Mercedes Matter: A Retrospective Exhibit

On November 26, I went to the Mercedes Matter Exhibition at the Sidney Mishkin Galler in Baruch College. A lady began to give us a tour of Mercedes Matter’s collection, starting from her earliest paintings of flowers and self-portraits. As we moved on in the gallery, a theme of abstract still-life was evident. Mercedes Matter painted a variety of table still-lifes and used the theme of abstraction throughout these paintings. I learned that many of these oil-on-canvas paintings were influenced by loved ones around her, such as her husband. Matter’s style of painting is definitely considered avant-garde and modern. It was an enjoyable workshop to attend, and although it was hard to grasp the concepts of her works, it made it much more appreciative. I found one of her self-portraits to be particularly interesting and ended up using that for one of my art history papers, so this exhibit really helped.