Beau Bookbinding at Tate Modern..

Henri Matisse The Cut-Outs - 17th April - 7th September

Today I visited the cut out king and see his incredible show of energetic, colourful and beautifully constructed collages.

Process driven and experimental, Matisse’s artistic approach and medium changed from painting to cut-outs and collage in the last 17 years of his life. Although he had developed this style due to health problems, the size and scale of his works are incredibly ambitious. Matisse’s approach was to work intensively and some of his works were completed within 2 days.

Fluid and organic yet bright and expressive Matisse’s collages transform the space into a place that feels alive. How the artwork is arranged is almost a ‘curio’ of Matisse’s distinctive organically shaped algae-like leaf forms, and going from room to room within the exhibition feels like exploring and finding a new species. The smaller collages are arranged closely together and almost animate the white walls with vibrant colours and shapes.

It was amazing to see the open pages of his book next to the original collage for ‘Jazz’ and see the texture of the collage next to the printed pages of the book his notes. Matisse’s handwriting is a beautiful accompaniment to his energetic collages, and the book is presented extensively and in detail across the room. There is also a room dedicated to his designs for books and periodicals which I would highly recommend visiting if you are interested in book design and bookbinding.

This exhibition is huge and shows a lot of Matisse’s work during these 17 years – from little collages to massive constructions – it is worth every penny to see these works in person. ‘Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs’ is open from the 17th April – 7th September 2014, so don’t miss this amazing show!

http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/henri-matisse-cut-outs