Dessin Decoupée 1950 - 1993

Frederick Sommer made this paper cutout, a Dessin Decoupée, on a sheet of paper in the cut and paste method. He took away rather than added to the composition. The off-white shapes stand out against the black background. I can imagine Sommer snipping away with scissors, spontaneously carving out these shapes and figures. They are like shadows, aren’t they? Or ghostly apparitions. It is hard not to think of Matisse and his late paper cut-outs. But while Matisse's are joyous and decorative, this feels more like an existential dance. The figures seem to be caught in a moment of uncertainty, of hesitation. They make me wonder about Sommer's thoughts, his state of mind, his relationship to his materials. There is a beauty in the simplicity and directness of this work. The dialogue between artists across time is so important and such a lovely, ongoing collaboration. Uncertainty is embraced as a path for new ideas, and that openness is what I value most about art, about painting, about life.