Annotated Bibliography Picabia’s- Leigha & Bean

Annotated Bibliography

Primary Sources:

Picabia , Francis. La Sainte Vierge . 1920, Musée National d’Art Moderne.

This piece of art is simple an ink blot that has violently been splattered across a canvas and is thought to be one of the pioneer symbols of Dadaism. The daring nature of this piece comes in two waves; the first is the mode of the artwork with just being splattered paint. This characteristic raises the avant-garde question of whether it is even art or not. The second blasphemous characteristic comes from the title of the word, which translates to the “the blessed virgin”, which dares to oppose or mock religion. This piece was published in 1920, published in the avant-garde magazine 391, which was Picabia’s own version of the magazine 291.Today, La Sainte Vierge can be found in the Musée National d’Art Moderne.

Picabia , Francis. Ici, C’est Ici Stieglitz Foit Et Amour. 291, 1915.

Ici, C’est Ici Stieglitz Foit et Amour from Object Portraits was published in the avant-garde magazine 291 in New York in 1915. This mechanic inspired art arose due to the technological bounds that were occurring in the world around Picabia, and he was interested in the intersection of machinery and the human body. In this piece, he is said to have mocked the photographer Alfred Stieglitz and journalist Agnes Meyer, after Picabia and Stieglitz had a falling out.

Picabia, Francis. Edtaonisl. 1913.

Picabia was inspired to paint this while on the ship to NY (for the Armory show) and saw a Dominican priest watch and be fascinated by a polish dancer. The painting’s importance not only lies between the blend of the two figures but also their individual differences. There is also a motion of both the rocking ship and the dancer herself that is brought forth by the style of cubism itself. There is an intention of irony as well by Picabia choosing to reveal this religious pious figure is gawking at and essentially finding pleasure or fascination in a woman. Cubism itself was a very avant-garde movement of art due to the level of abstraction and lack of potential meaning.

Buffet-Picabia, Gabrielle. “Arthur Cravan and American Dada.” The Dada Painters and Poets: An Anthology, edited by Robert Motherwell, Wittenborn, Schultz, Inc., 1951, pp. 13-17. Print.

Buffet-Picabia wrote this essay in 1938, recounting her knowledge of Arthur Cravan and his involvement in the New York Dada circle. Cravan was a boxer and poet, whom she describes as “a man who personified, within himself and without premeditation, all the elements of surprise to be wished for by a demonstration that was not yet called ‘Dada’” (14). By “demonstration”, Buffet-Picabia is referring to the “Exhibition of Independent Painters” in 1917, which had multiple scandals including a speech by Cravan. The essay further describes scandals by Cravan, his drinking problems, his friends, his lovers, and his ultimately his disappearance. She ends her essay by mirroring her subject with her content, which reflects the confusing and thought-provoking spirit of Dada. Describing Cravan she says, “the end of this amazing figure will never be cleared up” (17). Therefore, the essay is left inconclusive just as the story and life of Cravan, according to Buffet-Picabia at least.

Buffet-Picabia, Gabrielle. “Some Memories of Pre-Dada: Picabia and Duchamp.” The Dada Painters and Poets: An Anthology, edited by Robert Motherwell, Wittenborn, Schultz, Inc., 1951, pp. 255-267. Print.

This essay provides a historical account of the social, personal, and even political nature of the Dada period. Buffet-Picabia’s observations focus on the relationships of and art produced by Marcel Duchamp and Francis Picabia. She places these two men as the leaders of the Dada movement and discusses how their extreme differences somehow made them similar. “Their roads ran parallel, magnetized by the same pole” (256). Furthermore, Buffet-Picabia praises their inspiration and minds for defining the nihilistic, nonsensical, and rebellious themes that define Dada, and puts their artistic transformations in geographical and chronological perspective, including the first world war. Buffet-Picabia’s prose style in this essay mirrors that of her essay on Arthur Cravan, “Arthur Cravan and American Dada.” Specifically, she concludes this essay by having the subject and content reflect each other. The last sentence begins with “Dada vanished one fine day” (267). The audience is left feeling like the essay does not have a well-defined conclusion or bold ending, just like Dada.

Loy, Mina. “Aphorisms on Futurism.” The Last Lunar Baedeker, edited by Roger L. Conover, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1996, pp. 149-152. Print.

Written in 1914, this work of prose by Loy functions similarly to a manifesto, projecting her political and social perspective. In the piece, Loy expresses and encourages Futurism, and reflects some of the structural patterns she utilizes in her “Feminist Manifesto,” like capitalized words, short sentences, and open space. Loy uses these stylistic choices to assist in her demanding and urgent tone, and further her purpose to advocate and convince others to reject past and current traditions and values and participate in aggressive and rapid social and political change.

Stein, Gertrude. “Composition as Explanation.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, 15 Feb. 2010, www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/69481/composition-as-explanation.

Written in 1926, this was first delivered as a lecture by Stein and is considered the first time that she ever addressed her approach and methods of writing. Stein still uses the same style of writing she is known for, including long sentences, thought-like structure, repeated words, and sometimes being difficult to follow. The work is presented as a personal explanation or confession of the struggles she experiences when writing. Those struggles are not only reflected in the subject but the content as well. Stein creates a confusing yet profound and raw expression, displayed through playing with words and language, which is prominent in avant-garde writing.

Secondary Sources:

Belli, Gabriella. “The End of the Artistic Object.” 1900-1919, The Avant-Garde Movements: Art of the Twentieth Century, Skira, 2006, pp. 397–412.

This article evaluates Dada revolution as a whole, which Francis Picabia was a large part of (mainly working in the shadows of Duchamp). The passage points out the complex nature of Dada while struggling to define it in an articulate manner. In a historical context, World War I had a unique impact on Dada causing artists and thinkers of the movement to spread, but the movement itself, according to Gabriella Belli, only spread outside of Europe once Duchamp and Picabia came to New York City. The passage also attributes a large amount of activity of the Dada movement to two events in 1917; the exhibition of the Society of Independent Artists and the lecture delivered by Arthur Cravan on modern art. Belli describes Picabia as coming alive as an artist during this period; before this, his art had not made a strong impact, while during Dada he was in the foreground. But what Belli also tries to put into question is whether Picabia actually enjoyed the Dada movement. Just because he fell into the spotlight thanks to Dadaism does not mean it was his passion; shortly after distributing Dada art Picabia turned to other art movements.

Camfield, William A. “The Machinist Style of Francis Picabia.” The Art Bulletin, vol. 48, no. 3/4, 1966, pp. 309–322. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3048388.

William Camfield focuses on a specific window of time in Francis Picabia’s eclectic art career. In the wake of the American Industrial Revolution, several Avant-Garde artists used machinery and technology to evoke and inspire their work. Francis Picabia, specifically during his visits to the United States in 1913 was fascinated with technology and its interaction with humans. Picabia’s machinist style articulated a perception of the 20^th century and the technology, overlapping with Dada and more broadly Modernist art. Picabia’s art in this stage of his career influenced other Modernist artists such as Alfred Stieglitz and Marius de Zayas. Camfield also points out the difficult nature of studying Picabia’s work first because he there were no true patterns in his work and the overall unpredictability, and second, that Picabia actually tried to hide his intention and meaning behind his artistic expression, and tried to keep his personal life (including his phases in and out of substance abuse, phases of depression and mental instability) behind closed doors. Because Camfield focuses on this narrow period of time, he does not reveal the influences or overlap of other artistic revelations that Picabia had such as his Cubist work or his Renaissance mocking work in the 1920s, nor does Camfield delve into the relationships that Picabia faced while forging through different avant-garde movements (such as Duchamp, Mina Loy and even his wife).

Camfield, William A. “Search for Self-Expression.” Francis Picabia, Princeton University Press, 1979, pp. 17–40.

William Camfield maps out the artistic journey and patterns that explain the different works of Francis Picabia in a scrupulous biography. Camfield tells Picabia’s story from beginning to end- but for the purposes of this project we selected a single chapter that we found most useful: “Search for Self-Expression”. This portion of the book discussing the beginning of the avant-garde portion of Picabia’s life, right after he married Gabrielle Buffet. Just before visiting New York City for the first time, Picabia appeared to have an “identity crisis”. There was an intersection of his cubist tendencies and his portfolio of pieces referred to as the Transparencies. Due to artists such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque popularizing cubism, this art movement became defined and more rigid, gradually turning Picabia away from Cubism entirely. Camfield argues that Picabia’s uncertainty for his own art in this portion of his life is caused by his marriage and honeymoon, along with the spread and popularization of Avant-Garde ideas as a whole (beyond the breaches of Italy and other contained parts of Europe). Picabia goes back and forth between showing his Avant-Garde nature and then again, a more traditionalist style, once again revealing the artistic depth and intricacy that lies within his artistic ability. Camfield argues that Picabia becoming the father of Dadaism came largely from this identity crisis, and Picabia finding Dadaism was like a personal revelation for Picabia.

Henderson, Linda Dalrymple. “Francis Picabia, Radiometers, and X-Rays in 1913.” The Art Bulletin, 71, no. 1, 1989, pp. 114–123. College Art Association, doi:10.1080/00043079.1989.10788481.

Linda Dalrymple Henderson focuses on Francis Picabia’s 1913 Mechanical Expression Seen through Our Own Mechanical Expression, pulling apart its meaning, context and most importantly the influence it had on the rest of Picabia’s work. This piece of work is the Segway from Picabia’s cubist work, into his mechanical driven drawings and other pieces. Henderson historicizes the painting in the context of scientific revelations in the 20th century.  The invention of the X-Ray (and its various parts) produced an entire new fascination with uncovering the body beyond that of crude imagery and played with the concept of gaze. This development showed in Picabia’s work and other Modernists. Picabia was especially drawn to this because he of his obsession to surpass human perception and reject the visual world.

Hofmann, Irene E. “Documents of Dada and Surrealism: Dada and Surrealist Journals in the Mary Reynolds Collection.” The Art Institute of Chicago Ryerson and Burnham Libraries, The Art Institute of Chicago, Apr. 2010. Web.

This essay is about the publications and journals on Dadaism that are in the Mary Reynolds collection. Hofmann organizes and analyzes the prominent figures of the movement by geographical location, and discusses the social and artistic characteristics of the figures in those places. In the section on New York, Hofmann claims that artists such as Duchamp, Picabia, and Man Ray were able to thrive because New York was home to many people with similar anti-war and nihilistic attitudes. She discusses the magazine 391 which Picabia edited in New York, and through Buffet-Picabia’s observations, addresses its dadaist themes. Picabia’s wife described the magazine as a success in representing the nihilistic spirit because it was “‘without other aim than to have no aim’” (Hofmann). Hofmann also discusses The Blind Man, a publication embracing a sisimilarly radical and provocative spirit as 391. Before the unfortunately short run of the publication was over, many key figures of Dada were published, including Buffet-Picabia.

Hopkins, David, and Paul Sloman. “Dada’s Potency: Francis Picabia’s the Blessed Virgin and the Dialogue with Duchamp.” Dada’s Boys: Masculinity after Duchamp, 2007, pp. 15–43.

David Hopkins analyzes the male artists of the Dada phase, concentrating on their gender role in their artistic approach. Hopkins claims that from the dynamics of Duchamp and Francis Picabia among other male Modernist artists show along with other an overarching theme of sexism, in particular, the criticism and erotic stigma around the female body. Hopkins breaks down individual paintings and works of art, analyzing both the feminine and masculine nature and counterparts and traits. La Sainte-Vierge (The Blessed Virgin) from Picabia is especially considered and debated by Hopkins. He tries to solidify a meaning or gendered standing on the painting “splattered” painting, which is ironic because of Picabia’s tendency to hide the true meaning of his work because of how playful and mischievous he could be.

Kamenish, Paula K. “Gabrielle Buffet and Germaine Everling: Picabia’s Cacodylic Eyes” Mamas of Dada: Women of the European Avant-Garde. University of South Carolina Press, 2015, pp. 37-65. Print.

In this chapter, Kamenish discusses Gabrielle Buffet and Germaine Everling, wife and mistress of Francis Picabia, respectively. The chapter presents these women as more than just witnesses of Picabia and other men’s work, but as artists and writers who “witnessed and recorded the birth, evolution and demise of Parisian Dada” (38). Kamenish does address continuously that Picabia’s overwhelming and flamboyant personality is partly to credit for their limited praise and recognition in the study and discussion of Dada. Furthermore, her analysis of both figures revolves around their early lives, works produced, social circles, and the effects their intimate relationships with Picabia had on their individual achievements. Kamenish argues that the women were extremely different. She finds Buffet to be “brilliant, well connected and assertive,” and thinks she would have had “a successful career as a writer or musician without” Picabia in her life (64). In contrast, Kamenish believes Everling was only accidentally involved with Dada because of Picabia, and argues that her work served to “validate her relationship with Picabia, for herself and for history,” since she perceived herself as nothing more than a “mistress and witness” (64).

Witham, Larry. Picasso and the Chess Player. University Press of New England, 2012, pp. 112-118.

In the beginning of Chapter 9, Witham describes Duchamp’s beginnings in New York, and the circle he became a part of. Witham established that Duchamp’s connection with Walter and Louise Arensberg gave him access and comfort in a high cultured group and experience that he may not have had without them. Arensberg was not an artist himself, however is wealth and education gained him power to participate in the modern art movements. Witham claims that Duchamp was the true center of attention, especially after Picabia had mental health issues. Witham delves into the habits of the artists and friends who convened at Arensberg’s apartment, and asserts that “art, sex, and alcohol” and “chess” became the language in this circle (114). Furthermore, Witham argues that the artists had extravagant and passionate lives in New York, and uses references to Gabrielle Buffet-Picabia to assert that that the main thing they had in common was that they “pursued the disintegration of the concept of art,” (118). Witham refers to Buffet-Picabia more than once when making his claims, and credits her by stating that she “chronicled the period” (114).

Tertiary Sources:

Francis, Mark. “Francis Picabia. Paris.” The Burlington Magazine, vol. 145, no. 1200, 2003, pp. 242–244. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3100654.

In a short excerpt of Burlington Magazine, Mark Francis unpacks Francis Picabia’s ecliptic artistic career by categorizing different styles or interests into “chapters” while simultaneously drawing on historical events that potentially impacted Picabia. Francis argues that despite the unpredictability of Picabia’s art, there was an overarching theme of authenticity. Being authentic is something Picabia both explored and mocked through his works. He wanted to escape the restraints of his classic art trained past and use art to fully portray where his mind was wandering on any given day and what issues or interest he was tackling in his life. But at the same time Picabia wanted to be a part of the reinvention of the limitations of art; and thus, wanted to press against the need for authenticity, which reflected in his early avant-garde pieces such as Jeune Fille and La Sainte Vierge. This same authenticity is what draws in a contemporary audience, Francis claims. The excerpt also states that Picabia was not and will not be remembered by his work in Cubism and Dada, but instead by his later work where he diverges from the rest of modernism art enthralling himself in his own fascinations. Francis is only truly skimming the surface of the various artistic phases Picabia went through, addressing mainly how he flourished as a Modernist artist in Paris while not even giving attention to the visits Picabia made to New York City in the early 20th century.[pdfjs-viewer url=”http%3A%2F%2Fcourses.suzannechurchill.com%2Feng394-f17%2Ffiles%2F2017%2F11%2FLeigha-and-Bean-Annontated-Bib.-Picabias.pdf” viewer_width=100% viewer_height=1360px fullscreen=true download=true print=true]