Henri Matisse: Fauvism/Shapes (ma-tisse )

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1 Henri Matisse: Fauvism/Shapes (ma-tisse ) Shape Shapes - are flat, enclosed areas that are 2-dimensional with no form or thickness. Shapes are flat and can be grouped into two categories, geometric and organic. What Are Geometric Shapes? Geometric shapes are those that are defined in mathematics and have common names. They have clear edges or boundaries and we use tools to create them. Shapes in this category include circles, rectangles, triangles, polygons, and so on. What Are Organic Shapes? While geometric shapes are well-defined, organic shapes are just the opposite. Draw a curving, semi-circular line and connect it where you began and you have an amoeba-like organic, or freeform, shape. Organic shapes have no names, no defined angles, and no standards, they are simply organic. They can often be found in nature, such as a cloud or a leaf, and artists rely endlessly on organic shapes in their work. After all, if all art was created geometrically, it would be quite boring.

2 Woman with a Hat, 1905 Henri Matisse was born in France in At the age of 20 Henri was studying to be a lawyer when he became very ill. He had to have surgery and was bedridden. Henri was very bored just lying around so his mother gave him a box of paints and brushes so he would have something to do. When he recovered he did not want to go back to law school, instead he went straight to art school! Matisse was so good at painting that the school didn t help him so he decided to open his own school and show other artists how he painted. Art critics thought Henri and his friends painted like Fauves (a French work for wild beasts) because they used bold bright and unusual colors. Critics thought the Fauvists would never be successful artists, but they were wrong. Henri Matisse worked on his art for over 60 years and became one of the greatest artists of all time! What unusual colors were used in this painting?

3 The Desert Harmony in Red, 1909 Throughout his lifetime, he suffered from poor health, but that never stopped him from creating art! Many pictures were painted from his sick bed so they show the inside of his room and a view of the outdoors through an open window, the rooms had patterned wallpaper, curtains, tablecloths and many everyday objects, there was so much to look at in Matisse s pictures! He used rich colors and shapes and loved to paint people too. What types of shapes do you see in this painting? (geometric-circles, rectangles; organic) What complementary colors can you pick out? (red/green, blue, orange)

4 Icarus, 1944 At first Matisse painted still-life & landscapes, but later in his life he became ill and was often stuck in his bed or a wheel chair. At this time he began "painting with scissors" as Matisse would say - meaning that he cut paper and turned them into picture collages. What are collages? (various things pasted on a surface) What do you think this is a picture of? Is there a person in the picture? What color is she? (black) What is blue? (the sky or sea) What is red? (heart) What is yellow? (stars, birds, fireworks, many possible things) Is she moving? How? (dancing or flying or swimming)

5 The Snail 1953 This artwork is called The Snail. Does it look like a snail's spiraling shell to you? The Snail is a collage made from pieces of brightly painted paper that have been cut out and stuck onto a canvas. The Snail shows Matisse s interest in bright color. He has arranged complementary colors alongside each other to create a vibrant effect. What complementary colors can you pick out? For example the green touches the red, and the blue is next to the orange. This makes the picture pop and really attracts your eye's attention! Watch Video K-2: Matisse Cartoon 3-5: Matisse Video Now let s create our own Matisse inspired art!