picasso, source, and philosophy

What interests me about this article is where Nash reveals where Picasso was drawing his inspiration from in developing his new revolutionary art. First, allow me to digress to express my romanticization of Picasso and his "Picasso gang" in Paris. I just want to reflect on that incredible moment of like-minded and not-so like-minded artists and writers in each other company, being influenced, moved, and shaped by each other, ultimately allowing them substantial growth as artists. I imagine a place so fulndividuals with raw talent and communication allows for such a a development of ideas and a rapid movement and evolution of their respective arts.
Nash reveals that Picasso drew his inspiration from that were considered beasts, savage artists of the avant-garde, painting the ugly and the aggressive. It was through this medium that Picasso believed he could find the path to something new, as opposed to a path of perfecting the old, the Renaissance. It seemed rather that he was inspired to attack it – in its perspective, its depth and orientation, coloration and also, the most untouched variable, female beauty.
From the reading it is as if Picasso took contemporary art in a new direction such that it was difficult and indecipherable to the critics. In order to help with navigation through his art, “Braque, then Picasso, used lettering to clarify his meaning”
I also want to comment on the relative importance of Braque and Picasso and I wonder why Braque, who, through the readings, is exemplified to have contributed as much originality and thought to cubism as Picasso, however is given far less popular credit.
Philosophy in art. I am beginning to view artists as visual philosophers. In this reading, heavy on the influence of philosophers on the artists, I began to think how much of the artists work is in his mind, giving color to his philosophies by advancing current philosophical issues.