On the last evening of the exhibition I wondered over to check out the vibrant cut-outs for myself. Despite the exhibition running for over five months it was completely packed. Sadly I couldn’t take any photos but strolled through the exhibition soaking every part in.
Henri Matisse was an innovative painter who in his latter years turned to creating an entirely new approach of artworkby cutting shapes from painted paper. Have a look at the process here: Henri Matisse Cut Outs.
^ Wallpaper Oceania
The exhibition portrayed the development of his cut-outs and showed how his imagination and ambition expanded over time.
The early parts of the exhibition demonstrated the process used for creating the cut-outs and how his inspiration for his skill came about. As we rambled through the exhibition we saw how his technique for layering cut-outs had excelled and the complexity of the layered shapes.
It was incredible to walk into a gallery space filled with curved swooping shapes, formed to create fascinating patterns with unbelievable pops of colour.
The space was brought to life with the dramatic colours you could stare at for hours on end soaking in each element, drawn in by the carefully positioned shapes.
One of my favourite parts of the exhibition was Vence the Studio, I stood admiring the piece for a long while, wishing I could take my own snaps of this beautiful piece.
The collection was taken from from Mattise’s Vence studio. The paper shapes were pinned to his wall, but could be moved around and rotated to create new forms whenever he wished. I can’t imagine anything greater than a beautiful bright wall covered with shapes in a lucid pattern that can be changed as and when you feel. The shapes were carefully traced and glued into positions and presented as a cluster of cut-outs.
Another stunning display was the collection created for the chapel in Vence. Huge scale vibrant cut outs were designed and structured to create a stained glass window. The mixture of bright and inviting tones created a wonderful ambience that was intended to create an uplifting space to pray in.
The Blue Nudes are an iconic piece that Matisse declared was his approach to cutting into colour. This collection of sculptured nudes presented an intricate form and technique.
One of the largest and brightest pieces was The Parakeet and the Mermaid and also one of my favourite pieces. With symmetrical elements and clever configurations I could of stayed sitting by it all night long.
One of Matisse’s pieces that had several designs and was commissioned for a couple in his final years was the stunning Acanthuses and the Sheaf (below).
The exhibition was such an exciting collection of imaginative and colourful work. I’ll be ordering lots of prints for myself, I cannot imagine anything more inviting than being at home surrounded by bursts of colour.
Order your own cut-out pieces here: Tate Shop.
