Do you have any tips for better-appreciating the Picasso exhibit on tour?

Picasso, at one point, was widely recognized as the greatest artist of all time.

When you look upon his work, you are seeing something that was spawned from his famous brain and forged from his own hands.

How about dem apples?

Read up a little. Get an idea of what the artistic standards and conventions were like before Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. Note what else was going on in the world at the time. Look at the work of his contemporaries and his predecessors.

In other words: gain some context and some perspective. Even just a little will make a big difference in how you see what you see.

Just make sure it is an exhibition of HIS work. There was an exhibition over here a year or so ago and it was of art Picasso owned rather than an exhibition of Picasso’s work. The exhibition did include some of his own works but I seem to recall people complaining they were mostly his less known paintings. It might be a totally different exhibition of course and it could still be fantastic. I missed it when it was here so I can’t say from personal experience. I just remember hearing a few people complaining because they had thought they were going to see an exhibition of Picasso’s art.

Often there will be a recorded tour you can hire and listen to as you go around. I always find these very informative and worth the small cost. Perhaps go and look in your local library too and especially if you can find out which works will be on show. You can do a bit of research into them first. Let us know how it goes and above all, just enjoy the experience. You don’t have to be an expert to have fun and enjoy.

I would just let it be your own personal experience un-touched by the bias of any other critic or review. Picasso is unique and paved a path no one else traveled at the time. That is what I try to take away when I view an artist gallery….why they were there, what are they communicating and where did they come from in their work and where are they going.

The show in Richmond is 176 pieces of Picasso’s private collection. The Museum page about the collection offers a good guideline in that it not only lists the periods, but also includes the names of other artists and individuals who were influential in Picasso’s life. Perhaps spend some time researching who they are, and why they were significant. I would also read up on techniques of each period and look for how those were applied to individual pieces in different periods. Look for transitional pieces between periods, so you can see how each style developed and kept evolving.

Learn all you can about the artist. Read what you can about his life, what influenced him, who he influenced. Where he did his works, etc. I will not go into any information because it is in you reading about the artist and somewhat walking in their shoes that will help you gain an appreciation and a desire for more.
There are many online resources for the bio parts.
Go to a large library and look up collections of his works. Focus on the pieces that are in the traveling exhibit.
This is an amazing opportunity for you as it only has 2 other US stops in Seattle and SF.

I agree with @blueiiznh.
I read a biography on him and found him to be all too human.

It’s great to read up about the artist, useful to have an idea of context etc, but the effect his work has on you directly is where the power of such an exhibition lies.

When I see the work of great artist’s close to, I make a point of standing (if at all possible) at ‘arm’s length’ from each piece. Think about it, if you can get within about two feet of a piece, you are standing where the artist would have been when making the thing. Look at what they have done. If you can, sniff too – oil paint takes centuries to dry and a smell may be discernible. Move your eyes over the canvas or surface and take in the textures. See how brush strokes or pen marks are actually made, if you can, imagine your own hand making them.

Picasso was an excellent draftsman. His explorations of the surfaces of objects and the juxtapositions of certain shapes, colours and forms were all about challenging and exploring reality as perceived through the eye. Proximity lends a huge depth to the experience of a work. Stand away, view a piece from several feet, or yards. How differently do you feel about it? Picasso also had a wicked sense of humour and loved women. Try empathising with what you understand of him, see what it brings to the work.

I think that research ‘about’ an artist is only so helpful. The depth, aura and empathy one can gain from seeing work in reality can’t be beaten. Just let yourself go with it, enjoy… I am envious!

Research the Spanish Civil War. Guernica in particular will have more meaning.

Human beings are generally wonderful things, and they have the potential to be beautiful and heroic.
As he developed, Picasso portrayed human beings, often women, as deformed.
He’s over rated.

@josie You might also want to read about the Spanish Civil War. Might give insight as to why so many of his figures are deformed.

@incendiary_dan
What did I miss the last time I read about about the Spanish Civil War?

@josie specifically, look up the picture by Picasso called ‘Guernica’. No reproduction can do it justice, but the shattered bodies, the misshapen parts and the use of monochrome represent in no uncertain terms the terror and loss of war. Sometimes the literal, the ‘realistic’ simply cannot sum up the awfulness of this kind of experience. We have to take imagination and our own depths to any painting, to see if we are able to empathise with the intent of the artist.

Forget the superficial readings of these works – the ‘deformed’ women – he was trying to reach something far deeper and darker. The use of abstraction, of symbolism and simplification may seem difficult – most imagery these days is so blatant – but it is worth taking the time to really look, to properly experience the work. It is a risky thing to do.

There’s a song by British Singer Paloma Faith, called ‘Do you want the truth, or something beautiful?’. Frankly, I like truth and much of Picasso’s work unflinchingly represents it.

Thanks guys. I’ve seen it. It was in The Sofia.

I wanted to take the opportunity to thank all of you for your great answers. I’ve found them all to be helpful and are sure to make my experience much richer. I’ve been reading up on the things suggested as well. @auntydeb If they’ll let me get that close, I’ll be sure to do so (what a great suggestion).

Well, I’m off to go see these masterpieces for myself. Thanks again. I’l be sure to give you guys a report when I’m done.

The exhibit was fantastic. You could get as close to the art as you felt comfortable (they were behind glass) and could walk 360 degrees around almost every sculpture. He has a sculpture of a goat that’s quite large that was so cool to see from many angles. Also some of his sculptural pieces generated interesting shadows on the rest of the piece (I’m not sure if this was part of the design or not).

I found his “Massacre in Korea” to be particularly moving (especially in light of current events in the middle east). The work is huge, and so incredibly expressive. There was also a series of photos showing the creation of “Guernica” taken over several days, so you could appreciate the process. If you’re able to ever check these out, I would recommend it to anyone.

Yo @gorillapaws – really glad you’ve enjoyed the exhibition, did you get a program or some permanent memento? I’ve found over the years that a little keepsake is great for reminding me of the real exhibits. Postcards are great too, thing is, that mulling over what you’ve seen and looking at other work will bring even greater enjoyment as it all sinks in. I’m still envious! :o)

Awesome. Roadtrip!!!!!