Peake/Picasso

Photograph of Channning Peake and Pablo Picasso together.

Peake/Picasso looks at the unique friendship between two artists: Channing Peake (1910–1989) and Pablo Picasso (1881–1973). Through photographs, prints, sculptures, drawings, paintings and ephemera from the 1940s–60s the exhibition will examine similarities in their artistic practices and lay bare their playful camaraderie. Their shared love of abstraction and an interest in the American west served as an important lynchpin in their relationship. In Picasso, Peake found similarities with his own artistic vision which privileged abstraction over realism and was based on investigating form and color. In Peake, Picasso found not only a fellow artist with whom to discuss art, but an embodiment of the mythical American west as Peake not only owned a ranch but captured everyday scenes including images of the landscape, animals, riding and farm machinery.

An accompanying installation of personal objects and photographs related to Channing Peake and his life will also be on view giving more insight into the life and career of this important Southern California artist. The exhibition will be documented by an exhibition catalog and will be complemented by a roster of related programs such as talks and musical performances.