What Does Picasso, Apple & Writing Have In Common?

Pablo Picasso, “The Bull”

Between 1945 and 46 Pablo Picasso did a series of 11 lithographs he titled “The Bull”. They started out with a realistically drawn and shaded bull. The following lithographs broke the image down into the simplest possible terms until the final lithograph produced an abstract version of a bull.

During the process he took away all but the most indispensable elements of the image to arrive at the bare minimum design. His work was unorthodox and surprising for lithographs. They can be altered easier then etchings or engravings but too many corrections can mess up the image.

Other lithographers were unable to figure out how he managed to accomplish the eleven lithographs without ending up with a mess. It was typical for Picasso to buck convention for the medium he was working in.

In the end, he brought the final lithograph down to just 12 lines, yet the image is still unmistakably a bull.

Apple Computer

No matter how you feel about using Apple products, it’s hard not to admire their simple sleek design. While other computers took a shot at trim profile and design, they would often sacrifice design to what they felt was needed.

Much like Picasso with his breaking an image down to basic lines, Apple does a similar process with their products. They will keep going over the design and questioning if every part is necessary. Could some parts be combined or replaced in some manner?

The design team understands the essence of the product they are constructing. They work to retain the essence while going for the minimum to attain it.

The Relationship Between Picasso & Apple

A glimpse inside Apple’s rather secretive training program by the New York Times in 2014 showed the relationship between Picasso and Apple. Their product design and his “The Bull” are designed with similar principles.

It goes a bit further. During training the 11 versions of “The Bull” are examined to emphasized the point, deliver the product’s message in a very concise way.

What Does Picasso & Apple Have to Do With Writing?

When writing, there’s nothing wrong with spilling out what you want to write onto the page. Then, just like Picasso and Apple, you go back through it and start removing the extra verbiage to arrive at your message in a very concise form.

I had an English teacher who gave us passages of writing with the instructions to make it concise. He challenged the class to see who could turn in the shortest passage still delivering the same message.

I loved the exercise. I could twist the writing any which way I wanted as long as I held to the objective. I often succeeded in turning in the tightest work.

When I properly proofread my writing, I take a knife to a lot of words and phrases. My goal is when you read the post, you get the meat, not the fat.

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