Sunday September 13, 2009 
Sunday September 13, 2009 I have this dream which is not, I've been told, all that unique. I'm at home, and I go through a door to discover an entirely new wing that I forgot about. As I explore the new space, I'm stunned at how fabulous it is, and can't understand how I could have let this slip. Stairways lead to new wings; doors open up to spacious bedrooms with sitting rooms; a wonderful kitchen unfolds before me.
I'm always a little bummed to wake up and find that it was just a dream.
On Friday this past week, I returned to New York's Museum of Modern Art. Every floor we went to held new treasures. Every passageway led to something amazing. Look! Another incredible Picasso! Over there! Klimt! Holy smokes, look at all the Jackson Pollacks! Special this week - Monet's Water Lilies! Treasure after treasure after treasure...
I was struck by the nature of creativity and transformation - how a single artist, such as Pablo Picasso, can break through everything he was taught to leap to breathtaking innovation. And then he does it again and again. Even as an old man, Picasso didn't repeat himself. Rather, he set the bar; then others followed, interpreting the world through their own eyes but perhaps colored by what Picasso saw.
I remember as a child thinking that anyone could do what Picasso did - big deal! Just forget all the rules and throw a bunch of color and shapes onto a canvas. Wiser now, I know that Picasso was, in fact, a classically trained artist, and his craftsmanship was impeccable. He could paint gorgeous representational canvasses, and he used his knowledge to springboard on to new directions. Which is why his more abstract works are so striking and speak to the heart as well as the mind. Nothing random here - thoughts, emotions, visuals, skill combined to create something extraordinary...
Know the basics. No, really know the basics. Be free enough and confident enough to break the rules and be willing to fail, be laughed at, be misunderstood. Go back and try again.
I wish MOMA was in my backyard so when I forgot these lessons, I could take a quick walk through the walls of one of the best museums on earth. Meanwhile, I'll have to settle for my memories.
Posted by terrymckenzie ( Sep 13 2009, 09:08:16 AM PDT ) Permalink Comments [1]
