In the late 1940s, Henri Matisse primary medium was almost exclusively cut paper. He introduced this new form of art that came to be called a cut-out. Matisse would cut painted sheets into shapes which he then arranged into lively compositions, striking for their play with color and contrast, their exploitation of decorative strategies, and their economy of means. Initially, these compositions were of modest size but, over time, their scale grew along with Matisse’s ambitions for them, expanding into mural or room-size works. A brilliant final chapter in Matisse’s long career, the cut-outs reflect both a renewed commitment to form and color and an inventiveness directed to the status of the work of art, whether as a unique object, environment, ornament, or a hybrid of all of these.
Hailed as the most successful exhibition in Tate Modern’s history, you can now catch “Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs” at the Four Arts, featuring exclusive new footage from The Museum of Modern Art in New York. Acclaimed British actor Simon Russell Beale brings insight and emotion to the words of Henri Matisse himself, while actor Rupert Young (Merlin) narrates.
2.00 PM - 3.30 PM, Saturday, January 23, 2016 @ Walter S. Gubelmann Auditorium, The Society of the Four Arts
