Henri Mattisse’s Paper cut-outs are a huge inspiration for my work. His use of layering, colours and interweaving has influenced mine the most out of any artists. Compared to some they seem incredibly simple, but I feel this is what gives them so much effect.
Mattisse’s series of paper cut-outs were born in the final chapter of his career, which he described as ‘carving into colour’
He uses vibrant bright colours and very simple shapes to create a variety of forms such as flora, the human body, most noticeably usually women’s, circus scenes and performers.
The Tate describes his work as: ‘ Bold, exuberant and often large in scale, the cut-outs have an engaging simplicity coupled with incredible creative sophistication.’
Tate.org.uk, (2015). Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs. [online] Available at: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/henri-matisse-cut-outs
The reason that Mattisse switched from painting to paper cut-outs is due to his ill health preventing him from painting. But through this a new medium was born and the cut-outs are what he became most famous for.
Moma states that Mattisse used Scissors to create his cut outs: ‘An unorthodox implement, a pair of scissors, was the tool Matisse used to transform paint and paper into a world of plants, animals, figures, and shapes.’
Moma.org, (2015). Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs. [online] Available at: http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2014/matisse/the-cut-outs.html
What i find intriguing about different papercutting artists is the different tools that they use. Some find it better to work with scissors and some find it better to work with scalpels or laser cutting. It makes me wonder why these artists use this range of different instruments.
I myself use a scalpel because it feels most comfortable in my hands and I find I work faster and more precisely with them than scissors, scissors block my vision too much to make for an effective tool in my case.
I like how he mixes solid colour with pattern, and overlaps the images over each other. This is something I will experiment with in my own work, mixing solid colour with complicated patterns.
He also uses interweaving in his work, again something I will explore in later pieces of work as my current pieces are too solid for this to be successful.
