Press Release

February 24th, 2009

“Autocycles,” the latest twists in the lifelong evolution of paintings by Matt Carone, will open at ArtSpace/Virginia Miller Galleries at 7 p.m. Friday, Mar. 6th.

Largely inspired by his 45-year friendship with the famed Chilean painter Roberto Matta, Carone’s paintings recently took a turn toward a more patterned abstraction.

According to the artist, the new subtly toned works “seem to be an opening of a new door of automatism.

“The approach is similar to the past works but the image is arrived at more spontaneously and graphically,” Carone says. “Subconscious symbols and rhythmic gestures relating to each other or canceling each other out seem to be the building blocks to the final statement.

“The seed,” he acknowledges, “was planted by Matta.”

Like the abstract expressionists, Carone seeks “a spontaneous image as a consequence of a gesture…dictated more by the subconscious than by a rational, disclplined procedure.”

Carone became interested in art as an adolescent during the summer of 1944, when he was asked to model for Hans Hoffman. His older brother, the well-known painter Nicolas Carone, was studying with Hoffman.

Through his brother and years of involvement in art, Carone has had a close association with many of the era’s most famous artists and critics, including Conrad Marca-Relli, James Brooks, Paul Jenkins, Sandro Chia, Larry Rivers, Balcolm Greene, James Rosenquist, Duane Hanson, Thomas Hoving, Clement Greenberg and many others.

His extensive professional biography lists one-person exhibitions in such museums as the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art, the Boca Raton Museum, and the Palazzo Panni Museum in Arco di Trento, Italy, along with numerous leading private galleries.




October 14, 2003

Matthew Carone, a painter before he became a legendary South Florida art dealer, will open a one-person exhibition of his work at ArtSpace/Virginia Miller Galleries from 7-10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 2nd, 2004.

Carone, a leading Ft. Lauderdale gallery owner since 1959, continued his career as an artist during the years he operated his gallery, painting at every opportunity.

The famous artists he represented—Roberto Matta, Conrad Marca-Relli, James Brooks, Paul Jenkins, Wolf Kahn, among others—found out indirectly that Carone also was an artist of some repute. When they discovered their dealer was a serious painter, the bond was complete. Carone formed lifetime friendships with them.

His daily association with their work sometimes is reflected in his own paintings, particularly that of Matta, whose interest and criticism of Carone's paintings spanned a 40-year period and was pivotal in the direction of his work, automaticism and abstract surrealism.

“Art is a continuum,” Carone notes. “All artists are inspired by their predecessors to some degree. From the earliest wall paintings of Altamira to the contemporary artists of today, all of that creative, collective energy becomes a subconscious storehouse of creativity waiting to be released by the muse of inspiration, allowing us to contribute something unique.”

Carone was responsible for Matta's many visits to South Florida, and on every visit, the Chilean master asked to see Carone's work in his studio.

“Those were the most impressive times of my life,” Carone says. “The dialogue was mind-boggling.”

When Carone mentioned that he was color blind, Matta was astonished. “Really?” he asked. “Then more artists should be color blind! Keep your focus—I can see how your work will develop 10 years from now .”

“The artist's sheer energy is infectious,” notes Palm Beach Post art critic Gary Schwan. “The pictures reveal a spontaneity that recalls the automatic writing of the surrealists. The figures radiate motion, tension and sexual heat in contained spatial constructions.”

Born in New Jersey in 1930, Carone cites his sources of inspiration as Matta, Hans Hoffman, Jackson Pollock, and his brother, the noted painter Nicolas Carone.

Widely exhibited since the mid-1950s, one-person exhibitions of his work have been held in the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Art; the Boca Raton Museum of Art; Mercer University, Macon, Georgia; Galleria Cesarea, Genoa, Italy; Palazzo Panni, Arco di Trento, Italy; and other prestigious venues. In 2001 he was one of 12 American artists exhibiting in the 23rd International Festival of Painting at the Grimaldi Chateau-Musee, Cagnes-sur-Mer, France.

His most recent solo exhibition was held at Georgetown College in Georgetown , Kentucky , from September 15th through October 31st. In her review of that show, Stacey Stratman states that “Carone's style relies on spontaneous impulses.” She then quotes the artist:

“I begin with shapes, forms and gestures that are completely led by the subconscious—recognizing the image after the execution. The first few days of work progresses this way, hopefully discovering an image that can be captured, then fine-tuned.”

Located at 169 Madeira Avenue, ArtSpace/Virginia Miller Galleries is Greater Miami's longest-established fine art gallery. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment. “Matthew Carone: New Work” will be on exhibit until Jan. 27th. For details, call 305.444.4493.

top