Roberto MATTA (1911-2002) Lot n° 16

Roberto MATTA (1911-2002) Untitled. Coloured pencil and gouache on paper, circa 1951, handwritten on the back "Minds in conflict with institutions and tradictions". Two labels on the back, one of them Galerie Berès. 26 cm x 25,5 cm. Slight wear to the corners, scratches. Provenance: Galerie Berès. Robert Motherwell, the emblematic painter of abstract expressionism, described "Roberto Matta as the most energetic, enthusiastic, poetic, charming and brilliant artist he had ever met. Our drawing admirably translates the qualities of the unclassifiable Chilean creator. From surrealism to "cosmic chaos Roberto Matta's trajectory is as singular as it is elusive. He joined the Surrealist movement in the 1930s and became the champion of "automatism", an innovative method of using the flow of subconscious thoughts in artistic creation. Sent by Marcel Duchamp to the United States during the Second World War, he rubbed shoulders with the cream of the New York avant-garde. In the 1950s, he developed a singular universe inspired by the idea of "cosmic chaos" present in pre-Columbian culture. All these travels and influences are reflected in our drawing, where the vitality of the line and the composition underline the dive into the unconscious and political commitment. A drawing for freedom Indeed, the life and work of Roberto Matta seem to pursue a common quest: that of freedom. That of the spirit and of creation, first of all, but also that of the individual in the face of shackles and privations. The inscription on the back of the work, "Minds in conflict with institutions and traditions", gives the work a historical and political impetus. In this way, it is possible to draw a bridge between our drawing - a preparatory study? - and the artist's masterpiece, Roses are Beautiful (1951-1952), a monumental painting inspired by the case of the Rosenbergs, Jews and Communists, tried for espionage, depicting the intrusion of the surveillance regime into the private sphere. A work with an extremely dynamic composition, this drawing by Roberto Matta takes the pulse of its time while affirming a modernity whose style and themes still resonate today.