Page 50 - ART GIANTS issue of World of Art (WOA) Contemporary Art Magazine

THE CUT-OUTS: A RADICAL INNOVATION
WORLD-CLASS ART MATISSE’S CUT-OUTS: cut-outs as his primary medium, using scissors to carve
In the late 1940s, Henri Matisse (1869–1954) adopted paper

bold, expressive forms from painted sheets. Assisted by
A CELEBRATION
his studio team, Matisse arranged these vivid shapes into
dynamic compositions before mounting them permanently.
This method, which he described as “cutting directly into
vivid color”, represents one of the most revolutionary artistic
MoMA is pleased to present Matisse’s Cut-Outs: A breakthroughs of the 20th century. Initially developed as
Celebration, a special installation honoring Henri Matisse’s maquettes for works in other mediums, such as his illustrated
late-career masterpieces. The fourth-floor collection book Jazz (1947) and the stained-glass Christmas Eve (1952),
galleries, highlights the artist’s groundbreaking cut-out the cut-outs soon became autonomous works of art, growing
technique, his innovative process of “drawing with scissors” in scale and ambition. From the decorative to the abstract,
that transformed modern art. the exhibition showcases both intimate studies and expansive

murals.
Featuring 10 key works, the installation reunites Matisse’s
Nuit de Noël (Christmas Eve) cut-out maquette and its A TRIBUTE TO THE SWIMMING POOL
stained-glass counterpart, back on view for the first time Acquired by MoMA in 1975, The Swimming Pool is Matisse’s
since 2015. The exhibition also marks the final opportunity to only cut-out designed specifically for a space, his dining room
experience The Swimming Pool (1952) before its scheduled in Nice, France. In striking blue and white, it depicts swimmers
deinstallation in early 2025. Curated by Samantha Friedman, leaping and splashing across the room, fulfilling Matisse’s
Curator, Department of Drawings and Prints, with Rachel Rosin, dream of transforming his environment into a work of art.
Curatorial Assistant, Matisse’s Cut-Outs: A Celebration brings After undergoing a five-year conservation effort, The Swimming
together MoMA’s unparalleled collection of the artist’s vibrant Pool returned to public view in MoMA’s landmark 2014–2015
paper compositions. exhibition, Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs, before being installed in
Gallery 406B in 2019. Now, after five years in the galleries, this
Installation view of Gallery 406B: Henri Matisse’s The Swimming Pool. Shown: delicate, light-sensitive work will be carefully stored to preserve
Henri Matisse. The Swimming Pool, Nice-Cimiez, Hôtel Régina, late summer
1952. Maquette for ceramic (realized 1999 and 2005). Gouache on paper, cut its vibrancy for future generations, a farewell that inspires this
and pasted, on painted paper. The Museum of Modern Art. Mrs. Bernard F. celebratory presentation.
Gimbel Fund. © 2024 Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS),
New York. Photo: Jonathan Dorado

50 WORLD of ART