Tony Matelli

Overview

I like sculpture because it’s unwieldy, and there is a resistance to decoration in sculpture that I like. Genres are at the service of ideas, not the other way around.

Characterized by hyperrealism and a twisted depiction of everyday objects like flowers and leftover consumer goods, Tony Matelli's sculptures often straddle the boundaries of absurdity and humor, raising broader existential questions.

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Works

Tony Matelli
658, 2023
painted bronze
69.8 x 45.7 x 38.1 cm
27 1/2 x 18 x 15 in
Tony Matelli
(Made to order) Arrangement (Pink Orchid), 2022
bronze, stainless steel, aluminum, epoxy, paint
unique
71.1 x 40.6 x 30.5 cm
28 x 16 x 12 in
Pedestal dimensions: 38 x 16 x 16 in
Tony Matelli
(Made to order) Arrangement (14), 2022
painted bronze, stainless steel, galvanized steel, enamel
unique
50.8 x 45.7 x 45.7 cm
20 x 18 x 18 in
Pedestal dimensions: 38 x 16 x 16 in
Tony Matelli
(Made to order) Arrangement (White Orchid), 2022
bronze, stainless steel, aluminum, epoxy, paint
unique
78.7 x 52.1 x 45.7 cm
31 x 20 1/2 x 18 in
Pedestal dimensions: 38 x 20 x 20 in
Tony Matelli
(Made to order) Arrangement , 2022
painted bronze, stainless steel
unique
73.7 x 61 x 58.4 cm
29 x 24 x 23 in
pedestal dimensions : 38 x 20 x 20 in
Tony Matelli
635, 2022
painted bronze
unique
68.6 x 22.9 x 25.4 cm
27 x 9 x 10 in
unique
Tony Matelli
Bust (Nectarines), 2022
marble and painted bronze
unique
76.2 x 45.7 x 30.5 cm
30 x 18 x 12 in
Tony Matelli
Bust (eggplant), 2022
marble, painted bronze
unique
96.5 x 66 x 40.6 cm
38 x 26 x 16 in
Tony Matelli
Standing Figure (bananas), 2022
marble and painted bronze
unique
215.9 x 53.3 x 53.3 cm
85 x 21 x 21 in
Tony Matelli
Seated Angel, 2022
marble and painted bronze
unique
155 x 119 x 76 cm
61 x 46 7/8 x 29 7/8 in
Tony Matelli
Two Figures, 2022
marble and painted bronze
unique
149.9 x 162.6 x 91.4 cm
59 x 64 x 36 in
Tony Matelli
657, 2022
painted bronze
38.1 x 33 x 17.8 cm
15 x 13 x 7 in
Tony Matelli
Arrangement (18), 2021
painted bronze, stainless steel
unique
76.2 x 71.1 x 45.7 cm
30 x 28 x 18 in
Pedestal dimensions: 38 x 36 x 20 in
Tony Matelli
Arrangement (15), 2021
bronze, stainless steel, aluminum, epoxy, paint
71.1 x 40.6 x 30.5 cm
28 x 16 x 12 in
Pedestal dimensions: 38 x 16 x 16 in
Tony Matelli
Arrangement (16), 2021
bronze, stainless steel, aluminum, epoxy, paint
unique
78.7 x 52.1 x 45.7 cm
31 x 20 1/2 x 18 in
Pedestal dimensions: 38 x 20 x 20 in
Tony Matelli
Arrangement (17), 2021
painted bronze, stainless steel
73.7 x 61 x 58.4 cm
29 x 24 x 23 in
Pedestal dimensions : 38 x 20 x 20 in
Tony Matelli
Half Buddha Two Oranges, 2020
granite painted bronze
unique
45.72 x 68.58 x 40.64 cm
18 x 27 x 16 in
Tony Matelli
564, 2020
painted bronze
unique
66 x 27.9 x 30.5 cm
26 x 11 x 12 in
Tony Matelli
565, 2020
painted bronze
unique
64.8 x 27.9 x 20.3 cm
25 1/2 x 11 x 8 in
Tony Matelli
539, 2020
painted bronze
76.2 x 27.9 x 30.5 cm
30 x 11 x 12 in
Tony Matelli
Figure (w/Strawberries), 2019
concrete and painted bronze
157.48 x 40.64 x 40.64 cm
62 x 16 x 16 in
Tony Matelli
Yesterday 56, 2019
painted bronze rub on transfers urethane beer can
unique
111.76 x 40.64 x 45.72 cm
44 x 16 x 18 in
Tony Matelli
Lion (Fruit), 2019
glass fiber reinforced concrete, marble dust, mineral pigments, stainless steel, cast urethane, paint
unique
83.8 x 154.9 x 40.6 cm
33 x 61 x 16 in
Tony Matelli
Lion (Pizza), 2019
glass fiber reinforced concrete, marble dust, mineral pigments, stainless steel, cast urethane, paint
unique
83.8 x 154.9 x 40.6 cm
33 x 61 x 16 in
Tony Matelli
Half Hera, 2018
Cast stone, steel, painted urethane
unique
310 x 89 x 84 cm
122 x 35 x 33 inches
Tony Matelli
Tic Tac Toe, 2015
urethane and enamel on mirror
unique
152.4 x 243.8 cm
60 x 96 in
Tony Matelli
Child, 2014
urethane and enamel on mirror
unique
152.4 x 243.8 cm
60 x 96 in

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Biography

The weed is a triumph and a failure at the same time. Weeds persevere; you can’t kill them. They are a celebration of unwantedness.

Born in 1971 in Chicago, Tony Matelli is a New York-based sculptor known for his painstakingly detailed, resemblant sculptures. Concerned with how we define ourselves as human beings, what constitutes meaningful relationships, and the transience of life, Matelli chronicles these ideas through a playful lens whilst pushing the boundaries of his medium. The result is a subversive dialogue that deepens the conversation surrounding the possibilities of sculpture. Incorporating figurative, botanical, and abstract forms, his bronze sculptures rely on unusual juxtapositions such as his weeds series in which plants sprout from the space between gallery walls and floors. Across his oeuvre,...