Thursday, July 22, 2010

Juan vs Georges. Emotion vs Rule.


Georges Braque, Woman with a Guitar, 1913, Centre Georges Pompidou, source [here]
Juan Gris; Harlequin with guitar, 1919, Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris, source [here]
Lyon, July 2010

I went to the Musee des Beaux Arts in Lyon about a week or so ago and found an amazing temporary Modernist exhibition entitled "The Emotion and the Rule."

It was somewhat based around the thoughts of two Modernist artists; Juan Gris and Georges Braques.

It was Georges that started it, musing; "J'aime l'emotion qui corrige la regle" (I love the emotion that corrects the rule). To which Juan replied with "C'est la regle qui doit corriger l'emotion" (It's the rule which must correct the emotion)

And, well, let's just say this exhibition came around in the right moment in my life. I'm totally on team Georges. I believe that it's the emotion that's always more important; in art, in literature and in life.

However, aesthetically speaking (and I know that Georges is the father of Cubism), it's Juan that I prefer, even though the philosphy behind his work is something I'm not that fond of.
Funny, isn't it?