Criticism Aimed at Picasso ‘Masterworks’ Draws Fire

Regarding Christopher Knight’s review of “Picasso: Masterworks From the Museum of Modern Art” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (“Picasso, Profitably,” Sept. 8):

Unquestionably, Knight has every right to his critical opinions about the art and its display. However, for reasons best known to him, he chose to go wildly overboard, not only condemning the exhibition but actually telling people not to go. He further suggests that instead of viewing the exhibition, prospective patrons invest the admission cost in postage, using it to write to the trustees of LACMA and MOMA to complain about the exhibition. How can they complain about something they have not seen? His comments are gratuitous, mean-spirited and a disservice to the art community.

MR. and MRS. H.S. FOURER

Palos Verdes Estates

*

As an art student, I can’t wait to see this exhibition--not to see what it’s lacking, as apparently Knight does, but rather to see what I can learn. That’s why I’m a member of LACMA, and that’s why I will spend the 12 bucks on stationery and stamps to write to the trustees and say, “Thank you, I’ve learned much. Keep it coming!”

Oh, and I’ll also take Knight’s advice and go to NYC too. By the way, where can we see his artwork?

CHRIS PAGE

Agoura Hills

*

Thank you, Christopher Knight, for your honest and dead-on critique of LACMA’s three-legged, one-eyed vision of a Picasso show. The show felt something like flipping through a magazine at checkout. Yawn.

CLAUDIA ROSSINI

Beverly Hills

*

Knight’s scathing article is an insult not only to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art but to all of its patrons. The Picasso exhibition is excellent and really quite comprehensive. I can’t imagine that many viewers would come away from this representative selection of Picasso’s works without having a new appreciation of his vast talents.

And as far as Knight’s fault-finding with the artist’s work being displayed chronologically, what better way could have been chosen to illustrate that Picasso is one of the few great artists whose work has metamorphosed into a half-dozen remarkably definable styles.

JOSEPH A. DENKER

Studio City