Roberto Matta
Roberto Matta (1911-2002) often described himself as a "wanderer." This is true both in a geographic and artistic sense. Born in Chile, Matta came into his own in Paris, where, by 1937, he had exhibited his first drawings and had become a part of the influential Surrealist Group led by Andre Breton. By 1938, he was painting and had become increasingly attracted to the inner self and the unconscious. He put forward a Freudian theory of architecture and painted what he called "psychological morphologies" or alternatively, "inscapes." These paintings, complex maps of the unconscious mind, were created with the techniques of "automatic composition" which he had developed and acquired as a member of the surrealist milieu.
He spent the war years in New York, where he stayed until 1948, before returning to Europe. During his stay in the U.S., the gravity of his presence became a significant force in the American Surrealist Movement. Matta was, of course, in turn influenced by the kaleidoscopic feast which was New York and the thrilling diversity of America in general. During the early 1940's, he was attracted by the "untameable nature" of the American continent. This is clearly reflected in his art, which became more violent, erotic and explosive, yet always within a defined cosmos, one which he believed symbolized the unity of all things. In the middle of that decade, he changed the direction of his work. He met Marcel Duchamp, already a celebrity in this country, and at the same time became fascinated by the relationship between modern man and the technological world. He used ancient Mexican symbolism to create a new imagery with which to highlight the alienation of modern man in a world dominated by mechanization.
In 1950, Matta returned to Rome, where he lived for four years. From Italy he went to Paris where he stayed until 1969. During this period, he became a French citizen and his style progressed through further evolutions. His work became freer and more expressive. The imagery began to reflect what had become his main concern; politics. His political agenda is apparent in these later paintings, but, as always he continued to pursue the same explorations of the unconscious. In the 1960's, Matta painted a number of mural-sized works depicting themes such as the Vietnam War and the civil rights struggle in Alabama. At present, he divides his time between Paris and Rome where he has continued to paint vast, apocalyptic canvases and murals.
Recently, Matta has begun to explore other artistic media. In 1990, he worked at the Piombino shipyards, in Italy where he made a 10-meter obelisk "Cosmos-Now," depicting a finger pointing to the sky. Between 1990 and 1993 he also worked at the Bonvincini foundry in Verona, where he created a number of bronze statues. He has also completed recent work in ceramics in the town of Faenza. His recent large scale canvases, such as "Fire is the Depth of Consciousness," aim at representing humanity's deepest communal unconscious.
More recently, the artist completed a total of eight new carborundum etchings. We at Weinstein Gallery are excited for Matta, as these etchings were completed using a very difficult technique. When producing a carborundum etching, the nature of the materials makes for a very time consuming process. The artist, however, achieves a rich color and beautiful texture unparalleled in any other print medium.
Roberto Matta's fantastic power has endured for nearly a century. His continued ability to astonish and provoke lends credibility to the timelessness of his ongoing ouevre. He is one of the great artists of our time, exhibiting the strength, fortitude and bravery, even innocence, to create fresh and wonderful work. Like Picasso, Matta stands in the very rare company of artists who have produced some of their most powerful etchings in their eighties.
In October, 1995 Matta was recognized by the Queen of England and the Emperor of Japan with the highly coveted "Nobel Prize" of Art.
