What is it with Pablo Picasso lately - there’s two major shows in New York (at least) that focus on his work - with the Whitney focusing on Picasso and American Art while the Guggenheim highlights Picasso compared to other Spanish artists of all time.

 

I should have started from the top of the spiral and worked my way down - that’s what the Guggenheim is designed to encourage - but I usually walk from the bottom up - and made it a little more than halfway up the spiral ramp before the museum was closing - so I’ll have to come back at least one more time.

Unlike a typical show where the artist is highlighted - here the genre is exhausted - IE: Picasso landscapes are compared to landscapes of other Spanish Artists across time.  Same thing with portraits and still lifes.  Some of the finest Spanish paintings are here in this show on loan till late March, 2007.

Some thoughts - the best art in the show had a consistent quality - great art is about the idea beyond the painting - it’s not the painting itself - but the thought and energy behind it that matters the most.

IN fact, most of Picasso’s paintings in this show were done in one or two sittings - often a sketch or two a day.

There’s so many good shows here in NYC right now because there is an abundance of art that can be loaned to create all kinds of shows, like this one.  In a way, it’s totally irrelevant how long it takes to do a work of art - Picasso’s work is compared to artists that lived 350 years before he was born - these works placed side by side showed Picasso’s greatness.

Anyway - it’s time to go to bed.