Gertrude Stein: Image, word, abstraction

Posted on by cmarthoughts
The image shows letters in neon lights mounted on a wall. The letters read "a sentence in five colours". It is an art work by Joseph Kosuth.

Joseph Kosuth, Self-defined in five colors, 1966. © Primae / David Bordes © ADAGP, Paris 2023.

Review
Gertrude Stein et Pablo Picasso. L’invention du langage
September 13, 2023 – January 28, 2024
Musée du Luxembourg, Paris

An insanely good exhibition. The exhibition Gertrude Stein et Pablo Picasso. L’invention du langage explores the influence of Gertrude Stein on the visual arts of the 20th century.

The first part of the exhibition elaborates on the relation between Gertrude Stein and Pablo Picasso. The works show the decomposition of image and text, until extreme abstraction. Even if the argument seems staged by times, both artists shared a similar pursue which is expressed in the exhibits. Next to the works from Picasso, the section offers wonderful works by Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol, and Marcel Duchamp.

The second part of the show focusses on Stein’s influence on the visual arts in America after the Second World War. The works exemplify the American moment: Nam June Paik, Bruce Nauman, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, among others. The direct quotation of or reference to Gertrude Stein in Nam June Paik’s or Robert Rauschenberg’s work testify to the artists’ indebtedness to the writer.

The image shows a black and white photograph of a mid-aged woman sitting left in front of a painting. The painting seems to be her portrait. The woman is placed in the right front of the image while the painting occupies the left back ground. It is a photograph by Man Ray of Gertrude Stein in front of her portrait by Pablo Picasso.

Man Ray, Gertrude Stein, 1922. © Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / image Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI © Man Ray 2015 Trust / Adagp, Paris 2023 © Succession Picasso 2023.

Stein enjoyed a slightly delayed success in America. During the 1930s, she toured the US with her “Lectures on America” which promoted her thoughts after Stein’s success in Europe the years before.

John Cage, above all, shared a close connection to the writer, embarking on the decomposition of movement and music, just as Stein abstracted language and words. The video section on performance art is particularly enriching, showing a multitude of practices dating from the 1960s to 1980s and presenting lesser-known protagonists next to established names.

The exhibition, thus, offers a new perspective both the pre- and post-war avantgardes. It sheds light on early Modernism and the trajectory of the American post-war scene. It is a deep dive into conceptual art and the connection between art and language. The works featured are visually and conceptually outstanding, the exhibition is a treat for both eye and brain. Informative, aesthetic, and fun!

The image shows an objects seemingly out of stone or concrete. It has an overall round shape with numerous edges and squared forms carved into it. It is a sculpture bearing the title "Apple" by Pablo Picasso.

Pablo Picasso, Pomme, Paris, autumn-winter 1909. © RMN-Grand Palais (Musée national Picasso-Paris) / Adrien Didierjean / Mathieu Rabeau © Succession Picasso 2023.