Customer Reviews (1)

Sad it's so hard to find much about Matta in print or Web
It's incredible that it's so hard to find much useful (or visual) information about this great, great Chilean artists, both in print or even on the Web. Born in 1912, and originaly, an architect and former disciple of Le Corbusier, Matta went on to be recognized as a true genius of the Surrealist movement. His works can be seen in the Art Gallery of Ontario, Art Museum of the Americas, Washington D.C.; Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio; and Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, of his homeland Chile. Any book you find on him, get it: you will be delighted to discover his work! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

"The heart is an eye"
Released by the Smithsonian Institution this book is the catalogthat was used in an exhibition of the same name, organized by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, that was on view in the summer of 1992. Featuring the works of Diego Rivera, Joaquin Torres-Garcia, Matta and Wilfredo Lam,the oversized book is a bilingual text that pays homage to these Latin American pioneers. The essay by Octavio Paz entitled "La Casa de la Mirada"(The House of Glances) is a particularly illuminating poem written for the Chilean Surrealist Roberto Matta. In this poem Paz uses his eloquent prose to describe the innner workings of the mind, the creative process and the visions within. Paz uses analogies to illustrate his thoughts, creates similarties in unorthodox ways, drawing compelling comparisons like saying that the "hand has five eyes" and how we "create in order to see." It is a moving piece of poetry where Paz uses imagery to paint his own canvas. The poem is worth the price of the bookand is one to read over and over. The discussions by the other authors are very satisfying in that they probe and express ideas and much like art itself, invent and reinvent as well as look at the ordinary from an extraordinary perspective. The art itself featured has spiritual overtones and asthetic beauty that is linked to their respective cultural roots. Althoughsome of the art does not really appeal to me I respect it because of the metaphysical transcendence that explores the universal themes of chaos, harmony, human figures, animalsand figurative explorations of African art and pre-Columbian Art into a modern sythesis. There are enough interesting pieces in the bookto make it worthwhile but really the essays are what elevate this book beyond the ordinary catalog. If you are into Latin American art than this book is is for you since it features four of the giants from the early part of the 20th century. Recomended for lovers of art. "Create in order to see." ... Read more

Book Description
This catalogue focuses on work produced by the Chilean-born artist Roberto Sebastian Matta from 1939-1948 when he lived in exile in New York. Matta, who has spent most of his life living and working in Europe, occupies a unique and pivotal place in the history of American art of this period. Of all the surrealists in exile in New York during these years, Matta formed the closest links with American artists of his own generation and served as a catalytic force in communicating ideas about surrealist processes and relating to the development of a new language of abstract painting. Matta in America includes full-color illustrations of approximately twenty paintings and twenty drawings made during the artist's American sojourn. An essay tracing the development in the 1940s of Matta's work and highlighting his interactions with other artists of the period is complemented by an essay by art historian William Rubin. Originally written for the Centre Georges Pompidous's 1985 Matta monograph, Rubin's essential text, "Matta in the United States: A Personal Note," has never before been published in English. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Matta- Seldom Recognised Genius
Matta did huge paintings that combined the energy of Abstract Expressionism with the weirdness of Surrealism and a thorough knowledge of color, composition, form and perspective, yet this is the only book I have seen dedicated to him.It's not a big coffee-table book like he deserves, but the paintings look good.I would have preferred to see more paintings and fewer drawings.

Sad it's so hard to find much about Matta in print or Web
It's incredible that it's so hard to find much useful (or visual) information about this great, great Chilean artists, both in print or even on the Web. Born in 1912, and originaly, an architect and former disciple of Le Corbusier, Matta went on to be recognized as a true genius of the Surrealist movement. His works can be seen in the Art Gallery of Ontario, Art Museum of the Americas, Washington D.C.; Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio; and Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, of his homeland Chile. Any book you find on him, get it: you will be delighted to discover his work! ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Proceso, published by CISA Comunicacion e Informacion, S.A. de C.V. on June 7, 1998. The length of the article is 1313 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Roberto Sebastian Matta Echaurren en México. (pintor chileno; parte 2)(TT: Roberto Sebastian Matta Echaurren in Mexico) (TA: painter from Chile; part 2)
Author: Raquel Tibol
Publication: Proceso (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 7, 1998
Publisher: CISA Comunicacion e Informacion, S.A. de C.V.
Issue: n1127Page: p60(3)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Epoca, published by Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA) on February 15, 1999. The length of the article is 499 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: De la materia de las estrellas.(Roberto Matta, pintor; exposición; Caixa de Cataluña, Spain)(TT: Of the matter of stars.)(TA: Roberto Matta, painter; exhibition; Caixa de Catalunya, Spain)
Publication: Epoca (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 15, 1999
Publisher: Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA)
Page: 60

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
"For years, anthropologists have been interested in jogo do bicho as a key Brazilian institution. We now have an English translation uniting Roberto DaMatta's theoretical acumen and knowledge of Brazil with Elena Soárez's field work. In Eagles, Donkeys, and Butterflies, they combine a stunningly effective analysis of the game in terms of rituals and symbols with an enlightening analysis of the structural and symbolic significance of the animals and the numbers associated with them. This is a welcome addition to the literature on the game's cultural meaning and its place in the context of Brazilian society." —Conrad P. Kottak, University of Michigan

"This book is fascinating and marked by a richness of detail that keeps a reader's attention. It constitutes an important contribution to the understanding of Brazilian and Latin American culture." —Thomas E. Skidmore, Brown University

Roberto DaMatta, one of Brazil's foremost anthropologists, and scriptwriter Elena Soárez approach the question of gambling in popular culture in general and its treatment in social anthropology in particular. They focus on the "animal game," a kind of popular Brazilian gambling entertainment or lottery in which locals bet on a list of twenty-five animals. The authors argue that the success of this game, which originated in 1882 with the founding of the first zoo in Rio de Janeiro, and the social release the game provides are significant aspects of Brazilian social history and identity. Within the animal game, players "totemize" and identify with various animals. DaMatta and Soárez use this identification as a lens through which to view present-day Brazilian society, the significance of gambling, and the role of animal images in Brazilian and American popular cultures.

Appearing for the first time in English, this well-written work moves smoothly between comprehensive analysis and field observations of specific behaviors and practices, such as the lucky tricks and devices invested with magical thinking by those who play the game. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A photo essay of the wildness of the Brazilian carnival
All of the photos in this collection were taken by Claudio Edinger during the wildness of the Brazilian Carnival. As you can see from the pictures, the emphasis is on the carnal aspect of the carnival. You see men dressed up as women, sometimes convincingly and other times absurdly. Some people are seen engaged in the height of revelry and others display the fatigue of the aftermath. Nearly naked older men are dancing in the streets, making up for in enthusiasm what they are obviously lacking in physical structure. Wild costumes of all forms appear, from some that could safely be used on a Halloween night in America to others that quite possibly could get you arrested.
I have never attended a Brazilian carnival, but it is clear that it is a wild time where almost anything goes. Rich and poor, beautiful and ugly, all are welcome and all certainly have a good time.
... Read more

Book Description
Transmission is a comprehensive examination of the relationship between the work of renowned surrealistRoberto Matta (1912-2002) and his son, conceptual artist, Gordon Matta-Clark (1943-1978). The book explores how Matta-Clark's exposure to artistic circles of his father's generation influenced the direction that his art would take, and how that played a role in the evolution of 1970s conceptual art.

Essays draw parallels between the way each artist absorbed artistic and cultural trends to conceive new significant models for art. Sculpture, paintings, and works on paper by Matta, and sculpture, photographs, and works on paper by Matta-Clark are illustrated. ... Read more