Teatrino (rot). 1968.
Relief cut with silkscreen.
Signed and numbered on the reverse. From an edition of 75 copies. 70 x 70 cm (27.5 x 27.5 in).
From the series "6 teatrini", published in Edition Plus Suzanne L. Fischer, Baden-Baden in 1968. [JS].

• From a series of six “Teatrini”, in which the artist combines his famous “Buchi” (holes) with figurative elements.
• Among Lucio Fontana's editions, the red, black and white “Teatrini” are among the most sought-after works on the international auction market (source: artprice.com).
• The artist took part in documenta II (1959) and documenta 4 (1968) in Kassel.

LITERATURE: Harry Ruhé, Camillo Rigo, Lucio Fontana. graphics, multiples and more.., Amsterdam 2006, pp. 157-162 (illu. in color).

In 1964, Fontana developed the first joyful and light-hearted “Teatrini” - the small theaters. They represent a special form within the artist's spatial concepts, as they combine the familiar principle of the “Buchi” (holes) with unusual figurative elements. The artist places surrounding foreground strips in front of the cardboard sheets perforated with decorative lines, the silhouettes of which are reminiscent of landscapes with hills, rocks, or trees. The separation of the two levels creates a peep-box effect with an enclosed space that Fontana calls a "spazialismo realista", a realistic space. The developments in space travel in the 1960s, which reached a temporary climax in 1966 with the first unmanned moon landing, inspired the artist to this group of works.

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