Sunday, January 1, 2012

A Very Long Shortcut









     Ihaveloved and been moved by this painting and the Marcel Duchamp pun that is thebasis for its title ever since EVER SINCE.   

    (That expression soundsvaguely Bob Marley-esque to me and I'm pleased to employ it on New Year'sDay.  Miss you a lot, Bob.)  

    Simple-seeming, almostcrude, M’Amenez-Y (the painting) conveys to me concentrated mystery, charm, mirthand some romance.  (If you know me, you’ll recognize that I score higheron the “mystery sensitivity scale” than on any of the others, where I’mbasically clueless.)  

    Francis Picabia’spainting is quietly lively, unforced, unpretentious and, in an untraditional way(like other Picabia works), highly original and masterful.  

   I think it would havebeen great to have met and known Francis Picabia.  If you like this, as Ihope you do, possibly you'll like THIS also.  

    In 2012, I will try tocomplain less and I hope I will have less to complain about.  Happy New Year!



Francis Picabia, M'Amenez-Y, 1919-20, Museum of Modern Art, New York





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