Lucio Fontana

Alexander Jolas Gallery, New York
Sale: Christie's, London, Post-War and Contemporary Art, 21 June 2007, Lot 241
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner

Milan, Palazzo Reale, Lucio Fontana, 1972, p. 249, no. 199, illustrated

"Fontana 65," Marcatré, no. 16-18, Milan 1965, p. 342, illustrated

"L'arte Oggi, fra Protesta e Integrazioni, Avanguardia e Accademia," Artecasa, no. 64, Milan 1965, p. 50, illustrated

"Novità Nello Studio di Fontana, e una Mostra in Ottobre e Novembre alla Galleria Apollinaire a Milano," Domus, no. 433, Milan 1965, p. 47, illustrated in colour

"El Pensiamento y la Obra de Lucio Fontana," Forma Nueva/el Immueble, no. 14, Madrid and Barcelona 1967, p. 53, illustrated

Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana, Catalogue Raisonné des Peintures et Environments Spatiaux, Vol. II, Brussels 1974, p. 170, no. 65 T 30, illustrated

Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana, Catalogo Ragionato di Sculture, Dipinti, Ambientazioni, Vol. II, Milan 1986, p. 597, no. 65 T 30, illustrated

Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana, Catalogo Ragionato di Sculture, Dipinti, Ambientazioni, Vol. II, Milan 2006, p. 784, no. 65 T 30, illustrated

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the overall tonality is slightly warmer in the original. Condition: This work is in very good condition. Close inspection reveals a minor spot of wear to the top right corner tip of the lacquer frame. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals a few isolated areas of retouching to the top and right edges of the canvas, and a further small spot in the lower left quadrant.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Painted during a period of immense creative fervour and innovation within Lucio Fontana’s career, Concetto Spaziale, Teatrino is an elegantly constructed example of the artist’s Teatrini (little theatre) series. The importance of this particular work within the series is attested to by its inclusion within no fewer than four Contemporary Art Journals between 1965 and 1967: an indication not only that Concetto Spaziale, Teatrino was considered to be a significant representative of Fontana’s practices, but also of the artist’s international reputation within the avant-garde. Conveying a powerful sense of three-dimensionality through the presence of its lacquered wood frame, the current work hovers exhilaratingly on the cusp of sculptural form whilst maintaining elements of painterly tradition in its wall mounted position and utilisation of canvas. Shadows formed by the frame’s presence imbue Concetto Spaziale, Teatrino with a sensation of movement and vivacity, whilst the warm yellow tone of the lacquered wood complements the pale ground of the canvas to striking effect. As observed by Luca Massimo Barbero and Massimo Campigli: "These works do not possess 'theatricality' in the sense that they are a story, but respond to the artist's constant need to create an image that exists where everything is metaphorical, the fruit of fantasy and the memory of a possible future universe" (Exhibition Catalogue, Mantova, Casa del Mantegna, Lucio Fontana, Teatrini, 1997, p. 13).
Within the Teatrini series, Fontana aimed to pursue his investigations into the possibilities of moving beyond the limitations of conventional painting, transcending the confines of the canvas ground to access the space beyond in a form of multi-dimensional quest. Fontana discussed this concept in an interview in the late 1960s: “Nowadays in space measurement no longer exists… the sense of time and measurement has gone… The cuts… the first holes, did not signify the destruction of the canvas… it introduced a dimension beyond the painting itself” (the artist quoted in: Exhibition Catalogue, London, Hayward Gallery, Lucio Fontana, 2000, p. 122). The holes punctured through the canvas in approximately pentagonal arrangements recall a scattering of constellations within the night sky, an association which places Concetto Spaziale, Teatrino, firmly within the cultural and scientific zeitgeist of the 1960s. Fontana was fascinated by the potential of space travel, perhaps recognising a parallel in the potentials of space exploration and discovery with his own artistic journey: thrilling new universes waiting to be reconnoitred.
The inclusion of frames within the Teatrini works encourages an intriguing form of visual illusionism. Whilst the shape of a proscenium stage is cleverly evoked, the three vertical spurs of wood at the base of Concetto Spaziale, Teatrino suggest the presence of audience members, placing the viewer in the row directly behind by inference: the onlooker is thus caught up within an intricate tableau of seeing versus looking. Erika Billeter posits another possible reading, noting that: "The Teatrini look like small stages upon which silhouettes of trees and bushes lead their magic existence" (Exhibition Catalogue, New York, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Lucio Fontana, 1977, p. 19). In Concetto Spaziale, Teatrino, Fontana brilliantly incorporates these multiple themes and concepts to create a work of philosophical rigour and poetic beauty.