Michaela 1943

Henri Matisse painted this piece, Michaela, with oil, and you can feel the way he's pushing the paint around, making decisions as he goes, which is very much my way of working. Look at the zingy contrast between the red and the yellow, and then the calm green of the plant. It’s like a stage set, and Michaela is the star. It’s so flat, but then he has her arm coming forward, out of the picture. That little curve is everything! The zigzags behind her are playful, like a kid scribbling. The colours might be bright, but the surface is muted and textured. The paint doesn’t hide; it feels thick and tactile. There’s an honesty there, which is similar to the work of someone like Forrest Bess, in the way he's trying things out and letting you see the process. It's an exchange of ideas across time. Matisse isn't trying to tell you what to think, he’s showing you how he sees, how he feels.