Henri Matisse - The Cut-Outs, British Folk Art, Made In Mexico and Making Colour

This was a whirlwind day - I had an itinerary worked out as it was my last full day in London I needed to make the most of it.  I planned to see all of the above exhibitions, which meant I wouldn't have time to look around the rest of the galleries which housed them, but I would have to come back another time for that. 

Matisse - Tate Modern

My first stop was Tate Modern for the Matisse exhibition, this was the first, but I hadn't expected it would be my favourite of all the exhibitions I saw.  Although many of the pieces were recognisable, only by seeing the original pieces could you fully appreciate them. 

He himself did not like the flat prints of the original work as much as the cut-outs, and I can see why.  Although the prints are good, they lack the texture and some of the shading is lost in the prints.  Each piece of paper he cut out had previously been painted and you can see brush strokes in areas, which bring added interest.

With the cut-outs he was condensing the complexities of objects into simpler shapes, when this is done, the background, also a single colour, has the same importance.  The shapes that are created between the objects becomes just as interesting to the overall work as the objects themselves. 

One of my favourite pieces was The Parakeet and the Mermaid from 1952, it is a huge piece of work.  It was interesting to see the way the shapes worked around each other within the composition and the flow of the shapes directing the eye around the work and around the different colours. 

It was also wonderful to see the windows he had designed, I imagine it would be amazing to see the chapel with the light coming in throwing the colour across the floor. 

The Jazz room is also interesting, showing circus images used to create a book, along with his scribbled notes, although his writing has a beautiful curved flow to it.

I thoroughly recommend this exhibition, there is so much to see and learn about the works, I felt I could have gone round again.

British Folk Art  - Tate Britain

The first room of this exhibition is a large wall with large objects on it, which were originally used as shop signs.  At a time when literacy was low, signs such as these were used to describe trades on offer.  They are imposing, but would actually make a great print design, I could imagine it drawn out and worked into a repeat.  Objects such as a shoe, a key and a top hat are on display in a larger than life format.

Folk Art is an interesting term, in that it is seen as art of the untrained, but in context you can see that it gives a social commentary of the time in which it was created.  A large quilt is hung on the wall, designed by a couple getting married it includes objects which represent favourite items or hobbies of the couple, it even includes a drawing, in stitch, of a cartoon character they enjoy. 

I thought the sweetheart pin-cushions were particularly beautiful, in the 14th century pins were rare and handmade, so were prized possessions.  Putting a pin into cloth was meant to be lucky, so a pin-cushion would bring luck to the person for whom it was made.

Another beautiful piece was the engraved cockerel made from bone, it was made by a French prisoner of war between 1797 and 1814, there is real craftsmanship in the piece, which is put together with such precision and accuracy.

Made in Mexico - The Rebozo in Art, Culture and Fashion - The Fashion and Textile Museum

I dashed around this exhibition somewhat, although it was lovely to see it, particularly as I have an interest in weave.

The Rebozo is a woven shawl, often inherited or given as a gift to the woman in the family, it is therefore seen as a sentimental piece of cloth with ties to the Mexican heritage, it is seen as a symbol of national identity.

The Rebozo is often decoratively knotted at the end or with other decorative features to finish them off such as beads, feathers etc. 

Rebozo showing different techniques used throughout the shawl.

 

beaded detail on a Rebozo

 

Rebozo with decorative fringing.

 

A decorative box used to present a Rebozo as a gift

 

 

Also on display were some modern pieces created by designers such as Kaffe Fassett and Wallace and Sewell.

 

Making Colour - The National Gallery



This was a very different exhibition, I hadn't been sure if it was something I was particularly interested in when I first heard about it, but a friend of mine had been to see it and said it was amazing.  I have to admit when she told me about it, it did sound good.

This was a fabulous and eye opening exhibition, through it you discover more about the pigments used by artists in the past and the differences between the different pigments used.  Each room is themed in a different colour.  It was really interesting to see how the pigments used had changed over time, where some kept a rich colour and others had faded, although originally they would have been the same colour. 

It was also great being able to take part in an experiment at the end in the cinema room, this is worth doing if you are planning to go as you also learn some interesting facts about the way we perceive colour.  What especially amazed me was the experiment with the dot - I'll say no more, go and see it!!

I had such a fun time in London, I would have liked longer so I could have explored more parts of some of the galleries as I only had time to go to specific exhibitions, but I will definitely have to go back again, although it may not be till next year.

I feel inspired to create, which is the main thing.