Pablo Picasso: Structures of Invention, The Unity of a Life’s Work

The triennial companion to Picasso’s work from the collections of his immediate family

This book presents an innovative new reading of Picasso’s long artistic career. Instead of dividing his art into discrete stylistic periods, authoritative texts and lavish illustrations demonstrate the unity of his work by showing Picasso’s art as a dynamic whole united by his exploration of both his past art and invention of new artistic conceptions. As Picasso said, “my art must not be considered as an evolution,” but rather a constantly shifting exchange of retrospection and innovation.
Selected from the collection of the Museo Picasso Málaga and the Fundación Almine y Bernard Ruiz-Picasso para el Arte (FABA), more than 150 paintings, sculptures, drawings and engravings explore the creative pathways of his art. Extensive photographs of the installation demonstrate the unity of his art through unexpected juxtapositions of works from different decades. More than 30 essays explore the meaning of major individual works. Five “focus” chapters address specialized facets of his practice, including his responses to African sculpture, World War II and the commission to create a huge mural for UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) was one of the most renowned and protean artists of the 20th century, creating everything from paintings to ceramics and set designs. He is known for his mercurial shifts in style, characterized by titled periods, as well as his propagation of new techniques including collage. There are several museums and collections worldwide dedicated entirely to his work.