P. Picasso
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
Pablo Picasso is one of the artists I admire a lot. I am not only attracted to his paintings but smitten by his thought process. He left Spain for France because of the political climate at the time.
Picasso went on to become one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. His training in classical paintings show how grounded he was on the basics before he went into cubism, hence why the cubist work relates so well to the viewer. He was revered then like modern Hollywood or music stars are today.
He lived through both the major wars and one can imagine the advent of television also happened around that time. Prior to that, radio, galleries and theatre were the main sources of expression and congregation for the ideas of people.
Picasso was a class act in public and a relentless workaholic.
In the portrait I wanted to capture his intensity, smoking related changes in his face and suggestion of his emphysematous chest.
There weren’t many perfect profile photos I could find, so it was enjoyable relating a lot from anatomy. I also did a lot of research into his background. There are some aspects of his life that may not sit comfortably with modern life and society. One has to look at the era in which he was working as a painter. I was attempting to bring him back as close to a living portrait as I could see. I would like to evoke some thoughts and emotions in the viewer.
Next comes the process of converting the bust to a permanent medium.