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Artworks
Tony Matelli Chicago, IL, USA, b. 1971
Fucked (Couple), 2005Polyester, silicone, polyurethane, wood, steel, oil paint, hair213 × 400 × 400 cmFurther images
“All of my sculptures are in a state of compromise. They are lost, wounded and tangled. This is everyone’s general state at one point or another. It certainly has been...“All of my sculptures are in a state of compromise. They are lost, wounded and tangled. This is everyone’s general state at one point or another. It certainly has been mine. These things need to be talked about simply.” – Tony Matelli
In F#ucked Couple, two figures are impaled, ravaged by absurd trauma, yet they continue to move forward. Their bodies endure unimaginable suffering, but their joined hands remain untouched by violence—a poignant symbol of love’s resilience. This pure, desperate embrace speaks to the unwavering power of mutual affection in the face of the world's harshest tribulations. As Tony Matelli explains, “‘Love’ is such an old and, in some ways, clichéd idea, so I needed to find a way for it to feel fresh and relevant.” In this piece, Matelli reinterprets love as something more raw and real, not exempt from suffering but transcendent through it.
Exhibitions
Tony Matelli. Uppsala konstmuseum, Sweden. Oct–Nov 2008
Create Your Own Museum. Gary Tatintsian Gallery, Moscow. Jan–Feb 2007
Tony Matelli. Survival, Gary Tatintsian Gallery. Sep–Nov 2008
Mutated Reality. Gary Tatintsian Gallery, Moscow. Nov 2015–Mar 2016
Realisms. State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, Russia. Jun–Sep 2016Publications
“Tony Matelli. Realisms”, State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia, 2016 pp. 24–31, 33–34
“Mutated Reality”, Gary Tatintsian Gallery, Moscow, 2016 pp. 6–7, 10–15, 18–23, 63
“Tony Matelli. Survival”, Gary Tatintsian Gallery, Moscow, 2008. pp. 10–11
“Create Your Own Museum”, Gary Tatintsian Gallery, Moscow, 2007. pp. 104–107
“Fairy Tales Forever, Homage to H.C. Andersen”, ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum, Aarhus, Denmark 2005 pp. 92–95, 164–165
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