Briar

Folk Art is artwork that is created by the common people. They are often unorthodox artistic representations, that have a practical and useful purpose. The artisans of Folk art are usually self taught and are not traditionally trained. Folk art can simply be paintings and drawings. However, they also include other artistic representations, such as pottery and sculpture. Folk art can be categorized as primitive art in the fact that the artists are untrained. However, it is not primitive in regards to the techniques used and the skill level seen within this artwork. African masks can be considered Folk art, yet they are intricate and sophisticated in their details. Folk art is something that is deeply connected and tied into the culture of a group of people. Therefore, to categorize Folk art as primitive due to the artistic training of the artist, is unjust and insulting.

“The Horse, the Rider, and The Clown” by Henri Matisse

Henri Matisse was born in Le Cateau-Cambrésis, France on December 31, 1869. Considered to be on of the most important and influential artists of the twentieth century, Matisse was renowned for his usage of bold colors and his unique artistic execution. Matisse experimented throughout his early life with different art forms. He largely drew inspiration from poetry and music, specifically jazz (1). In fact, the musical genre of jazz inspired twenty art pieces bound in a portfolio, titled Jazz.

Like the musical form, the works contained in Jazz are improvisational and “musical in [their] deployment, an effect of jubilant motion and unexpected counter rhythms (2).” “The Horse, the Rider, and The Clown” is an art piece contained in Jazz. Like all of the other art pieces contained in the book, “The Horse, the Rider, and The Clown” was made using paper cutouts (2). Using paper cutouts and stencils became a key element to Matisse’s work during the later part of his life. Similar to jazz, these cutouts were free flowing, whimsical, and rebelled against traditional art forms. “The cutouts in general, approach the liberated abstraction of music (2).” Ultimately Matisse’s works in Jazz are similar to jazz music, because they “…are more like verbs than nouns…They express the feeling of leaping, flying, swimming, falling…They cut straight to the viewer’s experience rather than merely depicting someone else’s (2).” By expressing the feeling of actions, as jazz does, one is able to truly understand the emotions trying to be conveyed. This is unique from artists without jazz as inspiration, because their work typically shows more emotions rather than forcing the viewer to feel emotions as Matisse’s work does.

1. “The Personal Life of Henri Matisse.” Succession H. Matisse. 21 September 2009.

<http://www.henri-matisse.net/biography.html>

2. “The Spirit of Jazz Inspired Matisse.” Andreae, Christopher. 2009. The Christian Science Monitor. 20 September 2009.

<http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0531/p18s02-hfes.html>

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