After being kept away first by hurricane and flood and then by fire, I have finally seen the Picasso Black and White Exhibit at the Guggenheim.  It continues through January 23.

Encompassing the entire central coil of the building, the 118 works are organized chronologically beginning at ground level.  The exhibit highlights the strength of Wright's architectural conception, and mostly - a possible exception noted below - the building returns the compliment to the collection.

Despite the title, nothing here is simply black and white. As Gertrude Stein observed, Picasso deploys an "infinite variety of gray." That this might speak to his worldview as well as his palette may explain a good deal of Picasso's genius.

There are a few pieces displayed that if they were not by Picasso would not claim anyone's attention, even less his prices. There are also many that take-the-breath-away, including a few never before shown in public.

Picasso thought too much attention to color "weakens" underlying structure (reminding me of Michelangelo's lament ala Titian that, "It's too bad Venetians don't know how to draw.") Certainly it is an almost sculptural form that his art brings far forward.

There is a jewel box of a few Kandinskys showing in the third level annex (next to the cafe). A stereotypical bearded New Yorker, almost certainly Lower not Upper East Side, entered the room and shouted, "I love Kandinsky. So alive. So colorful." Later I saw him roaming aimlessly, perhaps even angrily, among the late Picasso's.

Mostly, though, these are not stark as b&w suggests. The catalog uses "austere". Maybe, but the textures are dense and the use of blacks, whites, grays demonstrates these can be subtle and very sophisticated colors. Where and how does black become dark violet?

Les modistes (L'atelier de la modiste) 1926

Wright's spiral is bright white. For most art - especially art of the 20th Century - this is the obvious and preferred neutral context. But I wonder what the same pieces might tell us displayed against Albert Barne's buttery burlap. The difference, I perceive, would further highlight Picasso's command of color.  A friend says Picasso shows beautifully everywhere.

We usually think of light as reflected, but as often it is absorbed and can also frame. In his residential work Wright is famous for creating shadows; quite appropriately this is not done at the Guggenheim. Wright's spiral does a spectacular job showing off Picasso's whole. But I would like to spend a day with individual favorites in a room with many windows where the sun moves across the horizon and slowly sets in the West.

Le Baiser 1969