4 10 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 6, 2002 - ART S Over 30 pieces decorate Picasso's masterwork exhibit here at the 'U' 4 By Christine Lasek Daily Fine/Performing Arts Editor Through Sept. 15, the Michigan Museum of Art is featuring "Picasso: Masterworks from the Collec- tion" in the Museum Aspe. This collection is an overview of Picasso career, and is comprised of 31 works, most of which are from the UMMA's own extensive collection. The artistic career of Pablo Picasso lasted over s75 years, until his death in 1973. He painted his first picture at the age of 10, under the guidance of his father, and went on to create an astounding body of work spanning several genres of visual art. Although he is perhaps most famous for his pioneering efforts in cubism, his full body of works span all facets of art, including sculptures, printsand ceramics. In "Masterworks from the Collection," there are several different artistic forms, including oil paint- ings, drawings, etchings, engravings, dry point and lithographs. This collection is split into the- matic sections, offering an opportu- nity to examine Picasso's evolving treatment of a few of his favorite subjects. These favorite subject mat- PicA ters include nudes, interiors and MASTEI seated women, and these reappear- FROli ances in different artistic forms and COLLE periods not only illustrate Picasso's At The personal growth, but also serve as a Museu survey of significant 20th century innovations in art. Thru One of the oils on canvas included Michigan N in this collection is "Two Girls Reading, 1934," which is one of sev- eral works demonstrating a fascination with women engaged in everyday activities. Several of Picasso's paintings done in the 1930s are said to reflect Picasso's pleasure at having a new love tm SS lu" interest, Marie Therese Walter. The curvilinear lines present in "Two Girls Reading" almost express and underlying eroticism, which could seem to lend support to this hypothesis. SSO: I Picasso's pieces illustrate a person- WORKS al need to discover the true nature of THE the thing observed. The violent but 'TION still poetic movement of a bullfight is evident in his oil on canvas "The lich an Bullfight, 1934," and the purposeful- o rt ly striped bodice in "Portrait of Fran- ept. 9 coise, 1949," seemingly enforces the seum of Art idea of precision as beauty. Picasso's works of art are never stagnant, but instead always have an underlying activity, even in his "still lifes." In this collection, one can see how this idea of movement evolved throughout the years of Picasso's career, always evi- dent even with his ever-changing style. 4 Courtesy of UMMA Picasso's 'The Bullfight, 1934.' 4 Author Preston tackles tough green issue in Adventures in Global Marijuana Culture' By Neal Pais Daily Books Editor Just a mere week into a fresh new semester at the University, and already the stress is palpable. The middle-of-the-week bar nights and endless hours of "Sopranos" DVD-watching of our paltry 'wel- come week' is over. But before you get yourself sucked into your next No Doz-fueled highlighting binge, perhaps you should treat yourself to a break. Suggestion: Instead of that pesky Econ homewvork, crack open a a book on everyone's favorite herb. Pre-n 7P ston's book' is the lat- est journalistic foray POT P into illicit botany and ADVENT worldwide. GL( "Pot Planet" is a MARI] sort of contemporary CULL "Around the World in 80 Days" with a wee By Brian bit o' reefer to make Grove globetrotting even sweeter. Written by Vancouver native Brian Preston, a frequent contributor to the likes of Playboy, Vogue and Rolling Stone, the book takes its readers on a fun jaunt through the journalist's hometown and a host of exotic locales such as Morocco, Nepal and of course, stoner friendly Amsterdam. The tone of the book is lighthearted yet distinctly pro- fessional - a unique feature in the annals of drug-related literature. Most teetotalers of THC will probably assume that Preston's unadorned travel narrative is sim- ply another cheap druggie's trip report. But "Pot Planet" is actually a truly fascinating look at the most pot friendly cultures of the world. "High Times" it most cer- tainly is not. In fact, after a few short chap- ANET: ters, readers will find URES IN that the book is main- BAL ly centered on the JANA serious cultural fea- URE tures of the countries that are discussed. Preston Preston speaks warm- Press ly of his varied diverse collection of marijua- na smokers, most of whom are greatly educated and generally respectable members of society who simply like to enjoy the gentle benefits of the plant. Particularly enlightening are Preston's discussions on rapidly easing marijuana restrictions. He focuses mainly on the significant reforms of his home in British Columbia, bringing to the surface developments that are currently taking place just a. bit to our north. Equally interesting are his accounts of quasi-religious cannabis use in Southeast Asia and the new "caf6" culture that is spreading across Australia. You can even apply the tedious eco- nomic theories you reluctantly consume at Lorch to the intricacies of the pot trade. Written during a period with decriminalization in sight for just about every industri- alized nation on Earth (except our third of North America), "Pot Plan- et" helps to dissolve many of the stigmas that cannabis possesses. Brian Preston's credentials as a serious reporter, editorialist and traveler make the book more palat- able for staunch conservatives, reform skeptics and nonbelievers in the world's most widely con- sumed recreational natural sub- stance. Preston deftly avoids the lowbrow aspects of pot culture, opting to infuse his commentary )L Tt1 leI with real cultural value rather than attempting to draw the readership of the least common denominator. In addition, readers might also realize that the "weed" moniker for marijuana is remarkably appropri- ate - it really is everywhere. Except the weed that Preston is talking about doesn't seem to piss that many people off. 4 I EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT MICHIGAN THEA TER STARTS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6TH! 603 E. LIBERTY 66-8480 i ' CALL THEATRE FC R SHC1WTiMES !VO PASSES 4 ON YOUR MARK GET SET, GO BLUE! The University of Michigan would like to thank the following supports for their generous donations to Welcome to Michigan 2002: Barnes & Noble Michigan Union Bookstore, Ground Floor - Michigan Unjon BD's Mongolian Barbeque, 200 S. Main Street Circuit City, 3547 Washtenaw Avenue Great Lakes Cycling & Fitness, 564 S. Main Street Main Street Ventures/La Dolce Vita/The Chop House/Palio/Gratzi/Real Seafood Co., Downtown Ann Arbor, Main Street Michigan Field Hockey Michigan Women's Basketball Michigan Soccer Michigan Swimming Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty Noggins, 1214 S. University Office of Student Activities and Leadership Pinball Pete's, 1214 S. University Red Hawk Bar & Grill, 316 S. State Street Rod's Diner, 812 S. State Street 4 Ai