“I am interested only in the unknown and I work for my own astonishment.” MATTA
Joseph Stella, Brooklyn Bridge, 1918-20. Oil on canvas. 84 ¾ x 76 3⁄8 in. (215.3 x 194.6 cm)
L’impossible de l’une et de l’autre, 1943 is an amalgamation of concepts that embodies Matta’s innovative brand of Surrealism, which ultimately contributed to the expansion of the international Surrealist movement as well as the development of American Abstract Expressionism, greatly influencing artists such as Robert Motherwell, Jackson Pollock, and Arshile Gorky. After initially studying architecture in Chile, followed by a brief period of working in Le Corbusier’s Paris Atelier in
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1935, Matta turned to a new form of artistic expression. Living in Paris and interacting with a number of the Surrealist artists working there, Matta’s early drawings already evinced a deep understanding of the Surrealist objective: to create a liaison between the world of dreams and the waking state. As his drawings evolved, he demonstrated a lucid understanding of landscapes derived from the geometry of forms. More importantly, the iconography he developed during this period evinced stunning introspective compositions that allow viewers to
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