Two Cubism Artists Changing the Art World

Two Cubism artists in the early nineteenth century known as, Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque shared a studio in Paris and the two began exploring and expanding the horizons of their artistic abilities. In doing so, Picasso and Braque made historic twists to the Art world. Picasso and Braque went against everything known as traditional to mankind and opened the doors to the new world of contemporary modern art. The pair began this endeavor by literally dismembering forms of their subjects and leaving the viewers to analyze and search within themselves for the conveying meaning. Although these two Cubism artists collectively explored, shaped and created new forms of art with their masterpieces, each painting shows the reflections of each ones individual style.

Analytical Cubism was the first to be developed by Picasso and Braque. Braque's stunning painting; "The Portuguese" is an absolutely remarkable illustration of analytical cubism. The painting originated from Braque's memories of a Portuguese musician from Marseilles. It carries calligraphy and shows the symbolism is which Braque places energetic connections with the space around it. This painting powerfully illustrates how Braque goes non objective by using wallpaper, painted paper, newspapers along with bringing into play the different dark and light brown tones to restrain the color. Leaving the viewer not only to see the painting for what it is, but must also search for the forms and subjects meanings detained within the canvas. The viewers will no longer be looking for the same traditionalism but instead they will be looking at the painting as an art object. Braque did a particular thing by leaving his spectators perceptions looking through added complexities of the two and three dimensional spaces that were use on the canvas.

Many questions were raised by this new found art called analytical cubism; "What is real? And what is not real? A whole new door of awareness arrives in the Art world according to Mike Wonser, an art history professor at Central Oregon Community College. Wonser also stated Art was no longer a view through a window but had become just what it was, painting on the canvas, an "Art" object.

Furthermore, five years later, Picasso and Braque did a neat thing by taking Cubism a step further and brought about the illusions of reality, by creating Synthetic Cubism. Synthetic Cubism just like Analytical cubism, no longer detained comprehensible relations to descriptions of the traditional symbolisms that was known as traditional art, but instead Synthetic Cubism took on meanings all it own for the sole purpose of being searched and discovered by each viewers own mind and imagination. Picasso and Braque would literally use objects such as chair pieces, music symbols including cutting shapes from paper along with other materials used as symbolism for parts of a subject when creating their paintings and drawings. Picasso was known as the master painter of his time.

In Picassos early years, he learned to draw before he could write. He attended art academies and was primarily figuratively oriented. He brought figures together by making one plus one equal a whole and giving new element to his style. Picasso had a period where he repeated himself and hung onto the roots of art. According to "Gardner's Art through the Ages" some historians believe that Braque was the one who developed analytical and synthetic cubism, but in turn it also states that Picasso was known as the master painter of his time.

Picasso was the artist who makes the final break by taking cubism into a new world with his painting "Still Life with Chair Caning." This painting consisted of a piece of oil cloth that was imprinted with photolithographic pattern of a cane chair seat pasted onto the canvas and framed with a piece of rope. Picasso added another detail to his painting "JOU." Picasso and Braque were enchanted by the clever remarks of JOU and it was used in many cubist paintings of the time. The letters were formed from the French daily newspaper that was used in the paintings.

Picasso and Braque continued to explore their talents with further collages in there paintings. Picasso even stated his views on Cubism "Not only did we try to displace reality; reality was no longer in the object…." (1016) Picasso and Braque had done what they set out to do by not only fooling the eye, but the mind as well. Making Art be seen for what it is, an Art Object.
Although these two Cubism artists formed and shaped analytical and synthetic cubism, with their masterwork from ideas and talents, together they changed the art world forever leaving reflections of each individual's style imprinted into Art History and opened so many doors for the new generations of artist to explore and indulge without indignity.

References
Kleiner, F., Mamiya, C., Tansey, R. (2001) Gardner's Art through the Ages
(11th ed.) Thomson-Wadsworth.
Wonser, M. (2004, Spring). Art History 203, Central Oregon Community College, Bend< Oregon