Queens Students Investigate “Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds.”
Article By Astrid Bridgwood
Queens University of Charlotte saw an unusual course implemented in the Spring 2023 semester: an Art History course titled “Picasso Museum Practicum,” which emphasized practical experience and the development of visual analysis and research skills through experience-based learning. This course partnered with the Mint Museum in Uptown Charlotte to explore and expand upon a renowned traveling exhibit featured from February to May of this year: “Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds.”
Throughout the Spring 2023 Semester, students enrolled in “Picasso Museum Practicum,” kept a sketchbook, used to investigate the works of Picasso and chronicle their experience as Mint Museum Docents and facilitators of “Mint on the Dot!” talks. Class sessions mandated research on Picasso’s life and practices, which supplemented the selection of a work from the exhibit that the student would then investigate through their own information-gathering processes, supported by seminars, student-led presentations and reflections, and the Mint Museum docent training program. The goal was for this sketchbook to be a way for students to further explore the museum practicum experience, reflecting on the exhibit and works of Picasso while acting as “docents,” for the exhibit.
According to Youki Terada, a researcher affiliated with “Edutopia,” an arm of the George Lucas Educational Foundation, “(…) drawing is superior to activities such as reading or writing because it forces the person to process information in multiple ways: visually, kinesthetically, and semantically (…) drawing information to be a powerful way to boost memory, increasing recall by nearly double.” Our sketchbook exercises facilitated a higher understanding of Picasso’s work through student’s own attempts at translating them through observation; such practices of visually recording and re-creating images facilitate a higher understanding of the image’s quality, of the characteristics held in the work, the elements and principles used. In effect, chronicling work through a sketchbook elevates a student’s skills of visual analysis. Artsy cites Olivia Petrides, a professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, in support of maintaining a sketchbook practice, saying “(a) sketchbook is a way to process raw information,” (Hill).
Below, hear from the students who participated in this exploration of experiential, practical learning, and explore their sketchbook pages submitted for showcase.
Above: Student Alie Feid’s sketchbook interpretation of “La Rue-des-Bois,” Pablo Picasso (1908).
Above: Student Alie Fred’s sketchbook interpretation of “Landscape of Mougins II,” Pablo Picasso (1965).
Alie Feid: “I used these pages of the sketchbook to do a series of studies of Picasso’s landscapes, choosing several pieces to recreate from the catalog of images provided by the Mint. As someone who learns by doing, I knew that the best way for me to be able to understand his artistic process would be to do it myself. I was then able to take what I learned from drawing these landscapes and pair them with the information we were given to share with the visitors at the Mint.”
Above: Student Emma Henry’s sketchbook thumbnail exploring a work selected from the “Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds,” exhibition; one of his “Mediterranean Landscape(s).”
Emma Henry: “Reflecting on my time as a student docent at the Mint Museum for the Picasso: Out of Bounds exhibition, I found keeping a sketchbook to be a great tool for learning and documentation. As a docent, I spoke on three of Picasso’s landscapes, Boisgeloup in the Rain, Boisgeloup in the Rain, and Boisgeloup in the Rain with Rainbow. When our class toured the show, we were asked to choose a work and sketch it – barely looking at the painting for reference. As I stood in a corner area of the exhibition while docenting, I faced several of Picasso’s Mediterranean landscapes based on his times on the coast of France. I was inspired to use a practice similar to our prompted sketch during the tour. This approach alone was not only out of my comfort zone, but also the very abstracted and cubist nature of Picasso’s later work. Ultimately, I found keeping this sketchbook during my experience as a student docent to be an effective way to engage creatively and reflect on my personal experience.
Above: Student Astrid Bridgwood’s interpretation of “Adam Forcing Eve to Eat an Apple,” Françoise Gilot (1946).
Astrid Bridgwood: “I have selected a page from my sketchbook which depicts re-creation of Francoise Gilot’s “Adam Forcing Eve to Eat an Apple,” (1946); Gilot was the focus of my in-class research. My student-led seminar discussion and presentation centered Gilot’s relationship with Picasso, Picasso’s relationship with his muses, and his attitudes towards women. I feel that this piece, created by Gilot during her relationship with Picasso, speaks deeply to her experience of Picasso as a partner while also showcasing her skill as a cubist artist. As a docent, I wanted to reach audience members and sought to engage them with the work in a way that was both accessible and exciting, sparking an interest in Picasso that would remain after their visit to the exhibition! I used my sketchbook as a tool to document this experience— I took notes on the subjects I presented on in class, notes on our docent training experience, and set personal goals for the docent experience, which I feel I successfully met! The sketchbook has become a great tool to remember the experience through both visual documentation and text; exciting for someone like myself, who rarely keeps a sketchbook.”
Above: Observational image of student docent Madison Webster, documented by student Reese Nguyen.
Reese Nguyen: “I drew some sketches after the Mint on the Dot talks with Madi on April 5. This sketch is a picture I took of Madi while she talked about the early Picasso work in the exhibition. She mentioned some of the other artists at the time and how he started with traditional academic training. Initially it was a pencil sketch of the scene, but decided to add color to made the drawing more visually interesting.”
Above: Student Katie Pittman’s documentation of “Boisgeloup in the Rain with Rainbow,” Pablo Picasso (1932).
Katie Pittman: “While working in my sketchbook this semester, I mainly took notes on the exhibit. These sketches included several trips to the Mint to see the Picasso exhibit. As far as notes go, typically I was writing about tips and tricks for guiding questions while doing our Mint on the Dot discussions. These suggestions came from both Maggie and Joel whenever we had our classes with them both online and at the Mint. The piece that I chose to talk about was also heavily referenced in my notes so that I had the information I wanted to tell visitors. I found this sketchbook very helpful while at the Mint as well as reflecting after while in class and on campus.”
Above: Student Autumn Pointe’s thumbnail of “Mandolin & Vase of Flowers,” Pablo Picasso (1934).
Autumn Pointe: “I chose my sketch of Mandolin & Vase of Flowers made by Picasso during my last visit to the Mint Museum Uptown on April 1st, 2023. This is my last sketch from the museum that I did and I decided that I wanted to draw the image, as it was across from where I was standing near my piece, in pen instead of pencil. I usually do a lot of my sketches with pictures of a particular person which helps me the most so I can see all the details of someone’s face, facial expressions, etc but since I was there looking at the image and I had the time to sketch it, I did. I’m happy with this sketch, because it shows that I getting better with accepting how I draw something and finally feel that it doesn’t need to be perfect.”
Above: Student Madison Webster’s observational drawing of student Reece Nguyen giving a “Mint On the Dot,” talk.
Madison Webster: “This page is from the second time I went to the Mint .I’ve included a sketch of Reese giving her “On the Dot,” talk in front of a comparative Romare Bearden and Picasso piece. On the other page, I sketched the area in which I presented my two pieces, which were some of Picasso’s earliest works in the exhibit.”
REFRENCES:
Hill, Eli. “Why You Should Keep a Daily Sketchbook — and How to Get Started.” Artsy.Net, 16 Nov., 2018. https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-daily-sketchbook-started. Accessed 28 April, 2023.
Terada, Youki. “The Science of Drawing and Memory.” Edutopia, George Lucan Educational Foundation. 14 March, 2019. https://www.edutopia.org/article/science-drawing-and-memory. Accessed 28 April, 2023.
Astrid Bridgwood is a student of Art History, Philosophy, and Arts Leadership & Administration currently serving as a Gallery Assistant for the Department of Art, Design, and Music, with ongoing projects focusing on liberal arts education at Black Mountain College. In her free time, she writes and publishes poetry (read more here) and hopes to pursue a career as a Professor of Art History.