Artist Research Paperwork

Mrs. C-Harvey

Date 1/17/17
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AP studio art

Artists Full Name Tony Matelli

Date of Birth: 1971
Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois

Primary type of artwork (example: painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking,

ceramics etc. )
Sculpture
Media (What materials were predominately in this artists work?)
Silicone, steel, bronze, real clothes and human hair, aluminum, urethane,
paint
Style or art period most associated with the artists
Hyperrealism

Please list in complete sentences personal/interesting information on the artist.

Include education, influences, experiences etc.
Tony Matelli was born in Chicago in 1971, and currently lives and works in
New York. He has exhibited all over the world, and he creates lifelike
sculptures that often have an ironic twist. He is able to portrait everything
from difficult economic times to love, and his sculptures have ranged from
a pile of money on fire to a self-portrait made of decomposing meat. He
works to create an experience for the viewer and to pose questions. His
most well-known piece, Sleepwalker, was installed outside of the allwomens Wellesley College and sparked so much outrage that a petition
was started for its removal, gaining over a thousand signatures and
earning the sculpture a bucket of yellow paint.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Matelli
http://www.tonymatelli.com/
http://www.thegreengallery.biz/artists/tony-matelli
http://www.hallmarkartcollection.com/artwork/abandon-weed/

Critiques

Old Enemy, New Victim, 2007, silicone, fiberglass, paint, steel, yak hair, 37 x 72 x
24"
Description: This piece is a realistic sculpture of 3 chimpanzees. Two of the
chimps are malnourished, with their bones sticking up underneath their skin. These
two have taken down the third chimp, who is practically obese and lies on his back
with one of the skinny chimps ringing his neck. His arms are reaching out as he
struggles, and the other skinny chimp has a grip on the fat stomach of the
overtaken chimp and is preparing to bite into him. The chimp that has its hands
around the fat ones neck is snarling down at him. The fat chimp has squinted eyes
and an open mouth.
Analysis: The difference in size of the forms of the chimps creates a contrast
between the pillow-like fat of the large chimp and the bony structure of the other
two. The outstretched forms of the fat chimpanzees arms draw the viewers eye to
both sides of the piece. The overall upside-down T composition balances the piece.
The texture of the fur against the skin makes the piece seem more realistic. The
proportion of the skinny chimps to the large one is purposely exaggerated to put
emphasis on the difference between them.

Interpretation: I think that this piece is about uneven distribution of wealth. In the
animal kingdom, you rarely see members of the same species that are so starkly
different in weight. This might be the case if the obese chimp was raised in
captivity, but I believe that Tony Matelli exaggerated this in order to depict a human
struggle. Among humans there have always been a group of elite or wealthy
individuals. You can even compare 3rd and 1st world countries and the vast
differences in nutrition between them. The anger that is portrayed in the attacking
chimps face makes it feel like he is righting an injustice. I believe that the title, Old
Enemy, New Victim refers to the age-old battle between rich and poor, or fortunate
and unfortunate, only Matelli has put it in the terms of chimpanzees. Perhaps he
chose to do chimps instead of people to show how animalistic injustices and uneven
distribution of resources can make us.
Judgment: I think that this piece has lasting importance because of its incredible
realism, portrayal of raw animosity, and ability to convey a human issue in natural
terms. Matelli did a memorable job of creating an obese chimp that wasnt cartoony
in appearance, and the emotion in the apes faces helps to convey the concept
while still maintaining their hyper realistic look. He was able to depict the human
issue of how extreme class or societal differences can be without using humans
themselves.

Total Torpor Mad Malaise, 2003, silicone, human hair, urethane foam, trash,
magazines, sheet, rug, 60 x 45 x 71"
Description: This piece is of a man lying on top of a beige table/bed that has been
draped in a large white tablecloth. The man is reclining, with his right arm propped
up on a stack of magazines. His skin is breaking out in grotesque, bulbous forms
that make his left foot and hand unrecognizable. He is nude, and his face is blank,
with eyes that seem distant and a gaping mouth. At the foot of the box that he sits
on is a deep purple rug that has been littered with beer cans, coffee cups, red bull
cans, and more magazines. He appears to be trying his best to pose normally for
the picture despite his large and intrusive growths.
Analysis: The nakedness of the man and his reclined position is reminiscent of old
nude painting of women. The chaos of the forms of trash that sit beneath his
bed/seat create the movement that draws the viewers eye down and back up the
piece. The sickly forms on his skin contrast with the clean, white surface of the
sheet. The bottles and cans also serve to balance the piece, and add interest to the
floor beside the box. The texture of the mans skin, both normal and bulbous, makes
the piece scarily realistic and gives the viewer a disgusted feeling.

Interpretation: I think that this piece is targeted specifically at the American

lifestyle, and of countries that are similar to America. I believe that the bulbous
forms serve as an exaggeration of the obesity and uncleanliness that runs through a
growing part of our culture. America is the place for people to live with Torpor. The
trash and magazine reflect that we are fed and entertained. Its possible that Matelli
is pointing out that corporations attempt to pacify us so that we will continue to buy
their products. Perhaps he is making us question our blind consumerism, and look at
where it will lead us. A nude, which normally would be a depiction of natural human
beauty, has in this case been turned into something that is disgusting to witness.
Judgment: I think that this piece has lasting importance because it forces people
who live in societies like America to see a possibility that their future holds. If people
are not informed consumers, then the companies that create our products will make
our decisions for us and we will be pacified as Matelli has depicted. As America
grows, it will be more important than ever for us to be aware of the products that
we consume, and I think that this piece serves as a fair warning of the absolute
extreme that consuming blindly can cause. I believe that Tony Matelli is trying to
pose the question of whether or not laziness will define our society.

Other works

Figure 1, 2015, Silicone, Steel, Urethane, Hair

67 x 18 x 8"

Sleepwalker, 2014, Painted Bronze, 66" x 48" x 36"

Josh, 2010, silicone, steel, hair, urethane, clothing, 30 x 74 x 22"

Double Meat Head (Fresh), 2008, cast aluminum, cast bronze, urethane, paint, 48 x
34 x 34"

Weed (detail), 2008, painted bronze, 15 x 10 x 13"

Seals, 1995, epoxy, paint, 65 x 42 x 20"