Home Home Home About Us Home About Us About Us About Us /links/index.html /links/index.html /links/index.html /advertising/index.html /links/index.html /advertising/index.html /advertising/index.html /advertising/index.html About Us About Us /archives/index.html About Us /archives/index.html About Us /archives/index.html /archives/index.html /subscribe/index.html /archives/index.html /subscribe/index.html /archives/index.html /subscribe/index.html /subscribe/index.html /survey/index.html /subscribe/index.html /survey/index.html /subscribe/index.html /survey/index.html /survey/index.html /survey/index.html /links/index.html /survey/index.html /links/index.html /links/index.html /links/index.html
Home About Us About Us /links/index.html /advertising/index.html /advertising/index.html
About Us /archives/index.html /archives/index.html /subscribe/index.html /subscribe/index.html /survey/index.html /survey/index.html /survey/index.html /links/index.html

Cover Story
Spotlight On Schools
Featured Columnists
Letters
Books
Business of Education
Careers
Children's Corner
Colleges & Grad Schools
Commentary
Continuing Education
Editorials
Languages
Law & Education
MEDICAL UPDATE
MetroBEAT
Movies & Theater
Museums
Music, Art & Dance
Politics In Education
Special Education
Sports & Camps
Technology in Education
Travel
June 2001
May 2001
April 2001
1997-2000
 
New York City
January2002

Young Artists View Picasso’s Work
By Marie Holmes

Ninth graders from the Art & Design High School recently visited the CUNY Graduate Center to view the exhibit Picasso from Malaga: Graphic works from the Fundacion Picasso, Ayuntamiento de Malaga, cosponsored by Instituto Cervantes. On display were a number of etchings, drypoints, and linoleum cuts dating from 1906 through 1960.

The students were encouraged to carefully examine the panels Sueno y mentira de Franco (Dream and Lie of Franco), which feature many of the images made famous in Picasso’s Guernica. This masterpiece, now housed in Madrid, depicts the horrific 1937 bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War and is arguably the most important painting of the 20th century on the themes of war and violence.

Before viewing the exhibition, the students discussed Picasso’s artistic techniques and the political situation of his time with Instituto Cervantes staff and their teacher, Alexis Delbridge. Harvey Stark, of Instituto Cervantes, explained to the students that Picasso, in Guernica and related pieces, “is not trying to represent the event,” but rather, “evoking his feelings about the event.” Delbridge related Picasso’s politically-inspired art to students’ work in response to the events of September 11th and the bombing of Afghanistan.

The students then set off, with copies of Guernica in hand, to view the works on display and to compare the images and themes of

Sueno y mentira de Franco to Guernica. They demonstrated an impressive ability to relate
to the art. Moving from one work to the next in small groups, the students talked excitedly about the pieces, pointing out images and techniques that they recognized and often calling their teacher aside to share their observations.

“The students were excited to come,” said Delbridge, whose 9th grade class is currently studying color theory. Delbridge explained that since they were working with more sophisticated concepts of color, she thought that the exhibit would provide the students with a good introduction to Picasso’s pieces for their future study of the monochromatic work of his Blue Period, as well as exposing them to one artist’s response to violence and terror.

“I usually give them an artist’s work to replicate–it gives them a connection to a piece when they go to a museum and see it,” added Delbridge while being pulled toward a Picasso etching by one of her students. Given their response to the exhibition, it’s difficult to imagine that the students might not immediately connect with artwork. These young artists proved that they are not only able but also truly eager to relate to art, on technical as well as emotional levels.#

For information about future exhibits or to plan a class trip to the Instituto Cervantes call 212-689-4232.

 

Education Update, Inc., P.O. Box 20005, New York, NY 10001. Tel: (212) 481-5519. Fax: (212) 481-3919. Email: ednews1@aol.com.
All material is copyrighted and may not be printed without express consent of the publisher. © 2001.




MUSEUMS

DIRECTORIES