The big picture

The new Leepa-Rattner Museum unveils an interactive display that explains the history and symbolism of a huge Picasso mural that caused a sensation.

By EILEEN SCHULTE
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 1, 2002

TARPON SPRINGS -- There is no denying it. The Pablo Picasso masterpiece is a $35,000 fake. But it's the only fake of its kind in existance.

And to make things even more interesting, the 13-minute light and sound presentation describing it is a priceless original to cubist aficionados.

It probes. It answers questions. It also raises questions about the black and white movie screen sized 1937 oil painting, Guernica.

Although no one can know for sure what was in Picasso's mind when he painted each of the angular figures in it, modern art enthusiasts who would like clues and cannot get to the Reina Sofia museum in Madrid should find this work fascinating.

The mural takes up almost an entire wall of a room inside the new Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art at the Tarpon Springs campus of St. Petersburg College.

The interactive exhibit's bugs have yet to be worked out, yet museum visitors Betty Lundquist and Margaret Durham sat undetered on modern-looking designer black benches taking in the dramatic story of Guernica on a sunny afternoon.

To activate the show, one of the women pressed a button, and the pair settled in for a 13-minute presentation about the masterpiece. Over the next few minutes, they discovered some background on the piece, first of all, why Picasso created it.

They discovered he was horrified and angry about a massive air raid by the German Luftwaffe on the Basque town of Guernica in northern Spain during the Spanish Civil War, and the innocent victims left dead or dying in its wake. He wanted to protest the carnage in some way.

So the genius did what he did best: poured all his emotions out onto an 11-1/2 foot by 25-foot canvas.

The result left the art world reeling.

During the show, the first voice you hear is that of an actor portraying Picasso. The two friends strained to hear. Then came the voice of the narrator. It was louder.

As it, Lundquist and Durham watched as lights outlined portions of the painting the narrator was referring to during in his talk. There are so many characters: the foot, the light bulb, the horse, the bull, the lantern. Each one was highlighted and explained.

Afterward, Lundquist, who said she is a snowbird from New Jersey, called the presentation "wonderful" and "well done." She had learned a lot and was inspired to travel to Picasso's country.

"We looked at each other and said we're taking a trip back to Spain (to see the original)," she said.

Her only complaint -- and it was a minor in her opinion -- was Picasso's voice.

"He (the actor) is so soft-spoken, you can't hear him over the air conditioning," Lundquist said.

The museum's director, Lynn Whitelaw, was apologetic, gracious and maybe a little embarrassed.

"We put this up quickly," he said. "We still have some tweaking to do."

A Spanish narration has yet to be completed, and a female voice will be included.

Also, the narration "starts out in Spanish and that confuses people. But that will be fixed," Whitelaw said.

The museum has only been open since Jan. 22, and some exhibits are still in the planning stages. As for Guernica, organizers had worked for three years to obtain permission to create a full-scale reproduction.

A man of faith, Whitelaw created a special space for the masterpiece prior to receiving permission to reproduce it from the Picasso Foundation. None other than Picasso's son, Claude Picasso, signed off on the project.

It was the first time the foundation has allowed the work to be replicated.

Claude Picasso gave his blessing because he was assured the work was going to be used for teaching purposes.

"We're really an educational institution," said Whitelaw. "We want people to have a broader understanding of modern art and have the tools to understand it."

Also, the foundation took into consideration Allen Leepa's in-depth analysis of the painting in his 1949 book, The Challenge of Modern Art.

Allen Leepa, 83, and his wife, Isabelle, were also instrumental in the creation of the museum, giving hundreds of works not to mention a $2.5-million donation.

At a glance

Want to experience Guernica in sight and sound? The huge oil painting is not hard to find at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art at the Tarpon Springs campus of St. Petersburg College on Klosterman Road off U.S. 19. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday; and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. It is closed Mondays. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and free for students. Admission on Sundays is by donation.

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