Picasso's 'Head': "It's a head, it's a head" and I Agree 100 Years Later.

Head  by C.T. Rasmuss, acrylic/found objects (2014).

What is a head?  Until I read The Watson Gordon Lecture 2008 with Neil Cox ; Picasso's 'Toys for Adults: Cubism as Surrealism, it never occurred to me to ask such a question.  This being, what is an object really?...especially one that we encounter on a constant basis, yet we're so unfamiliar and out of touch with at the same time.

"Writing about Head(shown below) in 1939, the then director of the MoMA in New York, described it as [o]ne of the most arbitrary and abstract of Picasso's cubist compositions in its remoteness of the object indicated by the title.  In saying this, Alfred Barr drew attention to the way the representation exists on the fringes of resemblance, and how strongly but awkwardly the title anchors around the representation to a certain kind of reading...Much later on in the 1960's, Pierre Daix discussed the work with Picasso.  The Dialogue went something like this:

Picasso:  'That's a head.'

Daix:  'That thing thing with the triangle?'

Picasso:  'But it's a head, it's a head.'"  

     Neil Cox (pgs. 10-11)

Head  Pablo Picasso, Papiers colles w/ black chalk, white gouache on cardboard (1913).

In reading this excellent lecture, I was able to directly relate a painting I did just last year, to Picasso's Head, and thereby received much gratification form it.  The fact that in it exists many properties that are in my work and to reassemble a such a work by such a great master like Picasso; I take great pride and it offers my artistic compass all the more validity.

Not only do I believe my 'Head' agrees with is, but I also have great comfort knowing that there is some part of the world out there that shares my thirst for discovery in a similar manner.  Here is another passage from the book that I believe wholeheartedly especially after reading it for the first time, is a great feeling as well:

"I General terms...to all historical works of art: how we see them is a negotiation between their presence, their persistence as physical objects that can be subjected to close scrutiny, and the structure of interpretation that have been developed subsequently in order to make sense of them...is never simple, since how we look, when we look at the work of art, is always structured or informed by our notions about it, notions that result from the history of previous interpretive language."

      - Neil Cox (pg. 22)

Closeup of 'Head' by C.T. Rasmuss (2014).

So I leave you with this: a closeup of my painting Head, and one last passage from the lecture on kid's toys, but first just a quick layout of what you see above: First you'll notice a round red nose, a clown might have with a light blue paint brush dividing painting into halves vertically, a place above where nose should be are two small, dark blue eyes, filled with emotion but hard to see via photo,then there is an angled foam brush intended as an eyebrow; I could go on, but I hope this passage by Baudelaire found in the lecture, that I leave you with helps; and that some day you may see it in person with this in mind(this goes for either Head )..

"The child twists and turns his toy, scratches it, shakes it, bumps it against the walls, throws it on the ground...at last he opens it up, he is stronger.  But where is the soul?  This is the beginning of melancholy and gloom."     

            -Baudelaire

Perhaps through art, it's possible to regain our innocence by throwing ourselves into something that is not meant to be thrown around like a senseless toy, but admired for its mystery now that we're adults.

    -C.T. Rasmuss

COLLECTIVISM: A Movement of the Here and Now; Powered by The Collectivism Coalition.

Collectivism-  A collective way for artists to discover their creativity, together. This artistic movement in the infancy of the 21st century, looks to bring a taste of the early Modern Art Masters, into the here and now....We are looking for artists who have been influenced by Modern Art from the 1900s to present day..
         -Paulo Guimaraes(co-founder)

Winter Landscape  Pablo Picasso, oil (1950).

Tulips and Oysters  Henri Matisse, oil (1943)

The paintings are from two of the best known Modernists in the 20th century, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse; I posted artwork by them to demonstrate how much of this new movement we hope to inject into today's "loose" art world, will likely revolve around them(or similar artists) directly or indirectly somehow.

These particular two artworks are also famous for being part of many trades between the artists(the same open relationship encouraged under Collectivism), according to Picasso, his 'Winter Landscape' may have been Matisse's muse for the chasubles in his Venice Chapel; and Picasso chose Matisse's 'Tulips with Oysters' because: "he didn't understand it".

This relationship between the two Masters highlights what Collectivism is all about, it's a movement that doesn't revolve around today's mentality of pure individualism nor the attitude instilled into art students that: "every other artist is your competition"; but that without other artists, there is no art, so why not take advantage of possible relationships with other artists, especially with the Masters who've left their mark for a reason!

Collectivism is not naive in saying that everyone be "buddy buddy", but that we admit our differences, put them out into the open(w/o fear), and not to be afraid of criticism or a little friendly competition, to adopt a mentality of: "that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger", we believe that the art-world of today simply needs a little(lot) more togetherness, revisit the past & push each other toward the future.

For more interesting reading on the relationship between these two Modern masters, I have provided a link below:

Matisse and Picasso: The Story of Their Rivalry and Friendship

What's in The MoMA? Artist - Paulo Guimaraes Gets Inspired (Part 1 of 2).

Ode to Picasso  C.T. Rasmuss, pastel (2008).

  What's at the MoMA?

For those of you who are not familiar with the MoMA, its the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, definitely the best museum I've ever visited, of course in my short career I have visited a small portion thus far, but it's a top museum worldwide nonetheless, especially for Modern art.

Recently I viewed a post on Facebook by artist friend, Paulo Guimaraes, where he states:

"Heaven does exist! It's called the 5th floor at MoMA!!!! Seurat, Cezanne, Van Gogh, oh myyyyyyy!"

This got me to thinking: “How could I bring Paulo's latest 2 works of art that he shared with me, and the topic we've been discussing over my last few blog posts together?”

Answer - The MoMA!!!!

It is filled with masters, especially with Picasso's if not more so than any other artist of the Modern era, our discussion has been about “going into the past and seeking out the Masters for influence”, what better way than seeing their work up close? As evidenced by Paulo's reaction to his visit, and what better place than the MoMA?(for a person living in Bronx, NY).

Next there's Paulo's two pieces of artwork(seen below), where he told me that he was influenced by Picasso and a Contemporary by the name of Keith Haring, And if you notice in his statement of excitement/revelation; he doesn't mention Picasso, perhaps because re-familiarizing with a master took a back seat that day, to the excitement of new horizons, therefore opening his eyes to the potentiality of other “heroes”!

The God Particle Dualistic Confusion Chamber  Paulo Guimaraes, oil/pencil (2014).

The Root of all Evil  Paulo Guimaraes, oil/pencil (2014).

In turn, I believe experiences like this of his, lead to other findings on top of that; and once we familiarize ourselves with these new found heroes, perhaps then we move onto discover their very own heroes, for example: 2 of Cezanne's(who Paulo refers to) heroes were: Gustave Courbet and Eugene Delacroix, and they of course had their heroes as well, and so on..

I'm not saying Paulo never saw a Cezanne or Van Gogh till now, but upon his visit, he has become more aware of his “surroundings” as an artist in a world of creativity; passed down from generation to generation, displayed in a Museum where the Masters reside, and their ideas are as inspiring as the day they were generated, if not more so.

To be Continued...

[To familiarize you with Keith Haring, here's one of his artworks that struck my fancy if you will; an artist whose work I've come across many times, and if it weren't for Paulo sharing his influences for these two paintings, I may never have given him the attention he deserves]:

Follow this - Link for more on Keith Haring<

Matisse competing with Picasso inspires, 'Light Welcoming Shade' by C.T. Rasmuss, 100 years later.

Light Welcoming Shade  C.T. Rasmuss, Oil (July 2013).

Where do I start...

Well to be short, this one went through a few changes; if you care to know..it was supposed to be a mix between Picasso & Matisse's way of displaying a beautiful woman, with me being the deciding factor.  And this is what you were supposed to see here; where I went wrong I believe, is in the fact that I haven't the luxury of a live model to work with...something I surely hope to remedy sooner than later!!

Also this is a 16"x20" canvas, whereas the masterworks I was modeling after, are much larger and practical for detail, specially when I used a palette knife, haha!  I came up with my own composition of course & story-line, but when the woman turned into a blob; I turned the landscape into a pueblo like city-scape, and headed to the museum to sketch some Native American women.

..Oh yeah and the city-scape is formed after my memory of work by Georges Braque:

Viaduct at L' Estaque  George Braque, oil (1908).

Houses at L' Estaque  George Braque, oil (1908).

In the end, the sun was modeled after the fan I wanted blowing the woman's hair(inspired by Picasso's model); The face in the sky to the left, inspired by my interaction w/Mayan culture/museum trips & Matisse Fauvist style, and overall color - mostly by J.H. Sharp works at the CAM(widely known for his portrayal of the American Indian culture.

Again just another lesson on how to learn from the masters independently, and finding out where to go next possibly...what else is needed in my personal tool box of creativity.

Here are the two masterpieces referenced above:

The Italian Woman  Henri Matisse, Oil (1916).

Woman with A Fan  Pablo Picasso, Oil (1908-9).

Joan Miro, The Naive

Ode to Miro, The Naive  C.T. Rasmuss, oil (July 4, 2013).

                 
I recently came across an interesting art book titled, Naive Art by Nathalia Brodskaia; what caught my attention was the painting cover, Myself, Portrait Landscape by French Painter, Henri Rousseau.  After finishing an exciting chapter I, it's my understanding that Rousseau's the 1st/main icon of Naive Art Movement.

Myself, Portrait Landscape  Henri Rousseau, oil (1890).

As I began to read chapter II, I was surprised to see it start with Miro as the focus, but I shouldn't really; given his style and goals in his art, "to assassinate painting", where he set out to create a new set of archetypes, etc.  Here's where a definition of Naive Painting helps:

Naive Art-is a classification of art that is often characterized by a childlike simplicity in its subject matter and technique.

Femme III  Joan Miro, oil (1965).

If we replace 'childlike' with the widely accepted term, Atavism - the tendency to revert to ancestral type; we now include works even more familiar artists such as Picasso or Matisse, who were greatly influenced by African & Eastern artifacts/primal art, respectively.

               

Nude with Towel  Pablo Picasso, oil (1907).

Girl with Green Eyes  Henri Matisse, oil (1908).

Now back to Rousseau, who exhibited periodically with the Impressionists from 1884-1910, it made me think of Gauguin, then I thought of his statement: to Van Gogh: "try to capture your sunflowers by memory".  Given the statement by Gauguin and Miro's work presented in my art book....I closed it and tried Atavism -

Miro style, but yes!! in my own language:)

Reflection, 'Fearfull Self vs. Hopefull Self'.

In life, try avoid looking back and exclaiming: "Who's there?!"; do this by facing your fears.  Try rather, asking yourself instead: "Who am I?"

Swim with Mondrian  C.T.Rasmuss, acrylic (2007).

                           AND..

"When you have something to say, to express, any submission becomes unbearable in the long run. One must have the courage of one’s vocation and the courage to make a living from one’s vocation."
     -Pablo Picasso

So I now say: go out there and show the world what you have inside you, waiting to be discovered, and whatever you do, remember..."Don't be afraid"!

C.T.Rasmuss

w Rasmu

'Ode to Vincent Van Gogh'; Day 5 by C.T.Rasmuss

Fish Jump Too, 14 of 100   C.T.Rasmuss, India ink (2012).

Concentric Daisies, 15 of 100   C.T.Rasmuss, India ink (2012).

Quixote in The Orient, 16 of 100   C.T.Rasmuss, India ink (2012).

Kevin Loughran Whew!! Your Marathon is Gathering Pace, Chad!! I am reminded of a quote by Picasso... "There IS Inspiration Out There, but It has to Find Us Working." You are Certainly Working Hard, and I'm Sure that Some Ace Pics will be Seen... :)

11 hours ago · Unlike · 1

Thanks again Kevin for the boost in spirit! 

 I hope your right, lol!...I find it ironic how you mention Picasso, because coincidentally I focused on his style in preparation for the above works that I did just last night(w/ India ink).

As a framer last year, I worked on some prints of his, some minimalist/iconic ink drawings he did; I've always wanted to try it(as minimalism is on the other-side of the spectrum, challenging for me).

I have a similar interest in prints from the East like Van Gogh did; he was a Western pioneer in his interest however, 

but still!  I think Picasso brings an interesting twist to "Ode to Vincent Van Gogh"; 100 in 30 Days..

as Picasso was 'A Terrorist on Idleness'!!!

The Quixotic Affect on the World's Greatest Artists Ever.

                                                                     'Quixotic', C.T. Rasmussen; 2009

I was 1st introduced to the novel, The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha written by Miguel de Cervantes; 1605 and 1615 back in 2001. The first copy I purchased had a famous illustration of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza on the cover done by Pablo Picasso, setting me on a path I wouldn't see til later in life when I dedicated my life to being a full time artist and seeker of the Quixotic in me.  I believe that the perfect capture of these two main character's of Cervante's genius everlasting "Quixotic" romance novel; is comparable to Captain Ahab's white whale, but from an artist perspective: the perfect capture of their true visual character. 

                                                                   Don Quixote, Picasso; 1955

During my quest and conquer for the perfect capture of these two characters, suprisingly I ran in with Salvador Dali's many renditions allowing me to realize I was certainly not alone in this quest or to be affected in this wa; further understanding that many many more artists other than myself and Picasso find Don Quixote to be hypnotic.  This fictional character's wild antics all for love and romaticism as he searched to save his disillusioned Dulcinea of El Toboso; the woman Don Quixote fancies his lady lovel is beyond words, and why the need for more explanation and other avenues of explanation.  I finally had a common interest with not only other readers of this book and empathizers of these two tragic souls, but a common center point to be shared with other artists (Master Artists) as well.

                                                         Don Quixote, Salvador Dali, etching

 

                                                                   Don Quixote, Salvador Dali, 1983

 As you will easily notice in all 4 versions of these two character's visual portrayals, is that all 4 of them are visually completely of their own uniquie description; showing off the fact how dynamic and ellusive the personalities of these two wonderful characters are.  as well as the affect on Cervante's reading audience and it's centuries upon centuries upon centries worth of admirers.

Follow this link to a more complete list of works influenced by Don Quixote:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_works_influenced_by_Don_Quixote

Seurat and the Gang; How it all Inspired a Mosaic.

                                       The Bathers at Asnières, 1884, George Seurat; in the National Gallery, London

Most importantly to a man that spent a very short life, creating but a few masterpieces of this magnitude, an artist who has more unfinished works than finished ones(for very good reasons); I ask:
 "how is this piece significant to you?"

For me the answer is: "it's the perfect intersection between perspective and composition, perfection of light and color theory the Impressionists were collectively working towards."  Seurat was is widely known for inventing divisionism & popular technique called, Pointillism; he may have contributed some of the fewest pieces out of this famous group of French artists, but they hold their equal weight in my book.

His painting featured here being his biggest achievements, in size and stature, I as well as the the majority of the art world seem to believe this to be true.  Much like Seurat, I believe that I have found my 1st 'Bathers', I title it 'Blue Vase' (synthetic mosaic seen below); a style greatly influenced by Vincent Van Gogh's impasto style, Pollock's pouring methods and largely Seurat's color theory, and later Kandinsky's theory on color composition. 

The former 3 living short lives and the later Kandinsky starting very late in life, contributed a great amount to the art world in such short amount of time.  It only makes me wonder how much I can with the possibility of even more time...if given the fortune to live a longer life like Monet, Picasso, or O'Keeffe, who all lived to be almost 100 years old

 Blue Vase  C.T. Rasmuss, synthetic mosaic (2011).

                                          

Something in Common with Picasso Part 1

Woman in front of Mirror  Pablo Picasso, Oil.

Picasso's teacher growing up was his father and like a father/son relationship he questioned his father's methods and guidelines in search of his way, along with events in his youth like the tragic loss of his 7 yr old sister to diphtheria he went on to became one of the best known artists of all time; and it's these sort of yearnings and events in one's life which makes them great, something all mankind has in common one way or another.