Synthetic Cubism

In 1912, Picasso took the conceptual representation of Cubism to its logical conclusion by pasting an actual piece of oilcloth onto the canvas. This was a key watershed in Modern Art. By incorporating the real world into the canvas, Picasso and Braque opened up a century''''s worth of exploration in the meaning of Art.

Some of the finest Synthetic Cubist work, both visually and conceptually, are the collages. I highly recommend the stimulating Picasso and Braque: A Symposium, published in association with the "Picasso and Braque: Pioneering Cubism exhibition of 1992. The world''''s leading art scholars offer incisive essays and round table discussions of Cubism. This book changed my entire conception of what art really is.