Ep 119: Justin Paton, curator of 'Matisse: Life and Spirit'

A video version of this episode can be viewed here

Justin Paton is the co-curator of the most exciting exhibition to arrive on Sydney’s doorstep since our world was upturned by the pandemic.

‘Matisse: Life and Spirit, Masterpieces from the Centre Pompidou, Paris’, now showing at the Art Gallery of NSW, is an uplifting collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures which not only brings with it excitement, joy and optimism, but also is immediate in its nature.

“As these works have come out of their crates I’ve really had the feeling that the paintings are almost making themselves before your eyes … he’s not giving you a sealed off, finished, product”, Justin tells me in this podcast episode. “He’s showing you his thinking. He wants you to feel as though you’re looking over his shoulder as he revises, adjusts, amends a line, sands something back’.

And this proximity to Matisse is not only felt in the works themselves, but in the way they are presented to us. His sculptures and paintings seem to talk to each other and the breathtaking space which evokes the artist’s Chapel of the Rosary in Vence takes us a step closer to what he might have felt in the moments of its creation. The space is designed by renowned Australian architect Richard Johnson.

Justin Paton is the head curator of international art at the Art Gallery of NSW. He talks with me about the exhibition, from the early works from the Fauvist period and Matisse’s time connecting with the Australian artist John Russell to the later cut-out works and how they came about. He also talks with me about the ‘Matisse Alive’ exhibition which he also curated.

Justin is also an acclaimed writer and his books include ‘How to look at a painting’ (which was adapted into a TV series) and more recently ‘McCahon Country’ about the works of the famous New Zealand painter Colin McCahon.

To hear our conversation click on ‘play’ beneath the above photo.

The exhibition ‘Matisse: Life and Spirit’ continues until 13 March 2022. You can buy tickets here. ‘Matisse Alive’ is a free exhibition and continues until 3 April 2022.

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