Boing Boing references a Time Lapsed Picasso painting appearing in Neatorama.  I would put the Google Video on ArtNewYorkCity but the Word Press software does not accept embedded videos for some reason.

“…..In 1955, Henri-Georges Clouzot filmed Picasso as he painted - the result is a time-lapse photography of the fantastic way Picasso created his artworks. Hit play or go to Link [Google Video] - via Tinselman“.

In the process of creating the work in question, I noticed Picasso started out with an abstract painting - a few basic shapes which got developed, improved on, as he continued to work on the painting.  Also, at several points it looked like he was done with the painting (at 1:48 minutes into the movie - see below).

To me, this is as far as Picasso needed to go - he could have stopped right here, and the painting would have, pretty much, worked - been more satisfying to view (except maybe to him). Instead, this is what he ended up with (below):

 
I don’t know when someone stops work - but I think even the cape (though I don’t like it that much) has a logic to it - I can understand why it’s there - why it’s painted that way. There’s constantly great stuff, and Picasso destorys it and creates something else.   I understand the process.  Everything is in the process of being destroyed and recreated - it’s all where you decide to stop - to say your “done”.  If anything, the movie shows me the process of how you paint is more important (and often more interesting) than the final result.

Google honored Edvard Munch with a Google Logo yesterday and it did the same for Picasso in 2002 and Van Gogh in 2005.

 

 

I’m sure readers of Art NYC can tell with logo belongs with each artist above.

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.