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Saturday, 3 November 2012

Picasso and Modern British Art



        

Last week we visited this exhibition at The Scottish Gallery of Modern Art and it has to be one of the best exhibitions I have ever attended. I was familiar with Picasso's work but my knowledge of the extent and versatility of his work was very limited. The exhibition examined the influence of his work on British artists but I had no idea what I was about to experience. Each room presented the ever changing forms styles and colours of Picasso's work alongside that of the British artists he influenced in one way or another.
I hadn't researched the exhibition before the visit so each room was a complete surprise. Highlights for me were the rooms containing the work of Ben Nicholson, Henry Moore and strangely Francis Bacon whose work has never really grabbed my attention before. Of course David Hockney has to be mentioned here too.

If I had to choose one Picasso which stood out for me it would have to be this one


Pablo Picasso  The Three Dancers  1925
Oil on Canvas  

Three different forms suggesting different dance forms, ballet, Jazz, Latin, yet linked together holding hands. Apparently an energetic play on a love triangle. The work is large 215.3 x 142.2 and the colours strong and vibrant.

It is really hard to choose one piece of work from the British artists as there were many highlights but I've chosen this work from Ben Nicholson

Ben Nicholson '1924 (painting - trout)

Ben Nicholson (painting - trout) 1924
Oil on Canvas

This painting was beautiful. Subtle overlapping pastel colours and shapes which shimmered on the canvas balanced by the stronger shapes and colours top left and right. I associated Ben Nicholson with white geometric shapes but his use of colour here was captivating....loved it.

There were many many more I could blog about (150 in the whole exhibition) but only two for today. They need to be savoured. Hope you like them.


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