Picasso: PEACE + FREEDOM @ Tate Liverpool.

Sunny if a bit chilly in the land of the Scouse monkey today. Tenner in but you got a useful little booklet giving some background on the sections in the exhibition and there's plenty of sections and loads of work starting as you arrive. With some films and a chronological breakdown of Picasso's activities both political and how this transferred to his work during the war and after when war got cold. Whether intended or not your entrance to the main exhibition way up in the heart of Tate, up on the forth floor you arrive after a short five minute wait. It was pure theatre. You are taken up in a huge goods lift. The doors are slung open for you to enter a room containing 'THE CHARNEL HOUSE' (1945) a wow moment, or it would of been if not for the screaming brat. When I am King I will introduce 'NO Kid Thursdays' to all galleries enforced on pain of death. So non of the peace rubbed off on me then. Anyway where was I oh yes.

The exhibition contains so many facets of Picasso's work during this time, Prints, pottery, sculpture and of course painting. They've even got a section of a wall from a house in London that Picasso drew on during a visit to Britain in the 50s. The Dove of Peace is everywhere. 'Mothers & Musketeers' (see above) two motifs that obsessed Picasso in his final years I loved, a condensing of the idea of war & Peace, good & evil.

Worth a tenner? Fuck yeah. You aren't going to see this many Picasso's together that often in the UK so yes a world class exhibition just down the road. It was well put together and gimmick free, they left it up to the work to talk and not, say a pair of Picasso's old pants in a glass case like so many galleries seem to love these days.

So great then, which begs the question why are Tate Liverpools stewards so fucking miserable? Jesus smile, you're surrounded by genius, you should try standing next to THIS sentimental guff all day.....

Picasso: PEACE & FREEDOM until 30th August. Now that's what I call a summer show.