Matisse's Cut-Outs at Tate Modern.

 Matisse's Cut-Outs 
Tate Modern, London

13 May - 30 August 

“This is a feast of dazzling dreams: come to the carnival” 

The Times

Despite The Times Review’s description of Henri Matisse’s cut-outs as“ a feast of dazzling dreams”, I have always been sceptical, condemning them as the final publicity stunt of a notorious provocateur. I had no intention of buying into what I anticipated would be another over-publicised 'blockbuster' exhibition at Tate Modern. However, following a spontaneous visit last Friday, I have been well and truly swayed.  

In truth, I have nothing against the expressive French Painter as a whole. It is undeniable that he was indeed in the vanguard of Modern Art, putting Titian to shame with works like his polychromatic Woman with a Hat, 1905. So, when an impromptu visit with a departing friend arose, I tied my laces and prepared to join the ranks of thousands of Londoners seduced by his controversial compositions.

Les Gouaches Découpes - as described in his native tongue - are quite simply collages of paper drenched in opaque gouache, which can roughly be described as a blend of watercolours and binding agent. Defining him as a veritable luminary of the plastic arts, his invention continued to align him with visionaries like Picasso and Duchamp. Throughout his lustrous career he drifted between Fauvism and the influence of French classicism, but he never let go of his obsession with bold colour. Nonetheless, it wasn’t to last and the rain came in the late sixties when punishing cancer left him confined to his wheelchair. Tragically, he was unable to hold a paintbrush.

To the outside world, the career of an innovator who’d captured so much untainted beauty and colour in his work was stopped in its tracks. Reading through his journals you can empathize with the ache of his subsequent heartbreak, although it was always clear that he never completely lost hope. As long as he had his mind, he was determined that his creativity would live on.

Fortunately, Matisse rapidly found his silver lining in his invention of cut-outs, which became a personal form of escapism. He hired assistants to slather colourful lashings of gouache onto his paper, before cutting them himself and directing their placement on the canvas. Finally, his imagination could run free despite the confines of his wheelchair. Monique Bourgeois - his fabulously named Russian nurse - modelled for him in the nude and with only his scissors he interpreted every curve and shadow as if he were holding a brush.

Tate Modern indulged us in more than 120 of his cut-outs, skilfully framed and well organised in thematic rooms. The variety of said themes was astonishing. He gave us oceans, circus scenes, dancers, snails, snow flowers, funeral carts, woodland scenes and sensual female figures as his imagination ran wild. A few favourites were the The Dragon and my beloved The Parakeet and the Mermaid, but don’t dare skip past the stained glass windows at the end of the exhibition. The gift shop can wait, believe me.  

  

  

Darting between the works was an afternoon of child-like fun as we competed to decipher the meaning behind each cut-out, unravelling their boldly juxtaposed colours. It felt like a puzzle, ready to be unwrapped. Admittedly we were overly fanatical about referring to the colour key. Somewhat perplexing, it declared red to represent materialism (not violence), blue to represent nature (not the ocean) and white to represent gender (not purity), but what does it matter? That is the beauty of his work, he doesn’t tell you what to see. The titles are simplistic and leave scope for imagination.

As we wandered around, I loosely translated his notes from French to English - perhaps to the detriment of my all too trusting companion. Matisse’s musings were haunting, poetic and so perhaps it was a betrayal of the curators not to offer any translation. Evidently, they displayed these his calligraphy as works of art in itself, but surely everyone ought to have had the chance to ponder Matisse’s philosophy? Of all the notes we pored over, the most enlightening was the line, ‘the cut-outs allow me to bathe in the beauty of the flowers I could no longer pick’, which illustrates the humble purpose of his Gouaches Découpes.

As perfectly described by the Time Out London review, “By the exhibition’s close, you’re convinced that good old gouache paint is the most radiant substance on earth.” It is truly magic. I urge you to go, but not alone. This is no place for shuffling around with a notepad and pencil; it’s an intriguing game for two.

Bittersweet Dawn.

Bittersweet Dawn.

Time moves by as the feather falls

First breaths drift in an ethereal haze

Petals of lilac doze in silent slumber

Whispers float as delicate truths

Bathing in the afterglow of dewy dawn

Shadows of cobalt contemplation 

Labyrinths of wildflowers untouched

A Goldfinch's melody brings us back.

Christie's Internship

Interning in the Old Masters Department of 

Christie's Auction House, London. 

I have just finished an Easter internship at Christie's, London and thought I’d share a little bit about my experience for anyone interested in the Art World. Christie's is currently the world’s largest fine arts auction house with astoundingly impressive sales of more that $3.5billion in the first half of last year. This is the highest total that has ever been achieved in the history of the Art Market. I was working at their main headquarters on King Street, London, where James Christie began in 1766. Christie's is owned by the holding company of Francois-Henri Pinault whose collection at Punta della Dogana, Palazzo Grassi I incidentally just visited and shared photographs of in Venice! What makes Christie's auctions so enthralling is that they not only sell art, but an eclectic range of jewelry, clocks, silver, manuscripts, furniture, carpets, photographs and wine. As an intern it was fascinating, not only being based in the Old Master’s department, but also sharing a building with such a diverse variety of departments, which I was completely unfamiliar with from Japanese Art to Antiquities. As I was sent on missions around the building, it was always amazing you could pop your head into a department and feel as if you’d been swept to another continent.

On a daily basis, I was immensely grateful to never be left idle - rare for an internship! I really loved working my way through endless lists of truly stimulating tasks - I never had to check the clock! Realising I signed a confidentiality agreement before starting I'll have to be vague, but I'll be as descriptive as possible! Thankfully my experience at Sotheby’s, Paris last summer made me quick to learn and so I could help with more challenging missions than boiling the kettle! At Sotheby's I also held the objects in auction, which was a brilliant way of getting more familiar with the Art itself and understanding how people react to the object itself. There was never a dull moment, especially when I was given a variety of literature and past sale checks to make on paintings that were coming in for auction. It was wonderfully  satisfying deciphering little notes in margins from years ago - real detective work. These investigations also led me on digs through Artnet, Lotfinder and the Old Masters library’s collections of books. My French fluency was invaluable when working through the easier Romance languages, but I struggled pouring over the rather baffling Netherlandish and Germanic languages whilst searching for references to the my paintings. Some afternoons i'd also be sent into the depths of King Street's basements to a rather charming little vault where the archives for the main auction houses were kept to search for any information on the past sale prices. I was in awe at how in depth the department’s research was into every item they sell. For me, the grand prize was being sent out into London on foot on errands to a publishing house or museum to do more research. My favourite of which were the literature checks I did in the Victoria and Albert museum’s majestic library, where I perched amongst spellbound academics pouring over their ancient manuscripts. For future reference I would highly recommend the Victoria & Albert if you need a secluded revision spot!

By the end of my time at Christies, I was so thankful to have had the opportunity to learn a huge amount about what career routes can be taken through the Art World. In comparison to Sotheby’s, Paris the atmosphere in London feels more corporate, which is to be expected from the headquarters. However, there is something sensational about being able to take a stroll down the office stairs and walk into one of London’s best renowned galleries to see the highlights of their sales. The first morning before leaving the flat I read about the extraordinary sale of Jeff Koon’s train in the newspaper and incidentally it was the first thing I saw when I walked into the Duke Street Gallery at work. I also relished the chance to study the above Francis Bacon portrait, 'Portrait of George Dyer Talking’ (1966), which had just sold for an alarmingly high £42m! But, in all honesty, despite the fact that I loved the challenges I faced in my investigative tasks, it has made me think about whether there is room for creativity and imagination in such a successful, fast-moving business. It has led me to explore the possibility of eventually working at some smaller, more innovative auction houses like Paddle8 in New York, where the online sales platform means it’s a more intimate office with more opportunities for the sharing of ideas and inspiration. However, there is no doubt that Christies is a good place to start, it is the best education you can have ahead of diving into the Art world! Yes, at times I’d feel as if I was developing too close a friendship with the photocopier, but then I would be spontaneously swept down to the Old Master’s warehouse to examine a Bruegel close enough to touch and I’d been reminded of why I was there - it is simply magical, a real privilege to work so closely with true masterpieces.