“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.
Originil vase by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Ozzano Dell'emilia, IT
Originil by Roberto Matta is a vase created at Bottega Gatti on the occasion of the exhibition “C’Era Mica Matta” at Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Faenza (IT) in 1992 in a limited editi...
Ceramic
$2,831
El Zuni by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Ozzano Dell'emilia, IT
El Zuni by Roberto Matta is a ceramic plate created at Bottega Gatti (Faenza, IT) in 1995 in a limited edition of 120 pieces. Roberto Matta tries to get to the origin of things with...
Ceramic
Homosmusa ceramic vase by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Ozzano Dell'emilia, IT
Homosmusa by Roberto Matta is a vase created at Bottega Gatti on the occasion of the exhibition “C’Era Mica Matta” at Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Faenza (IT) in 1992 in a limited edit...
Ceramic
L'origine è adesso vase by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Ozzano Dell'emilia, IT
L’origine è adesso by Roberto Matta is a vase created at Bottega Gatti on the occasion of the exhibition “C’Era Mica Matta” at Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Faenza (IT) in 1992 in a lim...
Ceramic
Farfallacqua by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Ozzano Dell'emilia, IT
Farfallacqua by Roberto Matta is an umbrella stand created at Bottega Gatti on the occasion of the exhibition “C’Era Mica Matta” at Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Faenza (IT) in 1992 in ...
Ceramic
Innaffiare il linguaggio vase by Roberto Matta
By Roberto Matta
Located in Ozzano Dell'emilia, IT
Innaffiare il linguaggio by Roberto Matta is a bowl created at Bottega Gatti on the occasion of the exhibition “C’Era Mica Matta” at Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Faenza (IT) in 1992 in...
Ceramic
1970s Space Age Orange Vetrochina Ceramic Triple Vase by Il Picchio
Located in Aci Castello, IT
A stylish space age triple vase designed and manufactured in Italy in the Seventies by Il Picchio famous italian manufacturer of the period, the orange colo...
Ceramic
Vintage Bertoncello Ceramic Vase By Roberto Rigon, Italy 70s
By Roberto Rigon, Bertoncello
Located in Lucija, SI
Large ceramics vase designed by Roberto Rigon for Bertoncello in Italy in the 70s Perfect conditions
Ceramic
Italian Ceramic Vase by Roberto Rigon
By Roberto Rigon
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
Stunning hand painted ceramic by Roberto Rigon 1970. Probably made for olive oil or vinegar to use on the Italians dinner tables of the period.
Ceramic
$716Sale Price|20% Off
H 9.85 in W 10.24 in D 4.93 in
Bertoncello Large Modernist Ceramic Vase by Roberto Rigon, Italy 1960s
By Roberto Rigon, Bertoncello
Located in Valencia, VC
Bertoncello by Roberto Rigon Large Modernist Ceramic Vase or Centerpiece A striking and rare Modernist ceramic piece by Roberto Rigon for Bertoncello. This sculptural work is compos...
Ceramic, Clay, Earthenware
Mid-Century Vase by Roberto Rigon for Bertoncello italy
By Bertoncello, Roberto Rigon
Located in Waddinxveen, ZH
Stunning Mid-Century sculptural vase in a white matte grainy texture.
Ceramic
$321Sale Price|35% Off
H 12.6 in W 6.3 in D 5.52 in
Mid Century Bertoncello by Roberto Rigon Sculptural Ceramic Vase, Italy, 1960s
By Giovanni Bertoncello, Roberto Rigon
Located in Valencia, VC
Sculptural Mid Century Modern chimney style ceramic vase by Roberto Rigon for Bertoncello Ceramiche. Featuring the Tobacco classic mottled tan color, this beautifully designed piece ...
Ceramic
$350
H 9.45 in W 11.82 in D 5.91 in
Italian Midcentury Ceramic Pitcher by Roberto Rigon for Bertoncello
By Bertoncello, Roberto Rigon
Located in Vienna, AT
This fantastic large Italian glazed ceramic pitcher was designed by Roberto Rigon for Bertoncello art ceramics ca around 1970. It feature...
Ceramic
$726Sale Price|20% Off
H 12.6 in W 6.3 in D 2.76 in
Midcentury Ceramic Vase Sculpture by Roberto Rigon for Bertoncello, Italy, 1960s
By Roberto Rigon, Bertoncello
Located in Valencia, VC
Mid-Century Sculptural Ceramic Vase by Roberto Rigon for Bertoncello, Italy A striking and rare large-scale sculptural ceramic vase by Roberto Rigon for Bertoncello, executed in the...
Ceramic, Clay, Earthenware
$363Sale Price|20% Off
H 11.82 in Dm 7.88 in
Mid-Century Ceramic Jug Vase by Roberto Rigon for Bertoncello, Signed, 1960s
By Roberto Rigon, Bertoncello
Located in Valencia, VC
Midcentury Sculptural Ceramic Jug Vase by Roberto Rigon for Bertoncello, Italy, 1960s A striking and rare sculptural ceramic jug vase designed by Roberto Rigon for Bertoncello Ceram...
Ceramic, Clay, Earthenware
$480
H 11.63 in W 6.5 in D 7.75 in
Bertoncello by Roberto Rigon Mid Century Ceramic Vase, Italy, 1960s
By Bertoncello
Located in Nuernberg, DE
An amazing ceramic Mid-Century Modern vase made in Italy, circa 1960s. This is a beautiful ceramic vase. Vase is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, or flea bites. Nice col...
Ceramic
Italian Ceramic Vase by Bitossi
By Bitossi
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
Italian Mid-Century Modern Glaze ceramic red vase by Bitossi 1960s. Stamp on the bottom made in Italy, original ceramic in typical Bitossi red colour.
Ceramic
$333
H 7.49 in W 7.49 in D 7.49 in
Orange Ceramic Vase 'Bowling Ball' by Enzo Bioli for Il Picchio, 1960s
By Enzo Bioli
Located in San Benedetto Del Tronto, IT
The 'Bowling ball' vase is an artistic ceramic vase designed by the designer Enzo Bioli (Parma 1932 - 2006) and produced by the historic company "Il Picchio" founded in the 60s by Bi...
Ceramic