Petra Mattes — Contemporary Art Curator Magazine

The oeuvre of Petra Mattes represents a bold and dynamic foray into the realms of contemporary abstraction, a genre that continues to evolve and challenge the perceptive boundaries of its audience. Her work, characterized by the emotive use of color, gestural brushstrokes, and a profound sense of movement, seems to marry the intensity of Neo-Expressionism with the unrestrained freedom of Abstract Expressionism, creating a new species of abstraction that stands out in the modern art landscape.

In analyzing Mattes' work, one is immediately struck by the vigor and spontaneity of her application of paint. The canvases exude a raw, visceral energy that is often associated with the Neo-Expressionist movement, a style that emerged in the late 1970s as a response to the minimalist and conceptual art that dominated the preceding decades. Neo-Expressionism marked a return to figurative painting and the use of historical and mythological narratives, characterized by a rough and emotive handling of paint. Mattes’ works, while abstract, resonate with this energy through their intense and dynamic application of medium. However, they do not seek to represent the world literally; rather, they evoke emotions and invite personal interpretation, much like the works of Abstract Expressionists such as Jackson Pollock or Willem de Kooning.

Mattes' use of color is both strategic and emotive. Her palette ranges from stark monochromes to vibrant hues, often utilizing the contrast to create a visual impact that extends beyond the aesthetic into the emotional realm. Her paintings are not just seen; they are felt. This emotional resonance is the hallmark of an artist deeply engaged with the communicative potential of her medium. Each stroke, whether it be a harsh black line or a soft wash of pastel, is a word in a visual vocabulary that she has mastered and continues to expand upon with each new work.

The gestural quality of Mattes' paintings is another key aspect of her style. There is a sense of immediacy and improvisation in her brushwork, suggestive of the action painting technique that defines Abstract Expressionism. It is as if each canvas is a battleground, with Mattes engaging directly with her materials in a physical dialogue. This approach reflects an intuitive process, where conscious planning gives way to subconscious expression, allowing for a more authentic transfer of emotion from artist to canvas to viewer.

Compositionally, Mattes' paintings often eschew traditional balance and symmetry in favor of an organic, almost chaotic arrangement of forms and colors. This lack of predictability in her work challenges viewers to confront the unexpected, to find their own order within the apparent disorder. It is a testament to her skill that within this seeming disarray, there is a harmony that emerges, a testament to the underlying order that governs even the most spontaneous of creations.

In the context of contemporary art, Mattes' paintings represent a bold assertion of the artist's right to emotion and expression. At a time when much of art is characterized by a turn towards the digital, the conceptual, and the reproducible, Mattes’ tangible, textured, and unique canvases are a reminder of the enduring power of traditional mediums when placed in the hands of an artist capable of harnessing their potential.

Her works also pose philosophical questions about the nature of art itself. What is the role of the artist in the creation of meaning? Is it the artist's intention that defines a work, or is it the experience of the viewer?

In the eclectic realm of contemporary art, few artists manage to capture the visceral intensity of abstract expressionism while simultaneously pushing its boundaries. Petra Mattes, a German artist whose work has been extensively exhibited and collected, emerges as a provocative voice in this domain. Her canvases are not merely surfaces to behold; they are experiences to be felt, spaces where emotion and abstraction coalesce into an expressive language that is uniquely her own.

Mattes' artistry thrives on a sense of controlled chaos. In works like "Detail What Can I Say," the interplay of accidental drips and deliberate strokes suggests a narrative that is both intimate and elusive. Her use of acrylics lends a vibrant intensity to the pieces, with colors that bleed and blend into each other, creating a dynamic dance of hues and textures. The very titles of her works, such as "Insecure" and "Inside Out," offer a glimpse into the emotional reservoirs from which she draws, imbuing each painting with a psychological depth that invites viewers to explore their interpretations.

Her 2021 piece "O.T." exemplifies her command over scale and composition. Spanning 160 by 150 centimeters, the canvas becomes a battleground of black and white, where the absence of color is as potent as its presence. Mattes' bold, sweeping gestures carve out forms that seem to emerge and recede, playing with the viewers' perception and challenging the distinction between figure and ground.

"Unintentional" and "What Are You Talking About" are studies in the potency of minimalism. Here, Mattes strips away the superfluous, allowing each mark to carry weight. The starkness of the canvas becomes a testament to the notion that in simplicity, there is profundity. These pieces, though seemingly less complex, are charged with an emotional intensity that echoes the existential angst of the post-modern condition.

The year 2020's "Love" is perhaps the most evocative, its title a stark contrast to the visual turmoil depicted. Here, the word "LOVE" is both legible and distorted, a metaphor for the complexity of human emotions. Mattes' work often resides in this dichotomy, where clarity and obscurity, harmony and discord, coexist.

The trajectory of Mattes' oeuvre suggests an evolution from the pure, raw expressionism of earlier works like "Just Another Day" to a more nuanced dialogue between form and void in her later pieces. There's a sense that each canvas is a moment captured in an ongoing conversation between the artist and her medium, a conversation that is as much about the process as the outcome.

In the context of German NeoExpressionism, Mattes' work does not just belong; it challenges and expands the movement. While her predecessors may have sought to articulate the angst of their era through vivid, often violent imagery, Mattes appears more introspective. Her abstraction is a reflection of inner turmoil and contemplation, a gesture towards the ineffable aspects of human experience. The physicality of her paintings cannot be overstated. In a digital age where images are often consumed instantaneously and superficially, Mattes' canvases demand presence. They are tactile, layered, and deeply human. The gestural quality of her work reflects a dance of creation where each movement is infused with intention, each pause with anticipation.

As we consider the future of abstraction, artists like Petra Mattes play a crucial role. They remind us that art is not merely about representation or aesthetics; it is a medium of communication that transcends language and culture. Her work stands as a testament to the power of art to evoke emotion, to confront the viewer, and to speak to the complexities of the human condition without uttering a single word.

Petra Mattes' contribution to the world of art is not simply a continuation of a tradition but a redefinition of it. Her paintings are an invitation to a sensory journey, one that is as personal to the viewer as it is to the artist. Her canvases are not windows to look through but mirrors to look into, reflecting back at us not what we want to see, but what we need to feel.

www.petra-mattes.com

By Marta Puig

Editor Contemporary Art Curator Magazine