After World War II, Picasso’s proclivity as a printmaker increased substantially, further demonstrating his intuitive ability to recognize the endless possibilities inherent in any medium in which he chose to work.
Of particular fascination to Picasso was the process of the Linoleum cut. Holding true to his methodology of adapting a chosen medium to his own language and individual approach, Picasso took this most basic printing method (an art form so simplistic that it is often a project approached by pre-schoolers) to such extremes that it challenged his printers to what was considered the limits of their skills as craftsmen.
Picasso’s real interest in the linocut began in 1951 when he was seventy years old, and lasted for most of twenty years in his work. During this period, Picasso not only makes reference to his own previous work, but also characteristically develops images of other artists (Rembrandt, El Greco, Cranch, and Manet), until they are Picasso’s invention in 1959 of the one-block technique of linocut printing enabled him to achieve brilliantly colored and richly textured works on paper. Like woodblock printing the linoleum is cut away from the flat surface of the block except those areas that, when inked and printed, articulate the components of the composition. Softer, more supple and lighter in weight than wood, linoleum can be cut, gouged, and slashed with greater speed and much less effort than wood. This material and process suited Picasso’s temperament well: by taking something away he was also creating, a contradiction the artist reveled in. The linocut images present to the buyer a rare opportunity to own a color work by this 20th century master.
Of particular fascination to Picasso was the process of the Linoleum cut. Holding true to his methodology of adapting a chosen medium to his own language and individual approach, Picasso took this most basic printing method (an art form so simplistic that it is often a project approached by pre-schoolers) to such extremes that it challenged his printers to what was considered the limits of their skills as craftsmen.
Picasso’s real interest in the linocut began in 1951 when he was seventy years old, and lasted for most of twenty years in his work. During this period, Picasso not only makes reference to his own previous work, but also characteristically develops images of other artists (Rembrandt, El Greco, Cranch, and Manet), until they are Picasso’s invention in 1959 of the one-block technique of linocut printing enabled him to achieve brilliantly colored and richly textured works on paper. Like woodblock printing the linoleum is cut away from the flat surface of the block except those areas that, when inked and printed, articulate the components of the composition. Softer, more supple and lighter in weight than wood, linoleum can be cut, gouged, and slashed with greater speed and much less effort than wood. This material and process suited Picasso’s temperament well: by taking something away he was also creating, a contradiction the artist reveled in. The linocut images present to the buyer a rare opportunity to own a color work by this 20th century master.
No comments:
Post a Comment