PICASSO - BRAQUE

 

Bowl of Fruit, Violin and Bottle 
Pablo Picasso

1. Discuss Schnabel's point (in your own words) about painting vs film. 

    Schnabel makes a point about painting vs. film that makes perfect sense to me. Many people for so long had relied on painting as a form of recording moments in time, and then it turned to photography to be the main, or most popular, form of recording moments in time. However, after photography became popular, there was then the urge to start capturing movement in a way that had never been done before, so people found out a way to film moments in time, which reveal more action, rather than relying on painting and photographs which only give you a "still" of that action. This was what gave people such a draw to film, and why it became so popular. Film is just pictures in motion, so it is like paintings, but in an elevated form. Paintings tell you everything you need to know right when you see them, but you have to finish a film to understand the full meaning behind it. 

2. Discuss the mountain climber metaphor - and how it is different / similar to other artists we have discussed.

    The mountain climber metaphor - "two mountain climbers tied together with a rope" - basically means that Picasso and Braque worked well together to make each other better/more successful artists. Each time one of them was working on an art piece, the art piece would not be considered finished until the other saw it. This is very different than other artists we have seen because usually artists are working to be better than the other, but these two artists were working together to make each other better. Many artists can be protective of themselves and their work, and who judges it, so when the film described their friendship and professional relationship, I was very surprised. I think this is really amazing because it is so awesome to see artists building each other up and helping each others' work grow. However, Coosje Van Bruggen talks about how "there is always danger in between these two" "mountain climbers" because there is a need for each of them to express themselves on their own. This explains how Braque and Picasso eventually were not as collaborative in their work. 

3.  How does this documentary deal with expertise and point of view? (hint: Scorsese is not an art historian)

    This documentary deals with expertise and point of view in a different way than the other films we have watched. Obviously Martin Scorsese is not an art historian, so we are introduced to the film with someone who does not have much expertise in art, but he is an expert in film. This film deals with expertise and point of view by giving us many experts on film, art, and other professions, to give insight into the relationship between film and art, specifically the relationship between Picasso and Braque's work to film. By having mixed points of view and mixed talents to hear from, we are able to gain an understanding of the thoughts that go on in different brains about the subject at hand. 

Outside Sources:

Tate. “Cubism.” Tate, www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/c/cubism. Accessed 24 Mar. 2024.