Picasso's Drawings at the Frick Collection
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It’s the season for fall openings at New York’s museums and an exceptional exhibit of Picasso’s early drawings is now on display at the Frick Collection. The show is titled, “Picasso’s Drawings, 1890-1921: Reinventing Tradition,” and it offers a unique opportunity to gain an understanding of the roots of Picasso’s genius.
On display are Picasso’s earliest works including some pieces from private collections that have never been on view before. Curators have assembled this exhibition by borrowing from diverse sources including the Musee Picasso in Barcelona, the National Gallery in Washington and the Foundation Beyeler in Basel.
The sequence of the exhibit traces Picasso’s development from a classical master draftsman to the leading force in the modern art movement. The son of Jose Ruiz Blaso, a drawing instructor and provincial painter, Picasso started to draw at a very young age. At sixteen Picasso entered the Real Academia de Belles Arts de San Fernando in Madrid and a charcoal and black pencil drawing of a torso from that time shows his knowledge of proportion, linear perspective and form. After a few months he felt had learned all he could there and left. He returned to Barcelona and the show includes a self portrait he did in 1901 at the age of 20 showing a searching young man. In 1904 he moved to Paris, and many of the drawings in the show date from that era. On view are colorful and bold drawings that were the studies for Picasso’s “Les Demoiselles D’Avignon,” with brash brush strokes that were a departure from traditional techniques. One of the pleasures of looking at drawings rather than paintings is that you can see the artist at work; and in these studies Picasso played with the position of hands and feet, or the depiction of a head in profile or from behind.
As he developed he moved away from his classical training and started to play with form, decomposing his subjects into sleek planes and 
sharp angles. From 1909- 1914 he worked closely with Georges Braque and the exhibit includes several still lifes and an innovative collage, Composition with a Violin, done by Picasso that closely resembles Braque’s work. Picasso’s embrace of cubism is evident in his fractured charcoal drawings where the viewer looks hard to locate a stray foot or an eye in an effort to re-assemble the subject of the drawing.
Also on view are more classical portraits by Picasso of some of the era’s leading luminaries – including Stravinsky, and the art dealer Ambroise Vollard who gave Picasso his first one-man show.
Upstairs, there are several super-sized pastels of women that Picasso created during a summer in Fontainebleau in 1921 including “Woman with Flowered Hat” and the dramatic “Head of a Woman.” In these larger-than-life works, Picasso experimented with scale and monumentality and the drawings dwarf the small room in which they are hung. Don’t miss them on your way out.
Also take a few minutes to explore the Frick, originally a private mansion built in 1913-14 that spans an entire block of Fifth Avenue. The mansion was designed by architects Carrere and Hastings who also designed the New York Public Library. The beautiful interior courtyard surrounds a fountain as does the elegant exterior garden.
The Frick Collection
10 East 71st Street
New York, N.Y. 10021
To purchase tickets online, visit: http://www.frick.org/exhibitions/picasso/
Fall Entertainment: What to See, Read and Contemplate
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The other day, I went to the movies by myself. In the middle of the afternoon! I felt so…decadent. So free! I only manage do this a few times a year, but each time I do, I feel like I’ve taken a mini-vacation. I’m telling you, it’s better than a day at the spa. Well, it’s cheaper anyway. Now that I’ve done this, I have some things to discuss with you.
What I Saw: Of course, you already know the answer to this. I saw I Don’t Know How She Does It, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, based on the novel by Allison Pearson.
This is not a movie review, per se. I just want to clearly state that up front. Personally, I don’t like reading movie reviews. I enjoy writing them even less.
All I want from a review is for someone who is sort of like me to tell me whether or not to see the film. So I’m going to make my “review” short and sweet: Yes, you should see this movie. Because, yes, you will like it. Might you find SJP’s voiceovers annoying? Perhaps. But that’s only because every time SJP does a voiceover for the rest of eternity, we will think of Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City. Get over it, and see this likable, holds-a-window-up-to-your-life film.
Caveat: If you’re a very busy woman -- like the main character in this movie, perhaps -- and/or can only see movies on Saturday nights with your significant other, then you can wait until it’s out on DVD. That would be okay with me. But, should you find yourself with 92 spare minutes on your hands, and simultaneously be in need of a chick flick, by all means, go for it.
Instead of me telling you what to think of the film, here’s what we’ll do. You can email me after and let me know what you thought of it. Or, better, yet, share your criticisms below. (Of the movie! Not of me, thanks.)
What I’m Dying to See: Drive, starring Ryan Gosling. Why? Because I read a very positive, in-depth analysis of the film in an erudite periodical, stating that Drive is so much more than a car chase movie? Or perhaps because the film is receiving critical acclaim for its cinematic artistry from the who’s who of Hollywood, winning Best Director accolades at Cannes? No, because Ryan Gosling is a ridiculously beautiful man. Just between you and me, I think I’m in love with him. Like, if he came over to my house and asked me to run away with him, I would seriously consider it before closing the door on him and returning to my kitchen to make lunches for my kids. (Did you see Crazy Stupid Love? No? Ohmigod, you need to.) So, this Saturday night, my husband, Brett, and I have a date with Ryan, and if Brett knows what’s good for him, he will indulge me in this by rolling his eyes and smiling his cute dimples my way as the house lights dim.
If you were to interview Brett about this, he might say that he is secure in the fact that his slightly insane wife really loves him, and that Ryan Gosling wouldn’t really come knocking anyway. He might also say that Drive looks awesome, like The Town, only without the Boston accents. He might say that he loves when the line between good and evil characters is blurred, so that morality exists on a slippery slope.
And, he might add, there’s nothing wrong with an occasional car chase.
I might say that, after seeing Drive, add Blue Valentine and The Notebook to your Netflix cue and throw yourself a Gosling-athon. You won’t be sorry.
I’m also into Moneyball, starring Brad Pitt, for similarly profound reasons.
What I’m Not So Sure About: The Artist, a new, silent, black and white film by Michel Hazanavicius. The good news about this being a completely silent film is that, since the actors are French, The Artist doesn’t require subtitles for us Americans who can’t speak French. That’s ingenious!
But seriously, I saw the preview for this film and I can’t quite decide what to make of it. Hokey? Magical? Somewhere in between? Readers: let me know if I should see it.
What to Watch on TV: I love watching television. I’m not sure if that’s a politically correct thing to say, but it’s true. I do. And sometimes, I even watch television with my children. Like, my 9-year-old son, Andrew, and I are into reality shows, from Top Chef and Showhouse Showdown to The Sing-Off and American Idol.
But I’m in need of a new show. I have some room in my line-up, now that Entourage is over. I’m thinking that what I need is funny. There are a bunch of new comedies airing this month, from Are You There Vodka? It’s Me Chelsea to Betty White’s Off Your Rocker. (No, I’m not messing with you. Sadly, these are real shows.) I caught 2 Broke Girls on CBS on Monday night, and I’ve gotta say, it was pretty entertaining. The show is written by Whitney Cummings, who will also star in her own show, Whitney, airing Thursday nights on NBC at 9:30. I’m curious. I’m tuning in. I’m also watching Up All Night, starring Will Arnett, Christina Applegate, and Maya Rudolf.
What about you? What are you watching and what have you already decided is too stupid for words?
Speaking of words, here’s something I read this summer: The Red Thread, by Anne Hood. A beautiful, touching story of several
families adopting baby girls from China. The story is told from many points of view, giving you a look at the husbands and wives who wish to adopt, those that have mixed feelings, and even showing the point of view of Chinese women who have to give up their daughters.
What I’m reading next: The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. To quote Amazon, “Set during the hazy, enchanting, and martini-filled world of New York City circa 1938, Rules of Civility follows three friends--Katey, Eve, and Tinker--from their chance meeting at a jazz club on New Year's Eve through a year of enlightening and occasionally tragic adventures.” If you liked The Paris Wife – and I did – then this seems like another satisfying, historical tale. A good book group pick, too!
What’s on your bookshelf? What movies and TV shows rock your fall season? Share below.
The first three to write in will get a compilation CD of my new favorite music. (Teaser tracks: You and I by Lady Gaga – so not her standard sound -- and Flower by Amos Lee.)
Sleepy Hollow Country's Halloween Experiences Expand to 53 Performances
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This year, see more than 4,000 hand-carved jack o' lanterns at Blaze; more than 40 ghoulish actors at Horseman's Hollow and one master storyteller at Irving's Legend. By popular demand, Historic Hudson Valley is expanding its Halloween themed portfolio of special events, which drew more than 100,000 visitors last year.
Kicking off Oct. 1 and continuing on 21 selected evenings through Nov. 6, The Great Jack O’ Lantern Blaze is the tri-state area’s biggest all-ages Halloween extravaganza. An ancient Greek scene with mythological creatures, a pasture with ‘roaming’ skeletal sheep, and King Kong perched high on a building are some of the new jack o’lantern installations included in this massive display of Halloween-inspired creativity. A small team of artists come together to carve more than 4,000 jacks, many fused together in enormous and elaborate constructions, all lit up throughout the wooded walkways, orchards, and gardens of historic Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.
Washington Irving’s macabre tale The Legend of Sleepy Hollow inspires Horseman’s Hollow, an interactive haunted attraction
Legend Celebration at Washington Irving’s Sunnyside is a daytime prelude to these evening events. Storytellers and magicians are just some of the colorful characters that perform for all ages, and visitors are encouraged to come in costume.
All events are held rain or shine. Buy tickets online at www.hudsonvalley.org or by calling 914-631-8200 ($2 per ticket surcharge for phone orders).
New Scarsdale Orchestra to Host First Concert this Weekend
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The Ars Viva Chamber Orchestra (AVCO) with Musical Director Jesse Henkensiefken will be hosting their first benefit concert this Saturday, August 20th 2011 at 6:00pm in Scarsdale. The event is titled “Tour de France” and will include an array of French wines and champagnes paired with French composers. There will be an international line-up of AVCO personnel performing works by Ravel, Debussy, Saint Saens, Barriere, Satie and Delibes. Artists to perform include Russian pianist Tatiana Tessman, London soprano Alison Buchanan, and Director Jesse Henkensiefken and Julliard cellist Serafim Smigelskiy. Tickets can be bought through Paypal by clicking here. Tickets and event location will be sent electrically upon purchase. All ticket sales and donations will help fund the upcoming 2011-2012 season.
A native of Kansas, Musical Director Henkensiefken moved to New York with his wife Tatania when she was accepted at the Manhattan School of Music were she currently is working on her DMA in Piano Performance. The two began to teach cello and piano to Scarsdale students and got to know a few families in the area. Henkensiefken garnered support to move his Midwest Ars Viva Chamber Orchestra to New York and held meetings with some local organizations about creating a concert series. This Saturday will be their first Benefit Concert for the 2011-2012 season. The Ars Viva Chamber Orchestra (AVCO) is already planning to collaborate with the Scarsdale Ballet Studio and the Scarsdale New Choral Society for the first season. The orchestra will include musicians from Scarsdale and Westchester as well as some players from the city who were originally in the Midwest ensemble.
2011-2012 Season highlights include:
- All American Composers Kids Concert – Copland Appalachian Spring, Barber Summer of Knoxville with Soprano Alison Buchanan and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue featuring Tatiana Tessman. Event also includes student raffle to conduct the orchestra and instrument petting zoo.
- String Extravagaza – Senior Citizen Concert with performer meet and greet reception – Tchaikovsky and Suk String Serenades.
- Baroque by Candlelight – Works by Handel, Bach and Vivaldi and collaboration with Scarsdale Ballet Studio.
- Season Finale – Russian Explosions – Stravinsky Dumbarton Oaks, Prokofiev Lt Kiji Suite and Rachmaninoff Piano Concert No. 3 with Tatiana Tessman.
To donate or learn more about Ars Viva visit www.arsvivamusic.com .
Free Outdoor Concert at Chase Park
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After spending the afternoon bargain hunting at LF at the Scarsdale Village Sidewalk Sale and enjoying an al fresco dinner at Chat,it was time for the free concert in Chase Park. The Westchester Band Orchestra, conducted by Alan Hollander put on a great show.
The normally quiet Scarsdale Village in the evening, was alive with music, friends and families, young and old. From show tunes to pop songs, people were singing along and tapping their toes. Everyone had a great time. The free concerts will continue on Thursday nights until August 11th. Make sure you get a chance to experience music in the park and make sure you bring a lawn chair.
