Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Matisse Exhibit at Chicago Art Institute


'Bathers by a River' Henri Matisse 102" x 154"
(this is one of his largest paintings, its huge, that's 8.5 feet high by 13 feet wide)  After seeing this painting in person I was very much in awe, maybe it was the size, colors or the way it was segmented.  I'm not sure. The figures are very statuesque and strong.  The cool colors are calming. 

Tuesday, June 8, 2010 the SAQA WI-IL Regional group met at the Chicago Art Institute to view the Matisse Exhibit.  To see a pic of the SAQA group members that attended the exhibit go to http://www.saqailwi.blogspot.com/
  Described by the Chicago Art Institute
"the works Matisse produced between late 1913 and 1917 are among his most demanding, experimental, and enigmatic. While these works have typically been seen as unrelated responses to the influences of Cubism and World War I, this exhibition illustrates the deep connections between them and their critical role in an ambitious, cohesive project of developing what Matisse called “the methods of modern construction”—a process in which the act of creation itself was the main focus."
Henri Matisse started out his adult life as a lawyer but while recovering from appendicitis his mother brought him art supplies and he was hooked. He went back to art school (to his father's great disappointment) and became a painter, printer, sculptor. Later in his life when he was unable to stand at an easel he cut colored paper and arranged them. In 1953 a year before his death he created "The Snail" (below)



While at the Chicago Art Institute we viewed many amazing paintings, some of my favorites were Georgia O'Keefe's.  I'll post the ones I saw another day. 

If you get the chance to visit the Art Institute don't pass up the chance, I could spend a week or two there easily. 

1 comment:

Mary Keasler said...

Your work blows me away - to put it mildly. WOW.WOW,WOW.