Literature Review: The Picabia\u2019s<\/p>\n
Bean Rodriguez and Leigha Nortier<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The relationship between Francis Picabia and his ex-wife Gabrielle Buffet is a complicated and practically undefined on both the personal and artistic level. This is due to both the private nature of Picabia, as revealed by Hopkins and Sloman in <\/span>Dada’s Boys: Masculinity after Duchamp<\/span><\/i>, and also the lack of discourse that is available on Buffet.<\/span><\/p>\n Although Buffet was immersed in the same social circles as Picabia, she has received limited recognition other than her personal insights and published essays on the prominent artists of the Dada movement. Paula Kamenish in her book <\/span>Mamas of Dada <\/span><\/i>is one of very few authors that spends much time discussing Buffet, however, she devotes a whole chapter to Gabrielle Buffet and Germaine Everling \u2013 Picabia\u2019s wife and mistress, respectively. Kamenish explains that Buffet and her work tends to be overlooked, and that both women, as well as others, are often overlooked because of their male lovers\u2019 success as artists. Despite the unbalanced historical recording, Kamenish does establish the importance of Buffet\u2019s work: \u201cBuffet\u2019s writings on art and literature deserve critical attention; her firsthand observations and stylistically precise prose resulted in valuable historical and literary documents in the study of the avant-garde\u201d (Kamenish 38). In contrast to other authors, like William Camfield, Kamenish portrays Picabia as superfluous man, who does not take the time to respect Buffet\u2019s work. He is not an artistic god in her words, but rather a self-absorbed, and rather disdain man. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In <\/span>The Dada Painters and Poets: An Anthology<\/span><\/i>, compiled by Robert Motherwell, two of Buffet\u2019s essays are presented, one on Arthur Craven and his life during the avant-garde movements, and another on Picabia and Duchamp\u2019s role in the Dada movement. Both of these essays by Buffet prove why authors like Larry Witham, in his book, <\/span>Picasso and the Chess Player <\/span><\/i>(which analyzes the life of Picasso and Duchamp in detail) quote Buffet so frequently, but do not write a book about her. Her writing is detailed, observant and provides access into the personal, artistic, political, and social lives of the most prominent artists of the period, but she almost never discusses herself unless it is relevant to the story of someone else. Even though she is necessary for the tales and scholarly research of others, no one has a lot of information specifically about her.<\/span><\/p>\n Picabia, on the other hand, was not only a popular artist but was heavily discussed and debated by critics of his time. He is still heavily debated and included in present day discourse on the avant-garde overall and the various art movements he was involved in, such as cubism and Dadaism. Because of his radical nature he is seen as a pioneer of these art movements; Picabia was unafraid to experiment and unafraid of what critics had to say. Adding to his involvement in the avant-garde, his close relationship with Duchamp, who is considered to be one of the fathers of the avant-garde, Picabia is associated with the central discussion and historic studies of the avant-garde. According to Hopkins and Sloman in their book <\/span>Dada’s Boys: Masculinity after Duchamp<\/span><\/i>, Picabia was eager to spread avant-garde art, especially the dimensions of the movement that he picked up while he visited New York around 1915. Picabia mirrored the magazines, publications and galleries that he was apart on the state side of the Atlantic Ocean. He helped to spread the avant-garde in various parts of Spain, Paris and Zurich (19, 20).<\/span><\/p>\n Camfield, in his article, <\/span>\u201cThe Machinist Style of Francis Picabia\u201d, focuses on the technology obsession Picabia went through. Picabia liked to represent humans in these drawings (often to make fun of them) but also was fascinated with the interaction of the human body and the mechanics of new technologies that were emerging. He used the portions of cameras, light bulbs, and gears to name a few examples. Camfield also explained the relationships that Picabia had while discussing this phase in his art because of how much it impacted his representations of machines. In the piece<\/span> Ici, C’est Ici Stieglitz Foit et Amour<\/span><\/i> (1915), for example, Picabia insults <\/span>Alfred Stieglitz, a photographer that Picabia had a falling out with.<\/span><\/p>\n On the other hand, outside of Picabia\u2019s tragic relationships and dramatic falling outs, his relationship with Duchamp was very cohesive. Duchamp\u2019s and Picabia\u2019s relationship, beyond causing each artist to reap amazing career benefits from one other, was potentially seen as homosocial, as pointed out by Hopkins and Sloman in <\/span>Dada’s Boys: Masculinity after Duchamp.<\/span><\/i> The two authors question whether Picabia and Duchamp simply had an artistic relationship, a close homosocial relationship, or if there was potentially a homosexual relationship. This theory brings into question the relationship of Picabia and Buffet, and potentially why she did not include herself in her essays about Duchamp and Picabia.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bibliography<\/p>\n Belli, Gabriella. \u201cThe End of the Artistic Object.\u201d\u00a01900-1919, The Avant-Garde Movements: Art of the Twentieth Century<\/em>, Skira, 2006, pp. 397\u2013412.<\/p>\n Camfield, William A. \u201cThe Machinist Style of Francis Picabia.\u201d\u00a0The Art Bulletin<\/em>, vol. 48, no. 3\/4, 1966, pp. 309\u2013322.\u00a0JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org\/stable\/3048388.<\/p>\n Camfield, William A. \u201cSearch for Self-Expression.\u201d\u00a0Francis Picabia<\/em>, Princeton University Press, 1979, pp. 17\u201340.<\/p>\n Druick, Douglass, editor. The Essential Guide<\/em>. The Art Institute of Chicago, 2013.<\/p>\n Henderson, Linda Dalrymple. \u201cFrancis Picabia, Radiometers, and X-Rays in 1913.\u201d\u00a0The Art Bulletin, 71, no. 1, 1989, pp. 114\u2013123.\u00a0College Art Association, doi:10.1080\/00043079.1989.10788481.<\/p>\n Hopkins, David, and Paul Sloman. \u201cDada’s Potency: Francis Picabia’s the Blessed Virgin and the Dialogue with Duchamp.\u201d Dada’s Boys: Masculinity after Duchamp, 2007, pp. 15\u201343.<\/p>\n Kamenish, Paula K. \u201cGabrielle Buffet and Germaine Everling: Picabia’s Cacodylic Eyes\u201d Mamas of Dada: Women of the European Avant-Garde<\/em>. University of South Carolina Press, 2015. Print.<\/p>\n Motherwell, Robert, editor. The Dada Painters and Poets: An Anthology<\/em>. Wittenborn, Schultz, Inc., 1951, pp. 13-17, 255-267. Print.<\/p>\n Naumann, Francis M. \u201cFrancis Picabia .\u201d New York Dada, 1915-23<\/em>, Harry N. Abrams, 1994, pp. 56\u201375.<\/p>\n Witham, Larry. \u201cParisian in America.\u201d Picasso and the Chess Player<\/em>. University Press of New England, 2012, pp. 112-119, https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=6xkkSVZz_OYC&pg=PA114&lpg=PA114&dq=gabrielle+buffet+picabia+arsenburg+apartment&source=bl&ots=nF05rHy7mu&sig=FLuNuCGcFvKW-c8gpQyIDyZMBAM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi1nu_k-6XWAhWo5lQKHdUiB5UQ6AEIUTAM#v=onepage&q&f=false<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Secondary Source Reports:<\/p>\n Dada’s Boys: Masculinity after Duchamp<\/em> by David Hopkins and Paul Sloman<\/p>\n Hopkins, David, and Paul Sloman. \u201cDada’s Potency: Francis Picabia’s the Blessed Virgin and the Dialogue with Duchamp.\u201d Dada’s Boys: Masculinity after Duchamp<\/em>, 2007, pp. 15\u201343.<\/p>\n \u201cPicabia was embroiled in Paris Dada, but there can be little doubt that the mocking and iconoclastic tone of his Dada activities had been established in the company of Duchamp in New York between 1915 and 1917\u201d (17)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Picabia\u2019s close relationship with Duchamp impacted his strength and leveraged his influence within the art world. Picabia was able to spread the avant-garde movement through Europe because of what he learned in New York, especially during his first visit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n III. Structure <\/strong><\/p>\n Hopkins and Sloman create and develop theories on both the dynamics of the relationships of Dada artists, and also the meaning or intention of the art they develop. By historically analyzing the products of the male Dada artists of the movement, and presenting the artwork alongside their evaluation the authors are able to build a meaning-making and further solidify their argument.<\/p>\n The authors also concentrate on their gender role in the Dada artists\u2019 approaches and techniques. Hopkins and Sloman claim that from the dynamics of Duchamp and Francis Picabia among other male Modernist artists work to develop an overarching theme of sexism, in particular, the criticism and erotic stigma around the female body. La Sainte-Vierge (The Blessed Virgin)<\/em> from Picabia is especially considered and debated by Hopkins and Sloman, as it triggers the conversation of the voyeurism of the male onto the female body within the Dada art movement, being one of the earlier, pioneer pieces. They try to solidify a meaning or gendered standing on the \u201csplattered\u201d painting, which is ironic because of Picabia\u2019s tendency to hide the true meaning of his work.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n New York Dada, 1915-23 <\/em>by Francis M. Naumann<\/p>\n Naumann, Francis M. \u201cFrancis Picabia .\u201d New York Dada, 1915-23<\/em>, Harry N. Abrams, 1994, pp. 56\u201375.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>\u201cNo matter what critics of the day might have thought of these pictures they are among Picabia\u2019s most accomplished and resolved works of these years\u201d (57)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Picabia, because he was such a pioneer of avant-garde art, in particular, the Dada art movement, he was often scrutinized. But, because of the lasting impact he made in art as a whole he was extremely successful despite what critics said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n III. Structure <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Beginning with the first time Picabia arrived in New York City and then chronologically building from there, Naumann focuses on the artwork that Picabia published throughout out his career. By focusing on his artwork and the waves it made within the New York avant-garde groups Naumann positions himself in a way where he can analyze the relationships Picabia had with other artists, revealing how he was influenced and how he influenced others. After analyzing various pieces of art and specific moments in Picabia\u2019s life, Naumann then tries to measure the success of Picabia. Naumann reveals Picabia as being influential and impactful compared to other artists due to his originality and boldness.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Mamas of Dada: Women of the European Avant-Garde<\/em>: Paula K. Kamenish<\/p>\n Kamenish, Paula K. \u201cGabrielle Buffet and Germaine Everling: Picabia’s Cacodylic Eyes\u201d Mamas of Dada: Women of the European Avant-Garde<\/em>. University of South Carolina Press, 2015. Print.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The themes discussed in this chapter center around the fact that both of these ladies were in a relationship with Picabia, because of this Buffet and Everling saw and experienced Picabia\u2019s role in the beginning, development, and end of Dada. The chapter addresses their participation and observations during these phases.<\/p>\n In the beginning of this chapter Kamenish introduces both Buffet and Everling, and established their connection – Buffet being Picabia\u2019s wife and Everling being his mistress. She describes how their relationships with Picabia impacted their participation and role in the Paris Dada movement and the avant-garde at large. When focusing on Buffet\u2019s life, Kamenish discusses her younger years, including her talent and passion for music, that is until she met Picabia in 1908. She claims that men like Apollinaire and Arp encouraged Buffet\u2019s musical and writing talents later in her life; however, she and Everling were both overlooked due to Picabia\u2019s overwhelming presence. Kamenish then focuses on what Buffet is most valued for historically: her observations and descriptions. She contrasts Buffet\u2019s \u201crefreshingly unprejudiced analysis of the period\u201d with the \u201cself-interested recollections of Picabia, Breton, or Tzara\u201d and other writers of the time (Kamenish 40). Following this, Kamenish gives accounts of where and when Buffet and Picabia were in America, Paris or Zurich, addressing their nomadic life, especially during and after the war. Kamenish claims that Buffet\u2019s writing shifted during all her moving, and by 1919 her writing changes: \u201cFrom her scholarly analyses of contemporary music and art, she moved to an experimental prose and verse\u201d (Kamenish 47). Kamenish concludes with brief description of Buffet\u2019s later life, after divorcing Picabia, and her involvement with the Resistance movement, and says that Buffet was still writing about Dada at age 96 in 1976.<\/p>\n The strategies and techniques that Kamenish employs, and I find worth recognizing include her casual yet informative voice, use of dates, and incorporation of quotes and perspectives of multiple artists. The chapter reminds me of a reality show because of how Kamenish dives into the personal relationships of the Picabia\u2019s and Everling. Her voice is casual, yet reveals and exposes the intimate details of their lives. Her use of dates is not too overwhelming and brought up at key moments; for example, when Buffet and Picabia met in 1908, in 1920 when there was the Dada explosion in Paris, when Buffet\u2019s writing took a large shift in Zurich 1919, the Picabia\u2019s divorce before 1930, and similar important dates. The use of quotes by men like Arp and Apollinaire were also great insights because it was a third party, that revealed how much Buffet was overlooked. Arp saw her as \u201ca beaming prominence of every color of the rainbow,\u201d \u201ca whimsical and seductive woman\u201d and Apollinaire felt she was talented and encouraged her to publish her work (Kamenish 46,38).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Picasso and the Chess Player<\/em> by Larry Witham<\/p>\n Witham, Larry. \u201cParisian in America.\u201d Picasso and the Chess Player<\/em>. University Press of New England, 2012, pp. 112-118, https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=6xkkSVZz_OYC&pg=PA114&lpg=PA114&dq=gabrielle+buffet+picabia+arsenburg+apartment&source=bl&ots=nF05rHy7mu&sig=FLuNuCGcFvKW-c8gpQyIDyZMBAM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi1nu_k-6XWAhWo5lQKHdUiB5UQ6AEIUTAM#v=onepage&q&f=false<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt was a tiny center of cutting-edge artists, a group that Picabia had met in 1913, opening the way for him to illustrate covers for Stieglitz\u2019s 291<\/em> magazine\u201d (Witham 113).<\/p>\n This chapter focuses on the group of artists in New York, including Duchamp, Picabia and Buffet, and discusses their presence and relationships as artists as participants in the avant-garde movement.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The chapter begins by discussing Duchamp\u2019s arrival and beginnings in New York. Witham introduces Duchamp\u2019s relationship with Arensberg and the circle of artists that gathered at Arensberg\u2019s apartment, as well as gives a brief history of Arensberg. Then, Witham established that Picabia and Buffet are some of the other French artists who arrived in New York before Duchamp, and that Picabia would have likely been the star of the Armory Show if it weren\u2019t for Duchamp. He claims that besides \u201cart, sex, and alcohol, the other international language at the Arensberg parties was chess,\u201d and then goes into a description of Duchamp\u2019s chess skills (114). Witham then evaluates Picabia\u2019s decline as a modernist painter in the 1920\u2019s, which he contributes to a nervous or mental breakdown. His art, according to Witham was mostly in \u201ctandem with his attacks on whomever and whatever he disliked\u201d (119). Witham contains his focus on Duchamp and Picabia, and only really mentions Buffet a few times when quoting her for something she said or wrote about Duchamp and\/or Picabia.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Witham does not use a lot of significant strategies, however, his use of quotations, references to inner circle individuals, and selective but informative use of parentheses for details contributed to his analysis. The use of quotations and references to inner circle individuals sort of go hand in hand, and typically overlap. Much of the quotes are from the artists and their friends during the time; they are great first-hand accounts and were much more interesting and intriguing than someone not in the inner circle. For example, he quotes Mabel Dodge, Gabrielle Buffet, Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, Dreier, Francis Picabia, and Ezra Pound. The use of parentheses for details such as the title of the 291 <\/em>Gallery being from its address, Picabia\u2019s father being Cuban and him leaving the army due to mental health, Duchamp being a possible romantic interest to Dreier, and other small but helpful notes gave me a better and more accessible understanding of the content being discussed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Literature Review: The Picabia\u2019s Bean Rodriguez and Leigha Nortier The relationship between Francis Picabia and his ex-wife Gabrielle Buffet is a complicated and practically undefined on both the personal and artistic level. This is due to both… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":189,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ag-lit-rev"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.suzannechurchill.com\/eng394-f17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3512","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.suzannechurchill.com\/eng394-f17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.suzannechurchill.com\/eng394-f17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.suzannechurchill.com\/eng394-f17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/189"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.suzannechurchill.com\/eng394-f17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3512"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/courses.suzannechurchill.com\/eng394-f17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3512\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3589,"href":"https:\/\/courses.suzannechurchill.com\/eng394-f17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3512\/revisions\/3589"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.suzannechurchill.com\/eng394-f17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.suzannechurchill.com\/eng394-f17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.suzannechurchill.com\/eng394-f17\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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