Today's continuing video of Picasso was somewhat strange to me. When he was being taped actually creating Pan, it at first, resembled something a child had created in Kindergarten. I had to chuckle to myself and think, is he kidding us? Based on the narrator, I got the distinct feeling that part of what made Picasso a genius was the fact that he probably didn't know what would be created until he felt satisfied with the outcome. I personally like to know what I'm going to draw before I put it on canvas or paper, but it appears that Picasso had a 'devil may care' outlook when he put his brush to canvas. I say 'confusion then confidence' because that's exactly what it looked like when he began with a fish that turned into a chicken and then something completely different.
Scharfstein's text discusses the old term for genius as a 'guiding spirit' in which William Duff stated that "A man of Genius is really a kind of different being from the rest of his species." Even though I tend to agree with that statement I was sitting here thinking about some other artists that reminded me of Picasso, and not necessarily painters. One such artist that popped into my mind is Prince, or as we all remember, the artist formally known as Prince (yes, some of you may disagree but I digress). I'm sure that Professor Langguth will remember when this artist changed his name to a symbol, which of course, most thought absolutely preposterous. And he, not only got away with it, was embraced as one of the greatest artists known in which his music is still popular in certain circles (mostly the 80's generation). His quest for 'standing out' among the rest, because of his originality, is why he is most remembered.
Such is the case with Picasso because, in my opinion, he tested the boundaries too with regards to some shock factor. Not to mention his noted insufferable character! I will probably never be famous for the art that I create considering it is for my own selfish pleasures. However, maybe if I change my name to a symbol and go out in public wearing jeans with my ass cheeks showing through then I will be remembered.
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