Tug of War

Discussion through works of art encourage how to approach ambiguous and complex ideas, thoughts, and feelings. The MFAH offers a democratic space where students and teachers can develop, practice and articulate these habits of mind. Remember that the quality of the conversation is what is important, not finding the artist’s “answer.” Slow down and take the time to make careful observations. Talk about what you notice, and try to avoid jumping to conclusions and interpretations. Be sure to give enough time for silent looking and thinking.

Work of Art

Roberto Sebastián Antonio Matta Echaurren was born in Santiago, Chile. He attended Catholic grammar and high schools before receiving his degree in architecture from Universidad Católica. In the mid-1930s, Matta traveled to Europe, where he worked in architecture before devoting himself to painting. In Europe, he met members of the Surrealist movement, including its founder, André Breton (1896–1966). Matta was strongly influenced by the philosophy of the Surrealist artists, who created nontraditional, surreal art as a way to make sense out of a society caught between the end of World War I and the advent of World War II. In 1937 he officially joined their group.

In 1939, due to Europe’s increasing instability, Matta moved to New York. There, he joined with other Surrealist artists in exile from Europe, including Yves Tanguy (1900–1955), whose spectral, dreamlike landscapes influenced Matta’s own fluid style. In New York, Matta served as a link between the older Surrealist artists and the younger generation of Abstract Expressionists, also called the New York School. Matta influenced painters such as Arshile Gorky (1904–1948), and also helped transmit the ideas of automatism (automatic painting without premeditation) from the Surrealist artists to the Abstract Expressionists. In 1948 Matta returned to Europe, where he remained until his death.

 

Untitled depicts a dark, bleak landscape corresponding to the somber mood of World War II. A blue sky in the background peeks through an atmosphere littered with unidentifiable objects. The terrain below in the foreground is covered with yellow, spiky hills, which become ominously darker in the distance. The environment’s harsh, foreboding appearance is eerily illuminated by what appears to be a solar or lunar eclipse. Few individual elements of the painting are discernable, but the black moon (or sun) in the painting’s top left reinforces the landscape qualities of the work.

 

The fluid, organic forms that make up this landscape are a common component of Matta’s style. Instead of representational imagery, Matta uses color and form to convey ideas. Blues, yellows, and whites against a black background appear to glow with a mysterious intensity, while the barrenness of the landscape reinforces a grim mood. The large size of the canvas (38 1/4 x 51 1/4 inches) pulls the viewer into the painting and dominates the field of vision.

 

Partially based on the ideas of Sigmund Freud (1856–1939), Surrealism was a literary and artistic movement that explored the dreams of the unconscious. Surrealism originated from Dada, a movement that consisted of a group of artists creating irrational, absurd art to protest the irrationality of World War I and bourgeoisie society. Like Dada, Surrealist works were unconventional and challenged typical assumptions about reality. However, the Surrealists emphasized spontaneous painting and writing intended to reveal the subconscious mind. As with Untitled, much of Matta’s Surrealist work in the 1940s was focused on the atrocities of war.

Conversation

Subject Matter

Assessment

• Examine other Surrealist artists, such as Yves Tanguy and Salvador. As a group, develop a working definition of Surrealism. What was the purpose of painting in this manner? Why would these artists be interested in altering reality? What do you think of the Surrealist movement?

• Display photographs from World War II, such as those of Life magazine photographer Robert Capa. While comparing the photographs to Matta’s Untitled, discuss how artists “depict” and respond to war. How do your feelings about war change when you examine the photographs and then Matta’s painting? Which do you think provides a more personal perspective of war?

• Compare Matta’s Untitled to Anselm Kiefer’s Der Niebelungen Leid. How did both artists respond to World War II? Consider each artist’s biography, nationality, and home countries. How do you think Matta and Kiefer’s life histories influenced their own work?

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