| A few years ago I had the good fortune | | | | that is often seen in works alluding to |
| to visit Barcelona for a week and feast | | | | something higher or deeper but lacking |
| my eyes and heart on that city's rich | | | | any solid foundation. How can I say |
| visual heritage. During this time I | | | | this? Well I can only go on my inner |
| visited the Picasso museum, which | | | | feeling when I look at art and if a |
| chronicles his life by displaying | | | | piece moves me then I am grateful and |
| drawings, paintings and sculptures | | | | encouraged, and if it doesn't move me, |
| selected from his prolific output. It | | | | then I move on.I would like to recommend |
| does appear true that in his youth he | | | | Masaccio (1401-1428) to anyone that has |
| could draw as well as many a master | | | | not heard of him. He is regarded as the |
| before him. `Conventional' in execution, | | | | first great painter of the Italian |
| his early drawings are testament to his | | | | Renaissance and greatly influenced those |
| huge talent and skill, which he used in | | | | who came after him. I love his work not |
| various ways throughout his career.As | | | | because of his ground-breaking use of |
| Picasso went through life, he seemed to | | | | perspective, but for the power and |
| be searching for a way to draw like a | | | | emotion that underpin them. Two of his |
| child again and produce works that had | | | | pictures that move me most profoundly |
| the simplicity and spontaneous magic of | | | | are frescoes painted for the Brancacci |
| a child's creation. However, there is a | | | | Chapel, Italy. They are: `Saint Peter |
| period in his life around 1922-23 when | | | | Baptizing' and `The Expulsion of Adam |
| he produced the works that I love the | | | | and Eve from Paradise'. These contain a |
| most. I have a card entitled `Mother and | | | | volcanic energy that simmers and boils, |
| Child', a reproduction of a Picasso | | | | barely contained within the painted |
| whose original is currently in the | | | | surface of the works. It came as no |
| Baltimore Museum of Art that is so | | | | surprise to me that he was a deeply |
| beautiful it almost makes me weep to see | | | | spiritual person and his religious works |
| it. It shows two figures so utterly at | | | | reflect this. In contrast, many of those |
| ease with each other, in a soft and | | | | who came after him produced work that |
| tender exchange that it conveys | | | | was technically more advanced and |
| perfection in contentment and mutual | | | | refined but lacking spiritual depth. |
| self-absorption.Softness and tenderness | | | | Michelangelo had power, Raphael had |
| are two qualities that actually rarely | | | | refinement, Leonardo had vision, but |
| appeal to me in the art world, which is | | | | Masaccio had Purity and for me, Purity |
| funny as these heart qualities often | | | | winsEd Silverton is an artist from |
| come to the fore when I'm trying to do | | | | Bristol. He studied art at Bristol |
| something myself. Maybe it's because so | | | | College and works as a freelance artist |
| much of what is in the art- world does | | | | specialising in ceramics and pottery. |
| not appeal to me that I welcome the | | | | His work embodies beauty and simplicity. |
| `justice-light' aspect of powerful art. | | | | His art is influenced by his meditation |
| I imagine it cutting through the dross | | | | teacher Sri Chinmoy who is also an |
| of mediocrity and soppy sentimentality | | | | artist himself. |