Roberto Matta (Chilean, 1911–2002) was a sketch artist and painter known for his work in the Abstract Expressionist and Surrealist movements during the 20th century. He was born Roberto Sebastian Antonio Matta Echaurren on November 11, 1911, in Santiago, Chile. The artist studied architecture and interior design at the Ponificia Universidad Catolica de Chile.
In 1933, Matta moved to Paris, France, to work for famed architect
Le Corbusier (French, 1887–1965). In 1934, he traveled to Madrid, Spain. There he was introduced to
Salvador Dalí (Spanish, 1904–1989), who encouraged Matta to show his drawings to
André Breton (French, 1896–1966). Breton and Dalí connected Matta to the Surrealist movement, which he officially joined in 1937. Matta had twin sons who were both artists,
Gordon Matta-Clark (American, 1943–1978) and Sebastian Matta-Clark (American, 1943–1976). He also had a son who is a composer, Ramuntcho Matta (French, b.1960), and a daughter who is a painter,
Federica Matta (French, b.1955).
In 1938, Matta left Europe and went to New York City. During this time, his artwork also evolved from drawings to oil paintings, which is what he is best known for. For the next decade, the artist lived and worked in the United States, creating his
Inscape series. Matta's connections to the Surrealist movement were severed over a disagreement that concerned
Arshile Gorky (Armenian, 1904–1948) and his family. He was accused of having a relationship with Gorky's wife that led Gorky to commit suicide. This led to his expulsion from the Surrealist movement, but by this time Matta had already made a name for himself.
During the 1950s and 1960s, the artist divided his time between South America and Europe. His paintings combined politics with semi-Abstract Art. He tended to paint on vast canvases and created a mural entitled
The First Goal of the Chilean People for Salvador Allende, the president of Chile at the time. Some of Matta's best-known work include
The Road to Heaven, Storming Water River and Redness of Blue,
Polimorfologia,
Wound Interrogation and The Prophet,
Dark Light,
Lieberos, Nude Hiding in the Forest and Verginosamente, and
La Terre Uni. Matta died on November 23, 2002, in Civiavecchia, Italy.