Picasso on the Wirral

It's a delight to have a linocut exhibition of Picasso's work locally. On at the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Port Sunlight Village, until 8 January 2017, it's a small exhibition of prints from the British Museum. It's well worth a visit even though the exhibition focuses on just 3 works.

I'm going to look at 2 in this blog. The first that really fascinated me was a portrait, called 'Jacqueline Reading' - 2 plates, both black, but the first providing tone on a lino plate, something I hadn't seen before. The image builds to create a rare and striking effect. I'll be trying to replicate the technique, which Picasso created with a wire brush, I believe.

'Jacqueline Reading' by Picasso - Plate 1 proof

'Jacqueline Reading' by Picasso - Plate 2 proof

 

'Jacqueline Reading' by Picasso - the final work

 

The second work is a well known still life, called 'Still Life Under the Light'. The British Museum has acquired not just the final work, which is a reduction linocut, but also all the stages of its development, which are on show - and every individual plate is proofed and on show too. Such a rare treat for printmakers! Sometimes it's hard to work out how an artist has created a finished effect with linocuts, but here you have a master class on reduction linocut printmaking - on full display. I found it mesmerising! I've shown below the build to the full work.

 

Colour 1

 

 Colour 2

 

Colour 3

 

Final 4 colour work

 

For the record, below is the single plate, as proofed at each stage. The first colour is above. The rest follow:

 

Red stage proof

 

Green stage proof

 

Black stage proof

 

What a delight - I'm planning to visit again. It's not a big exhibition, but it's great. I hope you get to visit in person. If not, I hope this blog post will be of interest.

Ispired by Picasso in Malaga

Finally, after years of visiting Malaga, I got to the Picasso Museum this time. I'm really glad I did. The building alone is stunning - and much larger than I'd expected, housing the Collection and an exhibition running until 21 February 2016, called Picasso 'German Records'. Printmaking was well represented in both sections and the press used by Picasso in Paris, was also in pride of place on loan.

You aren't allowed to take pictures of the works themselves, so the images below are sadly of postcards or flyers, so the quality is not great. My favourite images were the large linocuts 'Portrait of a Young Girl, after Cranach the Younger'.

5 colours on plates 64 x 53.5cm, produced in 1958. There were also some great etchings, sugar lift aquatints and drypoint original prints. I found them inspiring in their challenge of technique as much as the powerful images themselves.

 It's a beautiful city. If you haven't been, perhaps it's time to plan it in...