Saturday, December 6, 2008

Create



For his cut-outs he used paper that had been hand-painted with gouache, laid down in abstract or figurative patterns: 'the paper cut-out allows me to draw in the colour... Instead of drawing the outline and putting the colour inside it... I draw straight into the colour'. The colours he used were so strong that he was advised by his doctor to wear dark glasses.

Drawing with Scissors


Decision made. The week goes on. A sense that things will work out, better perhaps than can be imagined.

The Matisse touring exhibition Drawing with Scissors is in town. Lucky us.

In the local museum the lithographs on the wall glow, vibrant and joyous. Red. Blue. Yellow. Flowers. Leaves. Women. The art of an elderly man (Matisse started working with gouaches découpés or cut-outs late in life) in a wheelchair, eventually bed-ridden, using a pair of scissors and coloured paper to create. Assistants would prepare the paper and pin the cut-outs on the wall for him. The imperative was so powerful.

Outside, the winter sky a deep, intense blue. Like one of his nudes. Evening now and the mental image remains of the old artist sitting up in bed, cutting shapes from sheets of paper.

Strong colours, bright and clear and true.

13 comments:

Dale said...

(o)

Everydaythings said...

you lucky lucky things having this exhibition!!! enjoy! I'm totally green with envy.(its so fashionable to be 'green' these days lol)

Relatively Retiring said...

Oh, yes! I'll be on the train soon!

Anonymous said...

Hold onto that thought that things will work out better than imagined, mm! That's the energy in Matisse's amazing cut-outs—they're so full of life and optimism. Lucky you to have them so close!!

mm said...

Thanks all.

WW: Yes we are!

RR: The exhibition finishes on the 4th Jan .... let me know if you decide to come across.

CatB: That's the energy in Matisse's amazing cut-outs—they're so full of life and optimism. Lucky you to have them so close!!

My feeling exactly.

leslee said...

Lucky you, indeed. And good luck going forward. What CatB said about the life and optimism. There's joy and energy in doing what you really want to do.

Sky said...

lucky duck!

herhimnbryn said...

Thanks for taking me to the exhibit:)

mm said...

Leslee: Thanks, all three!

mm said...

Eek. All these days later and I realise I left Sky and Herhimnbryn off the acknowledgments. A typo pure and simple. Nothing more.

Anonymous said...

I love Matisse!

Web Hosting Delhi said...

great art work, I really like it

boyd bed said...
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