ARTISTS WE LOVE: PABLO PICASSO

Way back, Jessica said she would write about her favorite artist when we got to letter P

I could not tell you for the life of me what exactly I liked so much about Pablo Picasso when I was introduced to his work in elementary school, but even as a child but I felt his work spoke to me. Enough for me to redeem a gift certificate my godmother gave me for Christmas one year to buy a book about Pablo Picasso. It was a children’s book with a short biographical sketch and helpful interpretations of his paintings and drawings.

I know that Picasso had quite a few stages of his career, including the Blue Period, the Rose Period, the African period, Cubism, Neoclassicism, Surrealism, etc. I was drawn into some of his work from the sketches in his Blue and Rose periods, but what really drew me in was his Cubism period—especially the unrealistic approach to his drawings and paintings. I sometimes felt the same way about my own drawings and paintings throughout life. I still to this day am unable to make a person look realistic. Maybe that is because that is how I see and interpret things or maybe that is just my style.

Fast forward to my college years... I will never forget my opportunity to study abroad in Spain. I spent six weeks there. I actually went to study Spanish, not Art. Can you believe that, Luis? I know, I know. I am still not allowed in the Spanish club. Anyways, on Fridays we took day trips to different locations throughout Spain. One Friday we went to visit the Reina Sofia museum. I was so excited that we were going there. It was the first time I would ever see one of my favorite pieces, “La Guernica.” It was one of the last paintings we went to see that day. I remember growing very impatient to see it. When we finally walked into the room where it was hanging I just remember being in such awe. The canvas was HUGE! You see pictures of it, but to see it in person was just something else. I felt that I could have stood there for hours just staring at all the different things going on in it.

“La Guernica” (1937)

Pablo Picasso

Another piece I love is “Pipe, Verre, Bouteille de Vieux Marc,” a Synthetic Cubism approach that he had tried. What I like about this piece is it’s more collage, making the work of art look more three-dimensional and brining a different approach to what he was creating.

“Pipe, Verre, Bouteille de Vieux Marc” (1914)

Pablo Picasso

Lastly, “Three Musicians.” How could you not like this one? It’s just so fun and playful with all of its shapes and slight hint of patterns. The Harlequin is the one playing the violin, the Pierrot playing the clarinet, and the Monk playing the accordion. I still have a hard time actually seeing the accordion at times, but it’s there. Picasso used colors to make the figures easier to see and also to tie them together as you look at the picture.

“Three Musicians” (1921)

Pablo Picasso

It’s not only the artwork of Picasso that I enjoy, but also his quotes. My all-time favorite quote of his that I based a whole book on for one of my college art classes was, “I begin with an idea, and then it becomes something else.” I always live up to that quote as all of our work as artists starts out as an idea which evolves and goes through many, many rounds of perfection before we come to a final product that we are satisfied with (or can at least live with). To sit back and see the journey of how you got there—that to me is the best part of creating any type of art.

Story designed by Jessica Sarro

Michigan Avenue

The sketches for Chicago Picasso give us some clues of the journey Picasso went on to create his sculpture

Michigan Avenue