Leaving rare photos of great artists, five photographers stormed into Picasso's villa. Picasso | Photographer | Villa
2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Picasso's passing. The exhibition "Picasso, Masked Image" recently opened at the Cervantes Library in Shanghai, featuring the multi faceted images of artists and the works of five photographers. Under the lens, Picasso's life instantly established a comprehensive visual imagination of the most important painter of the 20th century.
In the mid-1950s, documentary photography emerged, which led to the significant development of picture book magazines. People were eager to gain fame and became the focus of attention. Picasso quickly realized that as a modern artist, he needed to shape his public image to enhance his personal reputation and social recognition. He made an exception by opening his villa and workshop in France to photographers, showcasing his personal achievements and interesting moments in life. The exhibition "Picasso, Image of a Mask" was born during this period. The exhibition collects exciting photos of Picasso wearing a mask, allowing people to glimpse every aspect of his life.
"Picasso, Masked Image" is an exhibit provided by the Picasso Museum in Malaga, Spain. On June 24th, Jose Lebrero Starrs, the director of the Picasso Museum in Malaga, stated in an interview with Shanghai media that Picasso's fame has made him a symbolic figure to some extent. Many people have not seen Picasso's works, but know his name. "Picasso is a mythological figure in the field of communication, and everyone has their own interpretation. Through 'Picasso, the image of a mask', we can see Picasso's true existence as a human being, and his life has no rules and regulations."
Picasso was born in Malaga, southern Spain, and later moved to Barcelona before moving to Paris, earning a world-class reputation. Jos é Lebrero Starrs stated that "Picasso, Masked Image" was taken by five photographers from Argentina, France, Ireland, and other countries. Picasso allowed photographers to enter his private area to capture his family and even the art transaction process. "At that time, Picasso lived on the southern coast of France, and the famous and wealthy man became the target of everyone's desire to meet him. Picasso's memories of Malaga gradually lost over time, but he liked to dress up and play with people, which was Malaga's imprint. Picasso transformed into the image of a child, intimidating people, or dressing up as a sailor. The masks, hats, and shawls in 'Picasso, the Mask of the Mask' were all inherent in his family, not specially prepared by photographers for filming."
In his creation, Picasso also pursued a feeling similar to that of children's paintings, "very free, original, and not so academic." Jose Lebrero Starrs said, "Picasso often said that he had always painted like Raphael, and later returned to his childhood state, so there was no need to think about whether his paintings were good or bad. Our museum has a hall dedicated to showcasing Picasso's old works, which are full of freedom and reflect his lifelong talents and experience."
During the exhibition, artist Wu Jian'an's work "Invisible Faces" will be exhibited in the "Beyond the Great Wall" art space of the Shanghai Cervantes Library. Wu Jian'an uses glass sculptures to trace the mask tradition in China and Europe. Every weekend, the outdoor terrace of the library will have an interactive mask session open to the public, where visitors can explore the Picasso universe and try on traditional masks from China and Africa. The library will also launch a series of children's salons and "Picasso Image" movie screening seasons.
