I was thrilled when I discovered that my last day in Paris this fall would coincide with the opening day of the “Picasso Mania” exhibition at the Grand Palais. Based on past visits to the Grand Palais, I knew it would be wise to purchase my ticket in advance. After all, this was going to be my only shot to see this unique show.
Lest the name mislead you, Picasso Mania is an exhibition that predominately features the work of other famous contemporary artists who have been influenced by Picasso. But don’t despair, the exhibit is strategically punctuated with plenty of Picasso’s own works.
I chose the first entrance time possible and arrived easily at the Champs-Elysees Clemenceau metro stop, just a few steps from the Grand Palais’ side galleries where Picasso Mania resides. Throngs of modern art lovers and press were already gathering as the event opened its doors to the public for the first time. The Grand Palais has a very organized entrance system, and my timing shortly after 10am was perfect as my fellow ticket-holders had already entered, and I was let right in.
I braced myself for tightly packed galleries and the need to compete for art viewing space. So, I was shocked and delighted when I found the Picasso Mania rooms relatively empty. Just a few other exhilarated modern art fans milled around the spacious rooms.
At the Picasso Mania entrance, I encountered a brilliantly conceived wall of video monitors where nearly 20 contemporary artists – including Ed Ruscha, John Baldessari, and Frank Gehry – discussed one-by-one how the art of Picasso had impacted their own art. The video installation was cleverly choreographed to present each artist patiently waiting for their chance to speak, as if they were all in the same room having a discussion. This was a really cool effect that set a perfect tone for what was to come in the ensuing rooms.
I wasn’t remotely disappointed that Picasso’s artwork plays a supporting role in this exhibition. His influence throughout the show was palpable and pervasive. Besides Picasso’s virtual protégées that comprise the exhibition are hardly artistic slouches.
I couldn’t help but view Picasso Mania in the context of the “Picasso et Les Maitres” (Picasso & The Masters) show I had seen at the Grand Palais in 2008. That show had explored how master painters such as Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Velazquez had influenced Picasso. It had been a brilliant show – and easily one of the best curated art exhibitions I’ve ever seen – just for the sheer ability to collect so many masterpieces in one place. And Picasso Mania nicely bookends The Masters show, with Picasso now turned Master and influencer.
Picasso Mania was similarly impressive in the magnitude of contemporary artwork thematically gathered in one place. Considering the more than 400 works, across the 70+ artists that comprise Picasso Mania, it’s not surprising that it took almost 3 years to put the show together. Picasso Mania is the result of the collaboration among the Centre Pompidou, the Musee National Picasso, and modern art historian Diana Widmaier Picasso, who is Picasso’s granddaughter.
Clearly Picasso’s prolific body of work has greatly influenced modern culture, but it was fascinating to see how profound his impact has been on artists who are famous and unique in their own right. While about 100 of the pieces are Picassos, the balance of the art comes from the likes of Warhol, Lichtenstein, Yan Pei Ming, Jasper Johns, David Hockney, and Jeff Koons.
The exhibition focuses on three key periods in Picasso’s career: Cubism, the fractured-turned face, and his late works. To illustrate the breadth of Picasso’s influence, the exhibit spans beyond painting to sculpture, printmaking/graphic arts, and the moving image. And although two of his most iconic works are not part of the exhibition, the influence of Guernica (1937) and Les Demoiselles D’Avignon (1907) are explored through the work of others.
As a fan who has sought out modern art around the world, I was excited to see works by favorite artists that I’d never seen before, including screen prints by Warhol.
It was particularly special to have the opportunity to view Jasper Johns’ suite of canvases, the “Four Seasons,” hung in a small room of their own.
Yet juxtaposed close-by hung John’s Picasso inspirations of “L’Ombre” (The Shadow) and “Minotaure a la Carriole” (Minotaur Moving His House). While John’s borrows “the shadow” imagery for each painting as well as other symbolic references, the “Four Seasons” is also tied together by a similar underlying personal turmoil in the artists’ lives.
There were also kitschy aspects like Maurizio Cattelan’s “Untitled” Picasso sculpture near the entrance, and culminating in the irreverently named “Bad Painting” gallery focusing on Picasso’s late works. While many of Picasso’s late works came under criticism at the time, they turned out to have had an influence on contemporary painters like Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Picasso Mania is generally organized chronologically and thematically, but that belies a sense of randomness and whimsy that emerges simply due to the wide ranging media and artists that are featured. But who cares? That adds to the fun, yet doesn’t undermine the complex and substantive exploration of Picasso’s art and its influence on the 20th century and beyond. The point is clear. And the opportunity to see this body of diverse art, inspired by an artistic genius, was definitely worthwhile and fortuitous.
Picasso Mania closes on February 29, 2016. I highly recommend purchasing tickets in advance online to ensure securing a spot and skipping the ticket line. Grand Palais tickets provide a half-hour window of entry, which require queueing-up at the respective posted ticket time.
To increase your chances of getting in to see Picasso Mania and avoiding crowds…
- Don’t wait till the final weeks of the show, if possible.
- Arrive for the first 10am entrance of the day.
- Go on one of the late-opening nights when the Grand Palais is open till 10pm on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
And if it turns out that Picasso Mania is not enough Picasso for you, luckily the Picasso Museum in Paris finally re-opened in 2014 after five years of closure, due to renovations.
