The Biography of Lucio Fontana

Lucio Emilio Fontana was born on February 19, 1899 in Rosario de Santa Fe, Argentina. He was the son of Luigi (1865–1946), who emigrated from Varese in 1891, and Lucia Rosario Bottino (1874–1925), an actress of Italian origin born in Rosario. Luigi, a sculptor by profession, established a workshop in the Argentine city that quickly became prominent in the field of funerary statuary and portraits.

In 1905, after the end of his relationship with Lucia, Luigi married Anita Campiglio, an emigrant from Comabbio. Lucio remained in Rosario de Santa Fe, living with the family at Calle Rioja 2070, headquarters of the workshop "Fontana y Scarabelli". In 1906 Luigi brought Lucio to Italy and entrusted him to his maternal uncle Tino Nicora, in Castiglione Olona. There he attended the Boarding School Torquato Tasso in Biumo Inferiore, obtaining his elementary school certificate in 1911. From 1911 to 1914 he attended the Ballerini College in Seregno, a three-year technical school.

In 1914 he moved with his father to Milan. He began practicing the art of sculpture in his father's workshop, studying at the Carlo Cattaneo Technical Institute and the Art High School of the Brera Academy of Fine Arts. After two years he was admitted to the Higher School of Arts Applied to Industry at Castello Sforzesco, architecture section.

In 1918 he resumed his studies and obtained a diploma in building surveying. In 1920 he moved to Turin for officer cadet school. His brother Delfo died of tuberculosis.

After the death of his brother Delfo in 1920, Lucio Fontana moved with his family to Argentina. For a period he led a gaucho life, then devoted himself to the trade of Italian marbles and finally joined the family business.

In 1924 he participated in a competition for a commemorative relief for the Faculty of Medicine at the National University of the Littoral. This first public recognition prompted him to pursue a career as a sculptor. He joined the firm "Fontana, Scarabelli, Cauterio y Cia" and opened a studio with painter Julio Vanzo.

In 1926 he won the prize at the I Salon de Artistas Rosarinos with Portrait of Juan Zocchi and a commemorative competition for Juana Elena Blanco. He worked in plaster, bronze, drawing inspiration from Maillol, Archipenko and Zadkine.

In 1927 he returned to Italy and enrolled at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts under Adolfo Wildt, being promoted to the fourth class. In 1928 he exhibited at the union exhibitions and created a Madonna for a funerary commission on behalf of Bruno Fontana.

In 1929 he created funerary bas-reliefs for the Monumental Cemetery of Milan and participated in the II Exhibition of the Regional Fascist Union of Fine Arts of Lombardy with Dormiente. He exhibited at the Exposición Internacional de Barcelona with Testa di ragazza, receiving a mention. He met Fausto Melotti and the group of Milanese rationalists.

He met Teresita Rasini, whom he would marry in 1952.

In 1931 Lucio Fontana exhibited at Galleria il Milione at the invitation of Edoardo Persico, with bronze and colored sculptures. He deepened his use of terracotta, plaster and pigmented cement, pursuing formal simplification. Among the works: the sketch for Vittoria, later used by Terragni for the Monument to the Fallen of Erba.

In 1932 he continued his abstract experimentations, between polychrome terracotta portraits and monumental works. From 1933 he began working on ceramic sculptures and investigating organic form, in contrast with Martini's lyricism.

In 1934 he executed bifacial sculptures in bronze and cement, as well as wire sculptures. He strengthened his relationships with Licini, Melotti, Soldati and Veronesi. With Il Fiocinatore he won the Tantardini Prize at the V Exhibition of the Lombard Interprovincial Union.

In 1936, at the Giuseppe Mazzotti manufactory in Albisola, he created ceramics and stoneware sculptures inspired by the seabed. At the end of the year, a posthumous monograph on Edoardo Persico was published in Milan.

In 1937 he moved to Paris, where he opened a studio. He exhibited at the Parisian show with Italia and ceramics, receiving international acclaim. He met Venturi, Miró, Tzara and Brancusi.

In 1938 he returned to Italy and resumed his ceramic activity in Liguria, creating mosaic sculptures and experimenting with forms and materials. Marinetti cited him as an abstract ceramist in the Futurist Manifesto Ceramica e aeroceramica. He created Torso italico for Giancarlo Palanti.

In 1939 he continued collaborating with Mazzotti, participated in the Corrente group exhibition and was reviewed by Argan, Morosini, Giolli and Carrieri.

In 1940, at his father's request, he left for Argentina. He participated in the competition for the Monumento Nacional a la Bandera in Rosario, where he obtained second prize. He began working in a figurative vein, creating works such as Mujer con máscara and Descanso. He collaborated with Giorgio Grapputto on a gigantic head of Medusa intended for the Italian pavilion at the New York World's Fair.

In 1941, despite personal distress expressed in his letters, Lucio Fontana began receiving growing acclaim from the public and critics in Argentina.

In 1942 he won first prize at the XXXII Salón Nacional de Bellas Artes with Muchacho del Paraná and at the Salón Municipal in Córdoba with Intervalo. He began teaching at the Escuela de Artes Plásticas in Rosario and at the Academia de Bellas Artes "Prilidiano Pueyrredón" in Buenos Aires.

In 1943 he moved to Calle Esmeralda, Buenos Aires. In Italy, Tullio d'Albisola published an illustrated story with drawings by Fontana. In 1944 he won the first municipal prize at the XXXIV Salón Nacional with Mujer herida and participated in the IV Salón Municipal in Córdoba.

In 1945 he held a solo exhibition at Impulso, participated in the exhibition Once escultores argentinos in La Plata and in the Salón Independiente with La mujer de Lot. He obtained the chair of modeling at the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes. He moved his studio to Calle Chancos.

On March 22, 1947, Fontana returned to Italy, settled in Milan and resumed working in Albisola. In December he published the Manifesto of Spatialism together with Kaisserlian, Joppolo and Milena Milani. He collaborated with Zanuso and Menghi on ceramic friezes for a building on via Senato.

In 1948 he signed the Second Manifesto of Spatialism with Dova and Tullier. He participated in the National Review of Figurative Arts, the exhibition Abstract Art in Italy and the XXIV Venice Biennale. His works merged ceramics, mosaic and a strongly material sculpture.

He created the Angelo in polychrome ceramic for the Chinelli tomb at the Monumental Cemetery of Milan. He collaborated with Arredamenti Borsani.

In 1950 he exhibited ceramics at Galleria il Milione and participated in the XXV Venice Biennale. On April 2 he signed the Third Spatial Manifesto – Proposal for a regulation. He held a conference with Joppolo at Galleria del Naviglio.

In 1951 Lucio Fontana achieved significant milestones. His proposal for the fifth door of the Duomo passed the second judgment. He exhibited at the IX Triennale of Milan, where he presented the Technical Manifesto of Spatialism. In collaboration with Baldessari and Grisotti, he created a neon motif and an indirect light ceiling.

On November 26 he signed the Fourth Manifesto of Spatial Art and continued the cycle of holes, experimenting with colored glass and stones.

In 1953 he created perforated ceilings with neon for the Breda Pavilion and the Sidercomit Pavilion. He exhibited the holes and continued the cycle of stones.

In 1954 he participated in the XXVII Venice Biennale, the International Congress of Industrial Design and the Albisola Prize. He published the article Ceramics in Modern Italy. He began the cycles of plasters and Baroques.

In 1955 he held solo exhibitions in Rome and Milan. He exhibited in Cannes, Madrid, at the Rome Quadriennale and the exhibition Il Gesto. His matter became dynamic, charged with cosmic energy.

In 1956 he celebrated the 10 years of Spatialism at Galleria del Naviglio. He exhibited in Cincinnati and in Australia. He continued the cycles of plasters and Baroques.

In 1957 he participated in exhibitions in Italy and abroad. At the XI Triennale of Milan he created a mural with colored glass. He concluded the Baroques, continued the plasters and began new holes, inks and papers.

In 1959 he presented the slashes in Milan and Paris. He participated in the II Documenta in Kassel. He began the Natures, worked on holes, papers and Quanta.

In 1960 he exhibited the slashes in Düsseldorf and the Natures at Palazzo Grassi, Venice. He exhibited in Leverkusen. He concluded the Natures, began the cycle of Oils.

From 1961, Lucio Fontana intensified his solo exhibitions in Italy and abroad, exhibiting ceramics and Oils. He participated in the IV Biennale of Contemporary Italian Engraving in Venice and the exhibition Art and Contemplation at Palazzo Grassi.

He created a neon sky for the Hall of Energy Sources at Italia '61. He collaborated on the mosaics for the Artists' promenade in Albisola. He continued the cycles of holes, slashes and Oils, marking the surface with physical gestures. The monograph Devenir de Fontana by Michel Tapié was published in Turin.

In 1962 he developed the cycle of Metals, inspired by his stay in New York. He exhibited at Galleria dell'Ariete in Milan, interpreting skyscrapers in abstract form. He continued work on Oils in white and pink tones, perforated and slashed. He concluded a cycle of holes.

He participated in a retrospective curated by Enrico Crispolti in L'Aquila. In 1964 he exhibited End Of God at the Galerie Iris Clert in Paris and at Galleria Marlborough in Rome. His works traveled between London, Hannover, Buenos Aires and New York. He began the cycle of Little Theaters.

In 1965 he exhibited in Italy and abroad. He continued the cycles of Metals, Little Theaters and Oils.

He also exhibited at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the University of Texas Art Museum in Austin and the Centro de Artes Visuales Torcuato Di Tella in Buenos Aires. The MoMA in New York celebrated him with a traveling exhibition. He concluded the cycle of Little Theaters.

In 1967 a traveling solo exhibition visited four cities in Northern Europe. He exhibited in Rome, Paris and New York with ellipses and metal sculptures. He designed spatial environments for the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Lo spazio dell'immagine in Foligno and the Galleria del Deposito in Genoa. He was interviewed by Carla Lonzi for Autoritratto (1969).

In 1968 he moved to Comabbio, renovating his father's house. He exhibited at the XXXIV Venice Biennale with a spatial environment, and for Documenta 4 in Kassel he created a white labyrinth culminating in a single slash, symbol of absolute gesture. He continued working on holes, slashes and Oils.