Pablo Picasso, a world-renowned Spanish painter, is widely perceived as a pivotal persona in art history. Picasso, born in 1881, generated an immense archive of works spanning various artistic periods, for example, the Blue Period, Rose Period, and notably Cubism, a movement he co-founded with Georges Braque. Picasso’s artistic oeuvre contributes considerably to the modern art world, epitomized through the creation of his renowned 1907 canvas known as “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon.” This groundbreaking artwork signifies a significant departure from conventional methods of composition and perspective within the realm of painting.
With its vast plane reaching eight feet by seven foot eight, this immense artwork from 1907 resides within the walls of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The painting depicts five nude women portrayed in a provocative and confrontational manner (Enrique, 2023). Their bodies are rendered in a strikingly abstract form, with sharp geometric shapes and disjointed space. The artwork is renowned for its depiction on a flat, two-dimensional surface, where the figures resemble sculptures hewn from coarse stone.
The art appeals to me because of its groundbreaking nature. It defies the traditional methods of representation in art, introducing a visual language that dissects reality and reconfigures it on the canvas. The painting’s inherent potency, the boldness of its arrangement, and its crucial significance in the advancement of contemporary art resonate deeply within me. Its challenging nature prompts viewers to reconsider the very act of perception and representation. One can find a diverse array of Picasso’s art, from the sorrowful blue figures of his Blue Period to the playful and colourful scenes of his Rose Period and into the complex analytical and synthetic phases of his Cubism. Works such as “Guernica,” “The Weeping Woman,” and “Girl Before a Mirror” show the extent of Picasso’s range, both in terms of emotion and technical execution.
The piece I do not like is Ilana Raviv’s “Doll with Toys.”
Art has the unique capacity to evoke a spectrum of emotions, challenge our perceptions, and communicate complex narratives beyond language constraints. Within this visual dialogue, not all conversations are harmonious, such is the case with Ilana Raviv’s “Doll with Toys” (2003). Raviv, an Israeli artist known for her vivid and gestural style, presents an artwork that diverges from conventional aesthetics and comfort, pushing the observer into a realm of disquietude.
Ilana Raviv’s art is an acrylic canvas piece measuring 29 x 37 inches (DeWitte et al. 2012). It showcases a figure of a doll with exaggerated, wide-staring eyes and limbs sprawled amid a cacophony of animal figurines. One arm of the doll stretches across the canvas as if to connect or control the scattered toys surrounding it. This work, reproduced using the giclée process, has been noted for its ability to endure in colour and form, ensuring the artist’s expressive gestures are permanently captured.
Despite the artist’s acclaimed use of colour and form, “Doll with Toys” elicits a visceral reaction of unease. The immediate impact comes from the stark, almost grotesque representation of the doll’s features. The eyes are devoid of warmth, and the disproportionate limbs create a distortion that unsettles rather than delights. The surrounding toys, rather than adding a playful context, contribute to a chaotic and almost nightmarish scene. This disruption of the expected childlike innocence typically associated with dolls and toys is at the heart of the discomfort. The colour palette, while vibrant, does not alleviate the unsettling composition. The reds and yellows are jarring, and the paint application is frantic, contributing to the overall sense of disarray. The gestural style of Raviv, meant to capture the spontaneity and essence of the subject, amplifies the sense of discord.
Upon deeper reflection, Raviv’s piece challenges the observer to confront underlying themes of innocence corrupted or the chaotic nature of human consciousness. However, the initial emotive response to the piece is one of discord, and it overshadows any intellectual interpretation one might glean from the artist’s intention. When juxtaposing “Doll with Toys” against other works by Raviv, there is a consistent thread of bold expression and a tendency towards abstract forms. While her gestural approach can be seen as a signature style with its appeal, in the case of “Doll with Toys,” it fails to resonate positively. The same techniques that may add dynamism and vigour to other compositions here create a narrative that is difficult to reconcile with.
Work Cited
DeWitt, Debra J., Ralph M. Larmann, and M. Kathryn Shields. Gateways to Art. New York, NY, 2012.
Mallén, Enrique. “Art as Magic: Pablo Picasso as Magician.” Rites, Rituals & Religions: Amerindian, Spanish, Latin American & Latino Worlds 2023: 33.
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