Split leaf

What inspired me the most at the ‘The Oasis from Matisse’ exhibition were the details of the cut-out collages and his love for textiles. The forms are made of different parts of paper glued together, which cause relief and subtle differences in colour.

I had seen work of Matisse before, but not in this abundance and I had never taken such a close look. Matisse thought that his lively designs become flat and sterile in reproductions, especially in the book ‘Jazz’. The book marks the transition from the cut-outs as a tool for composition, to autonomous artworks. He came to realise that the dimension and energy he sought were closely related to the material he used to create the collages.

When I look at the contour and the layered paper connections in his work, I wonder how he decided to construct his leafs.

Through my work I find methods to shape my perception of nature. Last year my friend Lenn Cox gave me a photocopy of a Monstera deliciosa for my birthday. She copied the leaf intuitively, because it reminded her of my (organic) work. I started to play with a real and a copied leaf (A3 size).

For the One Window print I prefer to start working with a grid instead of the A3 paper dimension. Working with the organic forms of the leaf and the applied grid creates an interesting composition of shapes and negative spaces. I think this is very useful for the project.