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Roberto Matta More Art

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
Matta.Entretiens... - Rare Book illustrated by Roberto Matta - 1987
By Roberto Matta
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G. Ferrari, Matta. Entretiens Morphologiques. Notebook N°1, 1936-1944 , First Edition, Sistan, London 1987. In this book, there is an original lithograph by Matta, hand-signed and n...
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1980s Modern Roberto Matta More Art

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Rare Vintage Exhibition Leaflet - R.S. Matta - Galerie di Dragon - 1958
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Exhibition Leaflet is an original rare vintage catalogue by the Chilean artist Roberto Sebastián Matta (1911-2002). This color artwork is the rare exhibition leaflet realized in occ...
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Roberto Matta more art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Roberto Matta more art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Roberto Matta in paper 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 more art, so small editions measuring 8 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Kat Silver, Igael Tumarkin, and Jean Cocteau. Roberto Matta more art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $428 and tops out at $2,115, while the average work can sell for $1,271.
Questions About Roberto Matta More Art
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Roberto 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, 2022
    Chilean-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.

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