March 2014

Methodist University in Fayetteville, NC, Offers Exhibition of Ceramics by Picasso

Methodist University in Fayetteville, NC, is presenting Picasso: 25 Years of Edition Ceramics from the Rosenbaum Collection, on view in the David McCune International Art Gallery, through Apr. 13, 2014.

The exhibition presents a selection of the ceramics created by Pablo Picasso in collaboration with George and Suzanne Ramie and the artisans at their Madoura pottery workshop in Vallauris, Southern France, between the years 1947 and 1971. The exhibition consists of 40 ceramic works - plates, bowls, pitchers, vases, and plaques - in addition to posters and other memorabilia.

The show’s stop at the David McCune International Art Gallery at Methodist University is part of a national tour, with Methodist being the only North Carolina and South Atlantic venue. The event is possible thanks to community sponsors, including premiere sponsorship from Cumberland County Tourism Development Authority; ARCO; and Janet Parks, gallery consultant for the David McCune International Art Gallery.

“Picasso is an artist that most people recognize, and have strong opinions about, and this is the type of show that people will travel to see,” said Gallery Director Silvana Foti. “A Picasso show is something that we would normally find in a more metropolitan area. Without the support of our community sponsors, we wouldn’t have been able to bring a name like Picasso to the gallery. This exhibit is also intriguing because we can take a less-known aspect of Picasso’s work - his ceramic art - and we could bring it to the public eye.”

Internationally famed for his paintings, sculptures, and graphics, Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was long intrigued by ceramics. After seeing the works of the Madoura potters at a crafts fair in 1946, he asked Georges and Suzanne Ramie, owners of the studio, to provide him with the opportunity to work with ceramics. The workshop system they established - where the artist is paired with highly trained assistants to produce finished works - was a familiar one to Picasso who had similar experiences working in printmaking and sculpture workshops. For the next 25 years, he closely collaborated with Madoura, producing his own thrown pieces as well as the edition ceramics seen in this exhibit. Picasso’s involvement in the edition ceramics varied by piece. He sometimes made the clay molds used for the designs, at other times he painted plates or pitchers that subsequently served as models for the editions. Picasso and Madoura’s artisans then finished the prototypes and the editions were produced.

Picasso and the Madoura studio produced 633 different plates, bowls, vases and pitchers in limited editions ranging from 25 to 500. The works in the exhibition come primarily from the collection of Marvin Rosenbaum of Boca Raton, FL. Rosenbaum has been collecting Picasso ceramics for more than 40 years and has become a well-respected expert in the field, possessing more than 100 pieces in his collection. He has traveled to Vallauris, France, to visit the Madoura Pottery workshop to acquire works and to meet with Alan Ramie, the son of the workshop’s founders.

The exhibition was curated by Gerald Nordland, noted author and independent curator, and former director of the San Francisco Art Museum, the Milwaukee Art Museum, and the Wight Gallery, UCLA. Landau Traveling Exhibitions of Los Angeles, CA, organized the exhibition and national museum tour.

Methodist University is an independent four-year institution of higher education with over 2,400 students from 41 states and 53 countries. Methodist University offers over 80 majors and concentrations, 100 clubs and organizations, four master’s degree programs, and 20 NCAA III intercollegiate sports. To learn more about Methodist University visit (www.methodist.edu).

For further information check our NC Institutional Gallery listings, call the gallery at 910/425-5379 or visit (www.DavidMcCuneGallery.org).

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