Appeal of surface

In the course of an extraordinary career driven by his virtually inexhaustible vitality and his ceaseless quest for renewal in his own work, Pablo Picasso brought forth an unusually extensive body of art. This book is not conceived as a survey of that ceuvre, but focuses instead upon Picasso the innovator. In each of the works selected, which together represent all of the artist's creative phases, from Cubism to abstraction to his late work in sculpture, the "appeal of surface" occupies the center of attention. The paintings, drawings, sculptures, and ceramics included bear witness to Picasso's intense concern with materials and their formal translation into surface area, color, and line. These works tell us a great deal about the fundamental principles of his working approach, the structure of his visual imagery, and the conceptual impulses that underlie his art. This handsomely designed catalogue includes five essays examining his work in various mediums and genres, a biography and bibliography, an essay exploring the similarities between Duchamp and Picasso, and a section of photographs by Edward Quinn, capturing the artist at work and play.