Picasso: From the ordinary, to the extraordinary

By Jonathan Shih 

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." (Pablo Picasso)

I take this phrase attributed to the great Spanish artist as a starting point for a broader reflection on art and, in a broader sense, creativity.

Picasso is captured here at the age of 76, in a moment of contemplation, surrounded by his works, notebooks, musical instruments, books, and ceramics. Everything speaks of his activity, of the relentless search he had pursued for six decades and would continue tirelessly for two more.

Here, I do not intend to evaluate Picasso's art, his style, or his role in 20th-century painting, nor to comment on his personal or character traits. Instead, I want to highlight action versus inaction, and creation versus destruction (in the sense of criticism and continuous lament toward the world and others).

Picasso is an artist in constant motion, in perpetual exploration, an artist who surpasses himself every day, drawing inspiration from everything: reality, diverse cultures, and different eras. Picasso saw Cézanne and African art, which led to the birth of Cubism. Picasso confronts the human tragedy of a friend's suicide, giving rise to the Blue Period. Picasso encounters war and paints Guernica. Picasso studies Velázquez and begins a series of reinterpretations of Las Meninas. And the list could go on.

Returning to the initial quote (and it matters little whether it is truly his), with this attitude toward life, the dust truly cannot settle on our souls: each day is a challenge, a stimulus to do better, to evolve, and to share one’s progress with others. From the ordinary, art transports us to the extraordinary.