel as a canvas. The vessel replaced his conventional
painter's canvas and I do admit that he understood what it could do for
his work. We can thank him though for putting some of his creative genius
into the ceramic vessel and maybe slightly giving the pot/vessel
validation in a western art world which has yet really given the clay form
the recognition it deserves. Oh well at least I saw the term ceramist in
the newspaper for the first time. And yes ,damn it, those Picasso pots
were something else when I saw them visa a slide given many moons ago by
one of my profs..

Lee Love on sat 3 mar 07


On 3/3/07, Donald Burroughs wrote:

> the newspaper for the first time. And yes ,damn it, those Picasso pots
> were something else when I saw them visa a slide given many moons ago by
> one of my profs..

You need to see them in person. Some of the cut up pots
made into sculpture are pretty good.

I would happy to be in the same club as this Genius!

--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
http://potters.blogspot.com/

"To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts." -
Henry David Thoreau

"Let the beauty we love be what we do." - Rumi