Roberto Matta Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Chilean, 1911-2002
“The function of art,” the Surrealist Roberto Matta once stated, “is to unveil the enormous economic, cultural and emotional forces that materially interact in our lives and that constitute the real space in which we live.” In his paintings, Matta sought to expose those forces through the Surrealist practice of automatism, creating work in a free-associative state intended to conjure the unconscious.
After studying architecture in his native Chile, Matta, then 22, chose to pursue the field in Paris, where he mingled with stars of the avant-garde like Gertrude Stein, Salvador Dalí and Walter Gropius. In the late 1930s, he abandoned Paris, together with his job at Le Corbusier’s studio and (for a time) his career, for modern art’s new epicenter, New York City. There, he became a colleague of art legends like Marcel Duchamp and Arshile Gorky.
Although celebrated primarily for his work as a painter, Matta was an equally talented furniture designer. His furniture pieces, like his artworks, are the stuff of dreams. The back of his totem chair, for example, is composed of smiling, cartoonish creatures stacked on top of each other. In his MAgriTTA armchair, the top half of a plush green apple sticks out of large black bowler in homage to its namesake, the Belgian Surrealist René Magritte.
But perhaps the piece that most truly embodies his artistic philosophy is his 1966 Mallite modular system: a collection of spongy, undulating sofas and lounges that can be fitted together to form a puzzle-like room divider. The work, an original edition of which is in MoMA’s permanent collection, has in recent decades been a hard-to-find collectors’ item — until 2019, when Italian design brand Paradisoterrestre issued a reedition, available through Duplex.
Browse Roberto Matta's paintings and furniture designs on 1stDibs.
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Artist: Roberto Matta
Surrealist Figure in Space-scape, Surrealist Wax Crayon Drawing by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Long Island City, NY
Roberto Matta, Chilean (1911 -2002) - Surrealist Figure in Space-scape, Year: 1956, Medium: Wax Crayon on paper, Size: 13 x 10 in. (33.02 x 25.4 cm), Frame Size: 20.5 x 18 inches...
Category
1950s Surrealist Roberto Matta Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Wax Crayon
UNTITLED (ORIGINAL DRAWING)
By Roberto Matta
Located in Aventura, FL
Original color drawing on paper. Hand signed lower front by Roberto Matta. Image size 12 x 16 inches. Frame size approx 23.25 x 27.5 inches.
Artwork is in overall excellent co...
Category
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Roberto Matta Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Color Pencil
$23,600 Sale Price
20% Off
THE MIND BEATENS (ORIGINAL DRAWING)
By Roberto Matta
Located in Aventura, FL
Original color drawing on paper. Hand signed lower front by Roberto Matta. Image size 12 x 16 inches. Frame size approx 23.25 x 27.5 inches.
Artwork is in overall excellent co...
Category
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Roberto Matta Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Color Pencil
$23,600 Sale Price
20% Off
Cruxificion
By Roberto Matta
Located in London, GB
Signed in pencil at lower right.
Category
1950s Surrealist Roberto Matta Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Crayon, Pencil
Price Upon Request
Que principio a abrir los ojos
By Roberto Matta
Located in London, GB
Signed in pencil at lower right. Inscribed 'Que principio a abrir los ojos' ('Where to start when you open your eyes') in pencil at lower centre.
Category
1950s Surrealist Roberto Matta Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Crayon, Color Pencil
Price Upon Request
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Roberto Matta figurative drawings and watercolors for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Roberto Matta figurative drawings and watercolors available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Roberto Matta in pencil, color pencil, crayon and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the Surrealist style. Not every interior allows for large Roberto Matta figurative drawings and watercolors, so small editions measuring 16 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Larry Rivers, Enrique Chagoya, and Cal Lane. Roberto Matta figurative drawings and watercolors prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $29,500 and tops out at $29,500, while the average work can sell for $29,500.
Artists Similar to Roberto Matta
Questions About Roberto Matta Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Roberto Matta is a painter who became a noted part of the Surrealist movement. Born Roberto Antonio Sebastian Matta Echaurren in 1922 in Santiago, Chile, the artist began his professional life as an architect and slowly switched to painting. His work often featured complex biomorphic forms in disturbing settings, making him an important influence in the post World War II era. Shop a selection of Roberto Matta pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Chilean-born Roberto Matta is a modern art painter primarily known for his work in blending surrealism with abstract expressionism. You can shop a selection of expertly vetted Fairfield Porter pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.