Ma Jolie on my Mind…
I remember first seeing the tactile diagram of Ma Jolie by Pablo Picasso. The encounter struck me. The simplicity of the black-and-white drawing brings into sharp focus Picasso’s attempt to push the boundaries of what is possible. The work seems eager to break out of the established mental modes of seeing art. The tactile diagram relies on the frame through which art is viewed to ensure the viewer is ready to go on a new, uncharted journey. The desire for independence … to break free… is what makes the work so fraught with tension and why it made a deep impression on me.
I am partial to Modern art because it allows the exploration of new forms of expression. The experimental nature of the art produced required new ways of seeing that had to consider multiple viewpoints, which those from the Old Masters did not always allow. Even so, Ma Jolie is part of the thread in a long line from the Old Masters to now. To appreciate why Cubism was a novel concept in its time requires understanding the art that came before. And so, it stands on the shoulders of the very works it sought to disrupt.
Ma Jolie, therefore, raises the age-old question of whether we can create anything radically new without knowledge of the old, as explored by T.S. Eliot in his seminal essay, Tradition and the Individual Talent. Should a work of art be considered on its merit, or does it exist in dialogue with works of art produced in the past?
Often, we celebrate an artist for the exciting new ways they express existing ideas with their craft. Whether Marlon Brando as the brooding, raging brute, Stanley Kowalski, in his stage debut of A Streetcar Named Desire, or Njideka Akunyili and her collage paintings exploring issues of identity, space, and voice. We like to point out the distinct quality that separates artists from their predecessors and puts them in a different league from their contemporaries. When an artist rebels against an old movement or style, they acknowledge the tradition and, I dare say, venerate it.
These ideas have particular relevance for me since I work in the tech industry, which thrives on innovation and disruption. It is easy to look at a product like Uber and marvel at how it has completely revolutionized transportation networks. It is also easy to forget that it builds upon early breakthroughs by DARPA, the advancements of GPS by NASA, the opening up of the internet to civilians in the 90s, the role of AOL in enabling internet adoption among consumers, the rise of Google Maps, and the wide use of smartphones.
Looking back, what I liked most about the tactile diagram of Ma Jolie was seeing the early process of a great work of art in its most bare, raw form. It’s like the private study before the exam. Or the quiet rigor of the daily practice of an athlete before the glory of the Olympic win. Later on, I got to see the painting of Ma Jolie. Though it was undecipherable, it did not convey as much complexity or tension as the tactile had. Seeing the tactile first gave me a better appreciation for a painting whose complexity is now masked in color.
