Henri Matisse had already established his reputation as ‘artiste extraordinaire’ when he endured his second surgery — a last ditch effort to eliminate the painful stomach cancer that left him confined to a wheelchair.
To Henri’s surprise, he survived the surgery. To the surprise of the world, the “Master of Color of Form” was on the brink of revolutionizing Modern Art — no paintbrush required.
After surgery, left physically unable to paint the large-scale canvases that were his signature, Henri traded brushes for a pair of scissors. Splicing shapes from swatches of gouache and pinning the cut forms to his studio wall, Matisse began “Painting with Scissors” — a practice that allowed him to overcome the pain of his own sutures, and continue to do what brought him the most joy: create art.
Without canvas, without paint, Matisse transformed the future of painting. To this day, “The Cut-Outs,” remain among the most famous (and popular) collections of artworks, known for inspiring joy.
Perhaps even more significant than the product of this saga, however, is what the process of “painting with scissors” can represent: the limitless opportunity to innovate and find joy in our daily work. The Cut Outs are a reminder that transformation, if we’re serious about it, necessitates change. Pivoting from “the way it was” can leave us in crippling pain; or, if we’re brave enough to paint with scissors, we may just be on the brink of transforming the world.