Maquette for Monica and Matisse Interior with Phonograph 1994

Tom Wesselmann made this *Maquette for Monica and Matisse Interior with Phonograph* with what looks like cut-out and painted board, though I would love to feel the surface. Look at the flatness of the image, the way it simplifies form into blocks of delicious, poppy color. It's like Wesselmann is saying, "Hey, let's strip it all down to the essentials and make it sing!" A lot of artists have a Matisse on their mind, but Wesselmann does so literally here by including a Matisse in the title. I love the way the woman's body is collaged into the still life of fruit and flowers. It’s as if Wesselmann found a way to physically manifest the male gaze, using collage to bring things, and people, together, a real mashup. The cut-out nature of the piece allows the white background to breathe, becoming an active part of the composition. The image isn't constrained by the borders, its collage construction sets it free. It makes me think of David Hockney's photo collages, where he pieced together multiple viewpoints to create a more holistic, albeit fragmented, image. Art, after all, is just a conversation between friends.