Clarinet 1911

Picasso made this monochromatic painting, Clarinet, with oil on canvas. Look at how the painting came into being, shifting and emerging through trial, error, and intuition. I can imagine Picasso standing in front of the canvas, maybe turning the canvas as he painted it, intuitively adding and subtracting. I can see how one area might have been overworked, while another retained a sense of freshness. I love the materiality of the paint itself. The surface is built up with layers of thick, expressive brushstrokes. The dark and light areas create an interesting tension, like a conversation. I'm so interested in that one particular gesture, that slash of paint, and how it communicates feeling, intention, and meaning. It reminds me of other cubist artists, like Braque. Ultimately, all artists are in an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time. It is inspiring to see how Picasso embraced ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations and meaning over fixed readings.