ROBERTO MATTA

Chile, 1911 – Civitavecchia, 2002

Roberto Matta was a sketch artist and painter known for his work in the Abstract Expressionist and Surrealist movements during the 20th century. 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. In 1934, he traveled to Madrid, Spain. There he was introduced to Salvador Dalí, who encouraged Matta to show his drawings to André Breton. Breton and Dalí connected Matta to the Surrealist movement, which he officially joined in 1937.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.During the 1950s and 1960s, the artist divided his time between South America and Europe. His paintings combined politics with semi-Abstract Art.