Status Updates From Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs

This book has been comprehensive about the visual work that Matisse had done during the later years of cut outs creation, and his methods and progression
It’s provided quite an inspirational fodder

The complex adhesive mixture was tailored to recline canvas paintings, not works on paper
Animal glue, linseed oil and Venice turpentine could all have contributed to colour change over time

Within the sample set of 79 papers, 14 are extremely light sensitive, all of these are pink, violet or orange

Once the lengths of paper for the background had been moistened, a layer of glue was applied and the paper was glued to the Kraft paper which had also received a coat of glue
Overlaps are between 1.5cm and 5cm in width

A reinforcing layer of Kraft paper was attached to the canvas
This ensured that the weave of the canvas did not leave an imprint in the background paper
The adhesive considered of rye flour, wheat flour, water, animal glue, linseed oil and Venice turpentine as an emollient

From the artist’s few direct statements it is clear that he was very concerned about the long term preservation of his cut outs
(Having longevity in mind)

The idea that works on paper could remain in such a seemingly impermanent state is one that we now have come to accept and embrace but was not conceivable at the time of the creation of the cut outs

The groups of four leaves or petals were first pinned to a piece of square paper which was then attached to the wall
This method made it possible to swap or adjust the positions of these individual square blocks within the composition
When these compositions were mounted, the squares of white paper were removed and the shapes were attached to a single sheet of background paper

He tried out both red and yellow painted paper as the background for blue nudes
Ultimately he decided on a pure yellow background that is made up of 14 irregular rectangles in different sizes of yellow painted paper

Matisse drew directly with charcoal on the white support paper and gradually built up blue nude IV from a total of 46 blue shapes
Matisse was the so sure of the form of the seared female nude that he was able to cut the following three nudes (1,2,3) from a single sheet of paper

For the parakeet and the mermaid Matisse searched for a compositional counterbalance to the parrot
During the course of this process he created first blue nude IV and then blue nude I, II, III

An image could be created using either a positive or a negative shape often cut from the same sheet of paper
As black and red, in the wave

Particularly in rounded shapes there are angled edges and multiple small cuts into the shape itself that have arisen from the repeated resetting of the scissors in order to adjust the direction of the blades
Some cuts are the result of the shape being corrected during the cutting process

Some shapes are very fine and complex as in the velvets composition, others are large, simple shapes as in the swimming pool, acanthuses, which were made from correspond being large sheets of painted paper
It is only on close examination that the viewer can see traces of the work process

We would take a cab to go there and he would SKETCH IN HIS SKETCHBOOK
The shapes of his cut outs WERE NEVER RANDOM
While cutting the papers he would think of a shape he had seen
At some point he became so skilful that he did not need to draw the shape, he would cut directly into the paper