Roberto Matta

ROBERTO MATTA (Santiago de Chile, 1911 - Civitavecchia, Italy, 2002).
Untitled, 1971.
Oil on canvas.
Provenance: San Carlo Gallery, Milan.
With inscription on the back with the number of the Catalogue Raisonné (71/158).
Provenance: Gian Carlo de Magistris Collection, Milan; Emillio Vallardi Collection, Milan.
Attached certificate of authenticity issued by Germana Ferrari, responsible for the Archives of the artist's work.
Measurements: 67 x 77 cm; 95 x 104 cm (frame).

This painting by Roberto Matta, dating from 1971, fully embodies his characteristic style of that period, where he fuses elements of surrealism with a profound exploration of the human psyche and socio-political tensions. The gray background, tinged with various tones and white scribbles, establishes an undefined space reminiscent of his "inscapes" or interior landscapes, a concept Matta developed to visually represent the human subconscious as a three-dimensional space. On this background float indecipherable figures traced in black, with accents of bright colors such as yellow, red, blue and white. These forms, suggestive of both animal and plant organisms, reflect his interest in "psychological morphologies," where the organic and the mechanical intertwine in a symbolic dance. The roots or legs emerging from the lower figures, from which droplets spill out, evoking shadows or dripping techniques, add a dynamic and visceral dimension to the work. This detail can be interpreted as a representation of the connection between the subconscious and tangible reality, a manifestation of how inner emotions and thoughts seep into and affect the outside world. Taken together, this work exemplifies Matta's ability to create compositions that, while abstract, are charged with meaning and emotion. His ability to combine complex visual elements with profound subject matter means that his paintings from this period are considered some of the most influential in the field of surrealist and abstract art.

Roberto Matta was an architect, poet, humanist and painter, whose surrealist and metaphysical inspired works illustrate a dreamlike world intertwined with modern technological civilization. The son of a large family with a tendency towards the artistic world, with great influence from his maternal grandfather, he trained as an architect in Santiago de Chile and with Le Corbusier in Paris, between 1934 and 1935, where he befriended the painter Marcel Duchamp and Pablo Picasso. At the outbreak of World War II he moved to the United States, and lived in New York between 1939 and 1948. There he met André Breton, Max Ernst, Yves Tanguy and André Masson, and his style had a decisive influence on the formulation of American abstract expressionism. Matta dedicated himself to the realization of works in which he repeated representations of volcanoes and earthquakes, all of them under the theme of the cosmic creation of nature. Matta's work added new dimensions to contemporary painting, despite his break - for unknown reasons - with the surrealist movement in 1947. Settled in Rome, he continued to evolve his career during the 1950s. He traveled to South America, portraying and capturing the essence of the native peoples. Although he rejoined the surrealist world in 1959, he experimented with different forms of artistic expression, including video productions such as "Système 88", photography and other means of expression. In 1967 he moved to Tarquinia, Italy, varying his residence in long stays in Paris, London and New York. In 1971 he worked a revolutionary air art, executing collective murals in the commune of La Granja. He is represented in the most important art galleries dedicated to modern art in the world, such as the MoMA and the Metropolitan in New York, Thyssen-Bornemisza or the Tate Gallery in London. Matta's style led him to become one of the most important artists of the twentieth century, receiving high international distinctions among which the National Art Award from the Government of Chile.