Lucio Fontana

Galleria Sianesi, Milan
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner in the mid 1970s

Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana, Catalogue Raisonné, Vol. II, Brussels 1974, p. 203, no. 68 T 83, illustrated
Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana, Catalogo Generale, Vol. II, Milan 1986, p. 692, no. 68 T 83, illustrated
Enrico Crispolti, Lucio Fontana, Catalogo Ragionato di Sculture, Dipinti, Ambientazioni, Vol. II, Milan 2006, p. 885, no. 68 T 83, illustrated 

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the overall tonality is deeper and richer in the original. Condition: This work is in very good condition. There is a very faint stretcher line running parallel to the top and bottom edges, approximately 2 cm. in and only visible upon close inspection. No restoration is apparent when examined under ultra-violet light.
"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."

Executed in 1968, Concetto Spaziale, Attese is an outstanding example of Lucio Fontana's signature style. Drawing on theories from his first Manifesto in 1946 - the Manifesto Bianco (White Manifesto) - Fontana sought to create a new age of art, a "spatialist" art, one that could engage technology to achieve an expression of the fourth, unknown dimension.  Fontana's curiosity of the advancements of science and technology during the Twentieth Century inspired him to approach his art as a series of investigations in method and medium. Attempting to transcend the confines of the two-dimensional picture plane, Fontana envisioned a new art where an intangible fourth dimension would be created to include time in the form of music and movement. His infamous tagli (cuts) enforce the idea that the painting is an object, not solely a flat surface, and it was this idea which was to become the foundation for Fontana's aesthetic and Concetto Spaziale.

 

The present work strikingly embodies the results of Fontana's investigation. The slashes dance before the viewer's eyes, drawing them into the negative space beyond the canvas and allowing the  experience of the work as a three-dimensional work of art, sophisticated and powerful in its composition. To add further dramatic effect to the composition, the artist employs a bright yellow colour to wash the canvas, evoking both the force of life and regeneration (sunshine) and the sacredness associated with the colour yellow in the Eastern world. This brings out the slashes even further, and the openings cast a deep shadow against the luminous background, making this an incredibly powerful example of Fontana's achievement as an artist.