Mass Control The Problem with Picasso
Written by Daniel Brantley
Whether a student of his work for decades or minutes, everyone who approaches the paintings of Pablo Picasso is left with the same dilemma.
Alongside Michael Jackson, Michael Jordon, and Mickey Mouse, Pablo Picasso is one of the most recognized figures in the entire world. Take his name into an art class, and children of all ages will perk up. Why? Because even a brief study of his life and paintings reaps incredible, unforgettable results that are somehow more lasting than other celebrated artists.
He was political. He was a founding member of the cubist movement. He claimed he could easily create masterpieces as a child, but it took years to learn how to draw like a child. His art went through a Blue Period. His art went through a Rose Period. His art went through an African-Influence Period. His art, his life, his public and private persona—all have been scrutinized, packaged and repackaged, distributed to the hungry and not-so-hungry public. And everyone has walked away with a different piece of Picasso, whether it is confusion over his unshapely females or a misplaced story about Picasso being the ear-chopping artist.
If there is any aspect of Picasso that has yet to be divided up and lots cast for ownership of, it would be a grand surprise to the art community. Such a surprise that would have ravenous wolves salivating for a taste of the long-dead piece of meat. And therein lies the problem.
No, there is nothing wrong with researching an artist, knowing his or her background and style. There never has been a problem with knowledge. The problem comes in too much information. Or rather the use and storage of the information. Just like a well-branded material good, consumers have their minds made up about Picasso before interacting with his art. Instead of seeking his paintings in all their size, splendor, honor, and horror, many abuse Picasso’s legacy, taking what others say about the groundbreaking painter to form their opinion of Picasso.
The result is misunderstanding at the ground level. Picasso did not paint to become a worldwide phenomenon. He did not want to be an icon that represented a movement or a belief in certain ideas or ideals. It is impossible that he understood the immense impact he would immediately have on the art world, much less the residual effect that resulted from his work being sifted through time and again, as art critics and high school artists attempt to find some new golden nugget of truth or fiction to tickle their fancy. So he didn’t paint to change the world necessarily. He painted for the same reason a child paints: to get it out. For Picasso, “it” was more difficult to define and swallow than some artists, yet the archaic need for expression was the same.
Unfortunately, the media’s saturation and infatuation of Picasso has left its mark. Which begs the question: How often do we do the same with other icons? Whether living or dead, what incredible talents have been reduced to a textbook-sized version? With the mass communication methods now available, another problem arises. New talents that were once honed in a protected environment far from the world’s view are now tossed to the masses, possibly years before the artist is prepared for the scrutinizing eyes that are sure to appear. In exposing young writers, painters, photographers, dancers, and cinematographers to the applause and rebuke of the general public, are we endangering the next generation of artists and every generation thereafter? If the media can turn a giant like Picasso into a footnote, what mercy can be expected of today’s prodigy?
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