Is Francis Picabia underrated?

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I really don't know much of his work, but he was apparently very prolific, and I like much of the little I've seen.

― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Saturday, 13 December 2003 00:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. I saw this amazing retrospective exhibit in Paris last year that made me realize he was at the very least Duchamp's peer. Worked in about 6 or 7 distinct styles, this completely deadpan chameleon--maybe the most formidable alloy of "Artist" and "Dadaist" period. He's got an awesome line that goes something like this:

"I paint pictures of machines. If you don't care for machines, I also paint pictures of Spanish ladies."

― brian nemtusak (sanlazaro), Saturday, 13 December 2003 01:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Was Picabia one of the surrealists who was smuggled to the States during the Nazi roundups of artists in WWI? (Wonderful story, that, as an aside)

I do like his work. Surrealism/DaDaism's my fave genre. He was quite the jack of all trades of styles wasnt he, just looking at some of his work in my art books I have here.

― Trayce (trayce), Saturday, 13 December 2003 01:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I would like to have seen that retrospective. Unfortunately, though I started this thread, I obviously don't have much to say about Picabia. (I think I am going to look through some Picabia books at the library some time soon though.)

― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Saturday, 13 December 2003 01:46 (twenty-one years ago)

His early postimpresionist stuff is frighteningly accomplished, really worked up--unbelievable topographic texture. The "Child with no Mother" series is great--all his dada stuff is. His late postcard art/cheesecake stuff is delicious (and masterfully, wordlessly droll). Here's his complement to "Nude Descending" from the famous Armory show (it's wall size in real life; totally breathtaking):

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MUSEUM/Armory/galleryI/I_214_415.b.jpg

― brian nemtusak (sanlazaro), Saturday, 13 December 2003 02:20 (twenty-one years ago)

he's my favorite racecar driver.

― jack cole (jackcole), Saturday, 13 December 2003 02:26 (twenty-one years ago)

You could totally see him hanging out with Alain Delon on the cote d'azure (if he'd been a little younger) ...

― brian nemtusak (sanlazaro), Saturday, 13 December 2003 02:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Ezra Pound said something about Picabia having the greatest facility with concepts of any person he'd met, or something like that. Of course, coming from a loony like Pound, it's not clear what to make of that, but Pound did say some interesting things about Picabia.

― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Saturday, 13 December 2003 02:34 (twenty-one years ago)

(I no longer have a copy of his essays, so I can't track this stuff down.)

― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Saturday, 13 December 2003 02:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Hell yes, definitely underrated.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Saturday, 13 December 2003 02:35 (twenty-one years ago)

that's a great quote, brian

― oops (Oops), Saturday, 13 December 2003 02:37 (twenty-one years ago)

shucks.

― brian nemtusak (sanlazaro), Saturday, 13 December 2003 02:52 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.daimon.org/dclub/picabia2.jpg

― brian nemtusak (sanlazaro), Saturday, 13 December 2003 02:54 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.kentgallery.com/as/imgas/PicCra.jpg

― brian nemtusak (sanlazaro), Saturday, 13 December 2003 02:55 (twenty-one years ago)

ooooh

― oops (Oops), Saturday, 13 December 2003 02:55 (twenty-one years ago)

http://digilander.libero.it/alguas/picabia2.gif

― brian nemtusak (sanlazaro), Saturday, 13 December 2003 03:00 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.guggenheimcollection.org/images/lists/work/125_2_md.jpg

― brian nemtusak (sanlazaro), Saturday, 13 December 2003 03:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Did he do any kittens?

― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Saturday, 13 December 2003 03:06 (twenty-one years ago)

yes.
http://www.plumart.com/vf4702/assets/images/1147picabia2.JPG

― brian nemtusak (sanlazaro), Saturday, 13 December 2003 03:07 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.klik.gr/141/picabia/1.jpg

― brian nemtusak (sanlazaro), Saturday, 13 December 2003 03:09 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.nga.gov/feature/artnation/steichen/images/picabia/picabia_machine_200x300.jpg

― brian nemtusak (sanlazaro), Saturday, 13 December 2003 03:10 (twenty-one years ago)

the man himself
http://container.zkm.de/kbb/auto/Man-Ray.jpg

― brian nemtusak (sanlazaro), Saturday, 13 December 2003 03:15 (twenty-one years ago)

suave

― oops (Oops), Saturday, 13 December 2003 03:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, you can't whack a bit of Francis.

― a shotgun, Monday, 15 December 2003 10:03 (twenty-one years ago)

i wonder if the critical reception lately comes from the children of polke looking for grandparents...not sure im convinced about the decadent cheesecake stuff, and the mechanical stuff had a bunch of people who did it better (including the american who called a collection of steel pipes god)

― anthony easton (anthony), Monday, 15 December 2003 17:08 (twenty-one years ago)

i thought he's been through quite a reassessment in the last decade at least -- especially his later work from the '40s and '50s -- which i just saw some of in nyc in late oct. SHIT i forget where -- anyway the later stuff which totally leads the way for david salle (only it's wayyyy better obviously) and jim shaw's "thrift store paintings" kinda aesthetic.

so yeah -- he rules, and this book (remaindered copies might still be floating around) is nifty: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/3775707212

― yetimike (McGonigal), Monday, 15 December 2003 17:31 (twenty-one years ago)

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