Disasters of Mysticism 

Roberto Matta made this monumental painting using oil on canvas to explore the inner worlds of the psyche. Looking at this work, you see that Matta used a distinctive method, applying thin washes and translucent layers, a technique known as "pentimenti" or repentance. He built up the surface through this patient accretion. The result is that the painting seems to breathe, a complex atmosphere conjured on the canvas. This wasn't just a technical choice. Matta, deeply influenced by Surrealism, wanted to create what he called "psychological morphologies." He wasn’t so concerned with replicating appearances but instead with visualizing emotional states. The pentimenti allowed him to suggest a kind of constant revision, an unending exploration of inner space, evoking the ever-changing landscape of the human mind. In approaching work like this, we should be attentive to the method of production, the material properties, and the intended effect, all working in concert to communicate meaning.