Conversations with Picasso

Originally published in English in 1966 but long out of print, Brassa 's intimate record of his friendship with Picasso is a remarkable, vibrant document, a dialogue between two creative giants. It spans the period from 1932, their first meeting at the height of the Surrealist movement, through the dark years 1943-47, when Brassa (born Gyula Hal sz), the celebrated photographer of Parisian life, met frequently with Picasso's ever-shifting circle (Sartre, Camus, Dali, Malraux, Raymond Queneau, poets Paul luard and Jacques Pr vert, etc.). The book then jumps to 1960, when Brassa visits Picasso's villa in Cannes and renews their friendship after a 13-year gap. Diarylike entries alternate with free-for-all conversations reconstructed from notes, giving us an unorthodox, fresh portrait of Picasso. With verbal wit and striking directness, Picasso denounces fascism; discusses C zanne, history, his obsession with African art; waxes philosophical on the transitoriness of existence; and comments on fellow artists. Through Brassa 's eyes, we attend the 1941 underground ""premiere"" of Picasso's burlesque protest play, Desire Caught by the Tail; watch him creating revolutionary sculpture; and catch glimpses of his love affairs with Marie-Therese Walter, Dora Maar and Fran oise Gilot. Though Brassa seems rather in awe of his subject, his image of Picasso as a demiurge who gives life to any material he touches rings true. Illustrated with dozens of photographs by Brassa . (June)