Lara Donatoni Matana’s Art from Wood Leftovers
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 02.11.08
Dead trees not suitable for big furniture manufacturers and leftovers from the wood industry turn into these amazing pieces of art at Brazilian artist Lara Donatoni Matana's workshop.
The artist started her career painting in 1992, and between 1996 and 1997 she lived in Curitiba, Brazil's greenest city. It was living in Belo Horizonte during 2000 to 2002, however, that she found interest in wood and was attracted to its beauty.
Keep reading and see many more pics in the extended!
Via Planeta Sustentavel.
From then on, Donatoni Matana developed an intense relationship with wood and started to work with this material. Not in a light way though: "there's an existential relationship between the artist and the wood, which drives her to mysterious places. This matter belonged to a living tree for hundreds of years and the artist has to understand it in order to conduct it to its next life," describes her website.
A great respect for trees lives is what drove Donatoni Matana to work with pieces of wood found in the surroundings of Cuiaba (state of Mato Grosso), dead trees or remaining of burned trees.
The artist has had exhibitions in Cuiaba and Sao Paulo, and also has participated in shaping the awards for the Brazilian Environmental Cinema Festival. Her work is also featured in Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles' (City of god) next film, called Blindness and based on Jose Saramago's novel from the same title.
Donatoni Matana's work is on sale in some galleries and via her website. Prices are displayed for each piece, and start at around 900 Reais (450 USD).
::Lara Donatoni Matana (site in Portuguese)
A picture by Lara Donatoni Matana, made from wood leftovers.
Another picture from wood leftovers.
Sculpture carved in a piece of dead wood.
Lara Donatoni Matana's art at his workshop.
Lara Donatoni Matana creating, at her workshop.
Lara Donatoni Matana collecting wood leftovers.
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amazingly beautiful!
Really beautiful work, but that price you quoted is off by a factor of 10. She does list prices on the website for most pieces- e.g., the one in the 4th pic from the bottom is R$6200, or about $3500USD. After I read your $250 price I was going to buy her entire stock.
Thanks Scott, I hadn't noticed the line with the price, distraction I guess.
I'll correct the price, though there is one of the articulated piece for 800 Reais (400 USD).
Best.