An artist 1967

This painting by Picasso, simply titled ‘An artist’, plays with a reduced palette of blues, blacks, and whites, giving the impression of a sketch, almost like a study for another painting. Look at the face. It's composed of simple, almost childlike lines, a flurry of dark marks on a blue ground. It’s less about representation, and more about a kind of playful exploration of form, each mark feeling spontaneous and intuitive. See the lines extending from the neck – are they part of a costume or some kind of prop? The way he handles the paint here is so casual, so off-the-cuff, it feels like he’s just letting his hand wander across the canvas. This work reminds me of Guston’s late paintings. Both artists embrace a kind of raw, almost clumsy style that’s full of energy and immediacy, suggesting that art is an ongoing conversation, and that there are no rules, just possibilities.