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Roberto Matta Chairs

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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Creator: Roberto Matta
1970s MAgriTTA Chair Roberto Matta for Simon Gavina Editions, Italy, 1970
1970s MAgriTTA Chair Roberto Matta for Simon Gavina Editions, Italy, 1970

1970s MAgriTTA Chair Roberto Matta for Simon Gavina Editions, Italy, 1970

$4,650Sale Price|25% Off

1970s MAgriTTA Chair Roberto Matta for Simon Gavina Editions, Italy, 1970

By Simon Gavina Editions, Roberto Matta

Located in Camden, ME

"Roberto Matta designed this chair as a tribute to his friend and fellow surrealist painter René Magritte. The apple and black bowler hat are derived from Magritte's 1946 self-portra...

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1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Roberto Matta Chairs

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H 44.49 in W 14.57 in D 20.48 in

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Roberto Matta chairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Roberto Matta chairs are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of polyester and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Roberto Matta chairs, although black editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original chairs by Roberto Matta were created in the mid-century modern style in italy during the 1970s. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider chairs by Marcello Cuneo, Willy Rizzo, and Cidue. Prices for Roberto Matta chairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $4,200 and can go as high as $4,200, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $4,200.

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Questions About Roberto Matta Chairs
  • What type of art did Roberto Matta do?
    1 Answer
    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.
  • What kind of art did Roberto Matta do?
    1 Answer
    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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