While most people think of Pablo Picasso's work as funky, cubistpaintings, the Spanish artist also spent 25 years creating equallyfun ceramic pieces.
The Brooks Museum of Art is showing 65 ceramic works by Picassoincluding plates, bowls, pitchers, vases and plaques, which featuremythological and sea creatures, birds, bulls and women.
The works in the collection were produced at the Madoura potteryworkshop in Vallauris, France, where a friendship between workshopowners George and Suzanne Ramie and Picasso led to collaborationeach summer for 25 years.
Artisans made the objects, and Picasso painted and altered thestill-wet pieces, said Ana Vejzovic, assistant curator of theshow.
Picasso would sketch ideas for new pieces of pottery during therest of the year. He never learned the technical process ofthrowing clay, only interested in the decorative side -- painting,molding and marking the clay.
Throughout the rest of the year, artisans would replicatePicasso's works as others learned to apply the glaze, paint orimpressions onto the clay in Picasso's style.
The pieces were intended for decoration only, which has reallyput ceramic arts into the category of fine arts versus a craft,Vejzovic said.
"We have had really positive feedback with this show," Vejzovicsaid.
Museum attendance has nearly doubled since the show'sopening.
"There is something in this show for everyone of every age --children really respond to it," Vejzovic said.
The Brooks Museum held a ceramics workshop for 20 people, with awaiting list long enough to hold two workshops, said Diane Jalfon,Brooks Museum public relations manager, and family day brought inmore than 400 people.
The show ends Aug. 15 and is $2 for University of Memphisstudents with ID.
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Face with Black Nose Turned Pitcher 1969 |
Yan Sun Turned Pitcher 1963 |
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Seized handle Turned pitcher 1953 |
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