Art

PAUL SMITH WITH PABLO PICASSO IN A PARIS EXHIBITION

Published

2 years ago

February 10, 2023

It’s been 50 years since Pablo Picasso died in his home in Mougins on April 8th, 1973, yet the everlasting impression and the profound impact of his body of work have left remain. For the anniversary year, the British designer Paul Smith leads the artistic direction of Picasso’s exhibition at the Musée National Picasso-Paris, melding his signature work with color, tailoring, and unexpected details with the museum’s treasured repertoire of the Spanish artist.

Titled Picasso Celebration: The Collection in a New Light, the exhibition will run from March 7th to August 27th, 2023 and display Smith’s curation around the masterpieces of Picasso’s collection in a way that invites the public to view the revered artist’s works through a contemporary lens, underlining their relevance in today’s world.

Pablo Picasso, Portrait de Dora Maar, 1937, huile sur toile, 92x65cm Musée national Picasso-Paris, Dation Pablo Picasso, 1979. MP158 | images courtesy of Musée national Picasso-Paris (header: Painted stripes room, Brigitte Veyne, preliminary sketch of the scenography imagined by Paul Smith)

In a sit-down conversation with exhibition curators Cécile Debray and Joanne Snrech, which can be found in the exhibition’s catalog, Smith admits that he’s not an expert on art at all. ‘I have a love of art, just as I have a love of all aspects of design. But I need to be really honest about the project at the Musée Picasso: the way it has been approached, the general idea at the core of the project, was that it should be a free expression of my way of showing the work of Picasso,’ he says.

Smith adds that ‘the initial request gave me a free hand to do whatever I wanted, which of course was quite frightening because there are many experts on Picasso around the world and my approach to the exhibition was on the contrary very spontaneous, not at all attached to the history of Picasso.’

Pablo Picasso, La Flûte de Pan, automne 1923, huile sur toile, 205x174cm, Musée national Picasso-Paris, Dation Pablo Picasso, 1979. MP79

PAUL SMITH RELIES ON HIS EYE FOR SPONTANEOUS ASSOCIATIONS

The visions of Paul Smith and Pablo Picasso sometimes converge, for example around their shared love of objects, dress, and playfulness, thus leading to comparisons and an inventive approach to the presentation of the works. Although he has little academic knowledge of Picasso, Smith relies on his eye for visual and spontaneous associations to artistically direct the exhibition at Musée National Picasso-Paris.

‘I’m a very visual person, and my education in art and design is very minimal, so it always comes back to approaching things in a visual way,’ he says. ‘In a way, I’m covering myself for potential criticism by some of the more academic connoisseurs of Picasso in the art world, who might think this exhibition is disrespectful in some way. But we should keep in mind that the actual, original request was precisely to think of something that wasn’t an academic approach, to do things differently to mark the occasion.’

Pablo Picasso, Jacqueline aux mains croisées, 1954, huile sur toile, 116 x 88,5 cm, Musée national Picasso-Paris, Dation Jacqueline Picasso, 1990. MP1990-26

FINDING INSPIRATION EVERYWHERE

Like most of his works, Smith first chanced upon Picasso’s works while he was searching for inspiration. In his words, he finds inspiration in anything, ‘and if you can’t, please look again.’ He has quite a big collection of art, but while he doesn’t consider it on the level of Picasso, his connection with the world of art has been grounded by it. He’s rifled through the works of Braque and Picasso, glanced at the colors of Matisse and his cut-outs, and looked at the hues that dot Monet’s works.

‘As a creative person, the world of art has always been a reference for me, but when I say ‘art’, I don’t just mean ‘painting’, I also mean the world of Jean-Luc Godard, the opera composer Bellini and the architecture of Palladio. I take inspiration from anywhere and everywhere. Picasso, of course, has always been a part of that influence,’ he says.

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Bull head, Brigitte Veyne, preliminary sketch of the scenography imagined by Paul Smith

For the exhibition, Smith hopes he has captured the direction in a less conventional way. ‘Hopefully, we’ve managed to put together more of a visual experience, in a way that is interesting for younger audiences and audiences that are not very knowledgeable about the work of this great master. It’s a more spontaneous and instinctive approach. As a designer of many different things, I’ve always worked in a very instinctive way, I’ve never labored over anything,’ he says.

On show along with the exhibition are the works by contemporary international artists Guillermo Kuitca, Obi Okigbo, Mickalene Thomas, and Chéri Samba who put their own slant on some of Picasso’s artistic innovations.

Chéri Samba, Quand il n’y avait plus rien d’autre que… L’Afrique restait une pensée,1997, Acrylique sur toile, 81 × 103 cm, Collection André Magnin, Paris, AMCP2004314

Pablo Picasso, Le Jeune peintre, 14 avril 1972, huile sur toile, 91×72.5cm, Musée national Picasso-Paris, Dation Pablo Picasso, 1979. MP228

Pablo Picasso, Autoportrait, fin 1901, huile sur toile, 81x60cm Musée national Picasso-Paris. Dation Pablo Picasso, 1979. MP4

Paul Smith and Cécile Debray at Musée National Picasso-Paris

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Picasso Posters, Brigitte Veyne, preliminary sketch of the scenography imagined by Paul Smith

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Pablo Picasso, Homme à la guitare, automne 1911, huile sur toile, 154x77.5cm, Musée national Picasso-Paris, Dation Pablo Picasso, 1979. MP34

Pablo Picasso, Homme à la guitare, automne 1911, huile sur toile, 154×77.5cm, Musée national Picasso-Paris, Dation Pablo Picasso, 1979. MP34

project info:

name: Picasso Celebration: The Collection in a New Light

artist: Pablo Picasso

artistic direction: Paul Smith

curators: Cécile Debray, Joanne Snrech

exhibition museum: Musée National Picasso-Paris

location: 5 rue de Thorigny, Paris, France

dates: March 7th to August 27th, 2023

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Art

A misspelled memorial to the Brontë sisters gets its dots back at last

Published

3 weeks ago

September 26, 2024

Anne Joseph

LONDON (AP) — With a few daubs of a paintbrush, the Brontë sisters have got their dots back.

More than eight decades after it was installed, a memorial to the three 19th-century sibling novelists in London’s Westminster Abbey was amended Thursday to restore the diaereses – the two dots over the e in their surname.

The dots — which indicate that the name is pronounced “brontay” rather than “bront” — were omitted when the stone tablet commemorating Charlotte, Emily and Anne was erected in the abbey’s Poets’ Corner in October 1939, just after the outbreak of World War II.

They were restored after Brontë historian Sharon Wright, editor of the Brontë Society Gazette, raised the issue with Dean of Westminster David Hoyle. The abbey asked its stonemason to tap in the dots and its conservator to paint them.

“There’s no paper record for anyone complaining about this or mentioning this, so I just wanted to put it right, really,” Wright said. “These three Yorkshire women deserve their place here, but they also deserve to have their name spelled correctly.”

It’s believed the writers’ Irish father Patrick changed the spelling of his surname from Brunty or Prunty when he went to university in England.

Raised on the wild Yorkshire moors, all three sisters died before they were 40, leaving enduring novels including Charlotte’s “Jane Eyre,” Emily’s “Wuthering Heights” and Anne’s “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.”

Rebecca Yorke, director of the Brontë Society, welcomed the restoration.

“As the Brontës and their work are loved and respected all over the world, it’s entirely appropriate that their name is spelled correctly on their memorial,” she said.

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Art

Calvin Lucyshyn: Vancouver Island Art Dealer Faces Fraud Charges After Police Seize Millions in Artwork

Published

1 month ago

September 13, 2024

Harry Miller

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Vancouver Island art community, a local art dealer has been charged with one count of fraud over $5,000. Calvin Lucyshyn, the former operator of the now-closed Winchester Galleries in Oak Bay, faces the charge after police seized hundreds of artworks, valued in the tens of millions of dollars, from various storage sites in the Greater Victoria area.

Alleged Fraud Scheme

Police allege that Lucyshyn had been taking valuable art from members of the public under the guise of appraising or consigning the pieces for sale, only to cut off all communication with the owners. This investigation began in April 2022, when police received a complaint from an individual who had provided four paintings to Lucyshyn, including three works by renowned British Columbia artist Emily Carr, and had not received any updates on their sale.

Further investigation by the Saanich Police Department revealed that this was not an isolated incident. Detectives found other alleged victims who had similar experiences with Winchester Galleries, leading police to execute search warrants at three separate storage locations across Greater Victoria.

Massive Seizure of Artworks

In what has become one of the largest art fraud investigations in recent Canadian history, authorities seized approximately 1,100 pieces of art, including more than 600 pieces from a storage site in Saanich, over 300 in Langford, and more than 100 in Oak Bay. Some of the more valuable pieces, according to police, were estimated to be worth $85,000 each.

Lucyshyn was arrested on April 21, 2022, but was later released from custody. In May 2024, a fraud charge was formally laid against him.

Artwork Returned, but Some Remain Unclaimed

In a statement released on Monday, the Saanich Police Department confirmed that 1,050 of the seized artworks have been returned to their rightful owners. However, several pieces remain unclaimed, and police continue their efforts to track down the owners of these works.

Court Proceedings Ongoing

The criminal charge against Lucyshyn has not yet been tested in court, and he has publicly stated his intention to defend himself against any pending allegations. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 10, 2024.

Impact on the Local Art Community

The news of Lucyshyn’s alleged fraud has deeply affected Vancouver Island’s art community, particularly collectors, galleries, and artists who may have been impacted by the gallery’s operations. With high-value pieces from artists like Emily Carr involved, the case underscores the vulnerabilities that can exist in art transactions.

For many art collectors, the investigation has raised concerns about the potential for fraud in the art world, particularly when it comes to dealing with private galleries and dealers. The seizure of such a vast collection of artworks has also led to questions about the management and oversight of valuable art pieces, as well as the importance of transparency and trust in the industry.

As the case continues to unfold in court, it will likely serve as a cautionary tale for collectors and galleries alike, highlighting the need for due diligence in the sale and appraisal of high-value artworks.

While much of the seized artwork has been returned, the full scale of the alleged fraud is still being unraveled. Lucyshyn’s upcoming court appearances will be closely watched, not only by the legal community but also by the wider art world, as it navigates the fallout from one of Canada’s most significant art fraud cases in recent memory.

Art collectors and individuals who believe they may have been affected by this case are encouraged to contact the Saanich Police Department to inquire about any unclaimed pieces. Additionally, the case serves as a reminder for anyone involved in high-value art transactions to work with reputable dealers and to keep thorough documentation of all transactions.

As with any investment, whether in art or other ventures, it is crucial to be cautious and informed. Art fraud can devastate personal collections and finances, but by taking steps to verify authenticity, provenance, and the reputation of dealers, collectors can help safeguard their valuable pieces.