Day 3 - 247 -- Construction of Self

When speaking about his cubist paintings of humans, Picasso stated that the paintings deconstructed the human form -- the very form that we use to construct notions of self. Looking at some of these paintings (and ceramics, sculptures, prints and such) seems difficult to fathom. If I look long enough I can begin to see the body shown on different planes but now one on top of the other in a 2-D canvas. One I recall seeing was the head of a man wearing a hat. The right side of the canvas was distinct, yet the left side made the face and hat indistinguishable -- one can't tell where the face ends and the hat begins. It made me smile, for I thought isn't that interesting. Our choice of a hat to wear is an expression of self -- and here Picasso was showing that very concept.

We all see ourselves very differently from others -- the us we see in the mirror and the us we see with our minds. Artistic expression shows a rendering of either self or other -- but only one of the many views of self we have and it even could be one that we don't realize we have. How we see each other is different between people, too. We can learn from what others see in us. We can also learn that what some see in us is really what they see in themselves -- they need company in that dark place in which they dwell. We need to find a way to see ourselves more clearly -- yet another activity that takes bravery <smile>.

The song I share today was written by a rock idol. It speaks to the man that began my mind wandering today -- a man who lived life with passion, even when others didn't agree with his choices. The singer/songwriter changed tempo and melody a bit throughout the recording -- this seems to follow the friends drinking after their host left and may even represent some of Picasso's cubist and representational artworks.  Enjoy!

Picasso's Last Words -- Paul McCartney and Wings