Of
all the fantastic headliners appearing in Las Vegas, Pablo Picasso
can now be added to the list. More than 30 ceramic works by the
artist are on display at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art in an
exhibit titled "In the Master's Hands: Picasso's Ceramics,
Treasures From the Estate of Pablo Picasso," running through Jan.
14.
The exhibit is part
of the private collection of the artist's grandson, Bernard
Ruiz-Picasso. The collection includes ceramic figurines and scenes
painted on tiles, plates and plaques, including a portrait of the
artist's son.
Ruiz-Picasso
visited Las Vegas to tour the exhibit and to accept an honor from
Mayor Oscar Goodman. TW contributing editor Dean Blaine spoke with
Ruiz-Picasso regarding the new exhibit and memories of his
grandfather.
Travel
Weekly:What can you tell us about this
collection?
Ruiz-Picasso: These ceramics are of
importance in Picasso's career because they blend together his
knowledge of painting, sculpturing and drawing on the same
[canvas], in this case clay and earthenware.
TW:At what point did your grandfather
create the ceramics?
Ruiz-Picasso: He started a few ceramics at
the beginning of the 20th century, and then after the Second World
War in 1947, when he moved to the south of France. From 1947 to
1962 he produced a few thousand ceramics, all of which he painted
using many new techniques.
TW:What made you decide to bring this
new exhibit to Las Vegas?
Ruiz-Picasso: I think, first, because the
people who organized this exhibition are friends of mine, and I
follow the cultural activities here in Las Vegas, and cultural art
in Las Vegas gets more important each year. Everybody knows that culture in a city takes time
to get more and more important, and I can see that art is getting
more important in Las Vegas. It was an opportunity to bring these
works of art to Las Vegas. Art is needed for a big city like Las
Vegas.
TW:What will people find most
surprising about this exhibit?
Ruiz-Picasso: I think they'll be surprised
because the public expects to see paintings or drawings from
Picasso. These works appear as something magic. Picasso realized
works of art from clay and earthenware and gave a lot of energy to
make them. In the beginning, it was just a pot or it was just a
plate, but he was able to transform the plate or the pot into a
work of art. It was a breakthrough.
TW:How are people
responding?
Ruiz-Picasso: It's difficult to say, but
the staff has told me that people are surprised to see a different
side of Picasso, in which he worked in clay and experimented with
different things.
TW:What would your grandfather have
thought about Las Vegas?
Ruiz-Picasso: I think he might like it
very, very much [laughs] because the entertainment here is about
many artists coming together: singers, composers, ballet, circus
and more. I think he always loved this type of bohemian experience.
He always loved artistic things, and Las Vegas is very much about
that.
To
contact reporter Dean Blaine, send e-mail to [email protected].