Friday, 27 January 2012
Francis Picabia
I feel I don't appreciate Francis Picabia in the right way. I suppose not in the critical frame of mind where Picabia is seen as a major figure of the DaDaism movement in France and the US in the early 20th century.
For me Picabia has always been the name next to Otaiti , that image at the top, in the Tate Modern Gallery. I've seen the painting many times with each of my visits ad with every time I am struck by its despair and tragic darkness of the image. It's probably most affecting as it's a begging and pleading naked woman on her knees with a huge disembodied hand preying nearby. The autumnal leaves and the dank muddy colours evokes the sense of transition from peak to decline.
The multi-layered imagery is superb and at times can feel like the image is moving and shifting between one scene to the next.
This the Francis Picabia I enjoy, the one with startling imagery and with stories to tell. His DaDaist works may have been influential but for me I think I prefer his images with an element of coherency.
I've found there to be a lacking of decent websites to link to unfortunately so here's a bundle to make up for it: HERE, HERE and HERE.
Labels:
1800s,
1920s,
1930s,
1940s,
1950s,
Art,
Contemporary Art,
DaDa,
Fine Art,
France,
Francis Picabia,
Paintings,
Surrealism,
Tate Modern,
USA
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I like it... there is something quite Japanese about the pictures you have put up.
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