Nothing But Good: Julika Geissler / Henri Matisse

Saturday, 26 November 2016

Julika Geissler / Henri Matisse

Henri Matisse

Icarus, plate VIII from the illustrated book 'Jazz'

1947

pochoir

41,9 x 26 cm

With color one obtains an energy that seems to stem from witchcraft.

Henri Matisse

I’m painting large format flower patterns. It is important that the shape of the flower dissolves into something between testicles, seeds or butts with limbs reminding of arms. These seem to touch and at the same time repel each other. In my paintings it's not clear if the forms are jumping around happily or are just lying there numbed, waiting for their death. The patterns are simple and colorful, the shapes are flat and repetitive. Similar to carpet patterns of which one says that Henri Matisse was also influenced by.

I love the work of Matisse in general but the one I chose stayed in my mind constantly. I was impressed by the beautiful simplified forms floating or falling in front of a pure colorful area, its simple abstraction and the smooth and soft arrangement.

Julika Geissler, 2016