A Sum of Destructions: Picasso's Cultures and the Creation of Cubism
Staller views "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" and the creation of Cubism as a defiant summation of Picasso's reactions to and interactions with his environment, beginning with M laga, where he was born, then La Corusa, Barcelona, and eventually Paris. Drawing on 20 years of research, she investigates the backgrounds of each of these places from a social and anthropological point of view. In her attempt to discover the background that eventually created the "Demoiselles" and Cubism, she provides details on such topics as early moviemaking, coded messages and gamesmanship, the Moors' relationship to Spain, Picasso's fascination with fetishisms, and the body language of fans, parasols, and handkerchiefs. However, in her effort to portray Picasso, the enfant terrible, she minimizes the supportive role of Braque, whom Picasso referred to as his wife in Cubism. She also omits Picasso's Saffron, Blue, and Pink periods and almost ignores Picasso's love/hate relationship with Matisse and the Steins, which may have been the main impetus for the creation of "Demoiselles." Still, Staller succeeds in capturing a Picasso who gave as good as he got and left behind a legacy under continuous exploration. The result is a unique, provocative, and enjoyable portrait of one of the most controversial painters in the history of 20th-century art. Recommended for large public libraries and all modern and European art book collections. Ellen Bates, Hastings-on-Hudson, NYCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.