Gertrude Stein's poem, "If I Told Him - A Completed Portrait of Picasso" can be read and listened to here. (The audio version is good for a laugh.)
And here's Picasso's painting of Gertrude Stein:
I think that covers everything.
And here's Picasso's painting of Gertrude Stein:
I think that covers everything.
Two things occur to me. Firstly, although I love Modernist texts (from the period), is that because of the context? Stein was innovative; someone using repetitions and fragments in the same way today would be pretentious, maybe. When the modernists changed all before them, it was a reaction against the vulgar, the staid, the average. So, where does that leave us all?
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I thought whoever had spent weeks on Audacity snipping and shifting Stein to a clicktrack had done a great job! I fed my five-month old whilst listening to it: it made him smile! That's usually a good indicator of value, regardless of ideology. (He cries when I play the chords to 'Dancin' On The Ceiling', so there you go.)
I think the poem works regardless of context - if I'd been told it was written by a new writer in 2012 rather than Stein, I'd still think it was great.
ReplyDeletewow.thats nice Blog.
ReplyDeleteSometimes having lots of super thick is a paint in the butt,
but I just can't ever imagine paying so much for some picture.
Pablo Picasso