A Day At LACMA: Picasso and Rivera: Conversations Across Time

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of LACMA. The opinions and text are all mine.

If you make your way to Los Angeles or just browse through Instagram, LACMA is one of the most popular and recognizable spots. From their popular public sculpture Urban Light to ancient art, LACMA is a center of culture. They feature art that spans history and the globe and one of their current exhibitions is Picasso and Rivera: Conversations Across Time, which is open until May 7th.

Picasso and Rivera: Conversations Across Time looks at these two artists and their surprisingly parallel works. Pablo Picasso and Diego Rivera are well-known, even to those not too familiar with art. Although many of their most popular pieces show their many differences, both artists have connections and similarities that are shown throughout the exhibition.

The exhibition takes you on a journey through five different sections exploring artworks by both men. Starting at the academy, where the foundations are laid, we get to see the stories of Picasso and Rivera unfold as they take on their training, Picasso in Spain and Rivera in Mexico, and their earliest creations. Picasso and Rivera’s connection started in Paris and we see how they intertwined while experimenting with Cubism in Paris and how they dipped their toe in the avant-garde movement. This unique approach to art led to artworks that showcased their differences while using similar techniques. A personal favorite is Rivera’s Sailor at Lunch compared to Picasso’s Student with Newspaper.

Picasso and Rivera’s aesthetics further take shape in the sections titled Return to Order and Indigenismo. Here you can see Rivera’s Flower Day, one of his most recognizable works and, for this exhibition, the first time it is shown at the same time as ancient Chalchiuhtlicue sculptures. They may be connected in many ways but they also have their unique way of portraying life. The last two sections, Rivera and Pre-Columbian Art and Picasso and Mythology, are devoted solely to each artist and their separate portrayals of cultures.

I’ve heard about both Picasso and Rivera in classes and seen interpretations of their work, but it’s an experience to see their real work in person. It’s also interesting to know that they not only lived at the same time, but they were connected in many ways. I grew up in a Hispanic home so I’ve seen Flower Day in prints and so many different ways but seeing it in person was surreal and made me realize that it truly has a deeper meaning.

LACMA is open Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and is closed on Wednesdays. The Picasso and Rivera: Conversations Across Time exhibition took me approximately 50 minutes to go through, so make sure to plan your trip accordingly. There’s so much to see! Also, your ticket to Picasso and Rivera includes admission to many other exhibitions and the museum’s permanent collection.

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For more information on the exhibition, check out LACMA’s page. You can easily buy tickets online here in advance or get them at the door. Plus, when you buy the Picasso and Rivera exhibition tickets, you automatically get general admission!