Matisse Live

The Snail

Kelvin and I went to see the Matisse show last week -- the artist's late period which is called The Cutouts.

If my life were perfect, I would go again tomorrow and see the show one more time.

Sitting in the theatre and have a narrator tell about the collaboration between the Tate and the MoMA, having that voice tell about this late period of work for Mattise, and getting none of the museum fatigue that comes with reading all of the signs as one fights the crowds?

Such a treat.

Henri Mattise
from the "Blue Nudes"

Tonia said that she was in London when this show began, but she was there with no time to see it.

I knew that the exhibit was making an impression on me when, while I was sitting in the theatre, I took an imaginary pair of scissors in my hands, and tried to cut along a piece of paper as the artist was doing -- free form, cutting shapes to be mounted on the wall.

I wanted to see how that smooth flowing motion really felt.

Arta

PS  Matisee did his cutouts when he was older and no longer able to paint.  I was thinking about this again today when I was watching Levine conduct the opera from the confines of a wheelchair.  There are some extra-ordinary role models for me when I notice a lot of aches and pains.