I’m not usually into sculpture, but I knew that I didn’t dare miss the Picasso Sculpture exhibit at MoMa while visiting New York this last October. My instincts were right, the show was beyond extraordinary. Over 150 pieces filled room after room after room at MoMa. This is only the second time that this large of an exhibition has ever been assembled to celebrate this lesser known side of Picasso’s unending talent. Hommage a Picasso was a large Paris retrospective in 1966 that introduced the sculptures to the public. Until then, his experimental pieces had been kept in his private collection throughout his lifetime. In 1967 The Museum of Modern Art organized The Sculptures of Picasso, which until now was the first and only exhibition on this continent to display a large number of the artist’s sculptures.
As I walked from room to room it was easy to associate specific works with his paintings. The Guitar sheet metal sculpture nearly stopped me in my tracks. I could have spent an hour studying it. The shadows created by the lighting were sublime. I felt like I was participating in a cubist painting in the making, seeing the object from multiple points of view. The experience was luxurious. I have to give huge props to the curatorial staff and the lighting designers. The shadows cast by the sculptures were equally as interesting. The bronze goat with all of its texture, the smooth bronze woman in the bustle dress that made me think of the Victorian Era, the woman pushing the stroller who felt like someone out of the 1940’s. Such richness in detail. So personal. So beautifully crafted. Why have these been kept out of the public view for so long? The curators say that this will probably be the only time in our lifetime that these precious objects will all be brought together on such a grand scale. So if you’re anywhere near New York City, you must make time to see this show.
The exhibit closes February 7, 2016.