1907/2007: Poets on Les Demoiselles d'Avignon

May 23, 2007

6:30 p.m.

In conjunction with the one hundredth anniversary of Pablo Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, May's installment of Modern Poets reflects upon Picasso's masterpiece, other works in the Museum's collection made in 1907, and the year 1907 itself. Readings include works written by Picasso's friends and acquaintances—such as Guillaume Apollinaire, André Salmon, and Gertrude Stein—who saw and responded to Les Demoiselles, as well as other literature from this cultural and artistic milieu. Following in the tradition of the MoMA Members Magazine, which commissioned poets to respond to works in the collection and then published the results, the Museum also offers contemporary poets the opportunity to write new poetry about art from all curatorial departments made one hundred years ago. Participants include Mary Jo Bang, poet and Associate Professor of English and Director of the Creative Writing Program, Washington University, St. Louis; Mary Ann Caws, author, translator and Distinguished Professor of English, French, Comparative Literature, and Film Studies, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York; Pierre Joris, poet, translator, essayist, and Professor of Poetry and Poetics, State University of New York, Albany; and Jerome Rothenberg poet and professor of visual arts and literature, University of California, San Diego.

This event is held in conjunction with the exhibition Picasso's Demoiselles d'Avignon at 100.