New Joint Exhibition Calder and Picasso Explores Similarities
‘Calder and Picasso’ Displays Common Elements by Different Masters
This one of a kind show, titled “Calder and Picasso,” is the inaugural display by Parisian art dealer Almine Rech in her New York gallery. It was curated by two gentlemen with a deep connection and intimate knowledge of the works of this artistic masters.
But getting the joint exhibition pulled off took a bit of diplomacy and time. Over 30 years in fact.
The two men met that long ago–and it was a mutual dislike from the start.
Two years ago Rech suggested they work together on this special joint exhibition. She knew this might be a challenge. She also knew they were the best men to put the show together. After all, who knows the works better than people who have lived with them their entire lives? As it turns out, the men are the grandsons of the masterful artists.
“Over the last two years, we discovered a lot of weird, unexpected resonances between both the two of us and our grandfathers’ practices,” Rower explained, glancing towards the pairing of artworks to his left. They are Picasso’s Portrait of a Bearded Man (1964), a pared-down self-portrait assembled from colorful lines, and Calder’s Untitled (c. 1942), a small kinetic sculpture serendipitously coated in the same palette as Picasso’s painting. They’re also the seeds from which the rest of the exhibition grew. As the story goes, Ruiz-Picasso sent an image of the painting to Rower, who replied with a shot of the sculpture. And so, a two-year collaboration commenced.
A friendship actually formed as they pulled together the exhibition. During the process they discovered hidden similarities in their own personalities as well as the works by their grandfathers.
Both artists used bold lines and color, for example.
As the men delved deeper into the works by their grandfathers they began to share, and compare shots. This led to interesting discussions about the work.
What makes this joint exhibition so unique is that it purposefully pairs works, one from each artist, that clearly show similarities in color, style, or theme.
Read the entire story about how this joint exhibition came about on Artsy
Images courtesy of Almine Rech
