Ashton, Dore. Picasso on Art. New York: Da Capo, 1972.
This book is a collection of essays, quotes, and writings by Pablo Picasso. I agree and disagree with many statements that Picasso makes in this book. Picasso has a tendency to contradict himself often in interviews and essays. I believe that this was all part of him creating his own myth; a way of keeping the pubic guessing.
A quotation that I found interesting is a statement about Picasso's unique process of painting. Picasso says that he destroys a painting several times before its completion.
When you begin a picture, you often make some pretty discoveries. You must be on guard against these. Destroy the thing, do it over several times. In each destroying of a beautiful discovery, the artist does not really supress it, but rather transforms it, condenses it, makes it more substantial. What comes out in the end is the result of discarded finds. Otherwise, you become your own connoisseur. I sell myself nothing. (9)
I can agree totally with this statement. The artist in repeatedly destroying a work in progress is actually rediscovering the work in a new vision. I'm just now getting over the fear of taking too big a risk on a piece that may destroy what I've already accomplished. I have no reason to feel this way because that's what art is all about, taking risks. If a piece is destroyed, it can be recreated with a stronger vision than before.
Another statement of Picasso's that drew my attention is a statement about what is most important about the creative process: The process itself or the end result. Picasso believed the end result was more important than the journey to get to that result. I disgree will him. In fact, this statement contradicts the previous statement above. Art, to me, is about finding. It is about coming to terms with a subject and making that subject part of yourself. If the end result was the most important part of the creative process, then there would be no point in creating at all! The pleasure comes from the act itself. By creating, you are coming to a better understanding yourself and the world around you. The end result means nothing without the process that created it.
I found Picasso's views on art very interesting and inspiring. I found it ironic and awkward for me to relate to the issues and ideas that Picasso presents. I feel that his art and my own art are on different planes. This proves that there definity is a bonding link between all artists, regardless of style, background, or nationality.