Concetto spaziale - Teatrino (bianco). 1968.
Multiple. Relief of four punched cardboard sheets.
Signed and numbered on the reverse. From an edition of twenty Roman numbered trial proofs aside from the edition of 75. 70 x 70 cm (27.5 x 27.5 in).
From the series "6 teatrini", published in Edition Plus Suzanne L. Fischer, Baden-Baden 1968. [KA].

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

PROVENANCE: Galleria Santoro, Rome (with the label on the reverse).

LITERATURE: Harry Ruhé, Camillo Rigo, Lucio Fontana. graphics, multiples and more.., Amsterdam 2006, catalogue raisonné no. M-12 (illustrated).

In 1964, Fontana created the first “Teatrini”, a series of small cheerful theatres, which represent a distinctive form in the artist's spatial concepts, as they combine the familiar principle of the “Buchi” (Holes) with unexpected figurative elements. Fontana places circumferential foreground strips in front of perforated cardboard sheets, creating silhouettes reminiscent of landscapes with hills, rocks, or trees. This division of the two levels creates a 'peep-box' effect with a confined spatial view, described by Fontana as 'spazialismo realista', a 'Realist Spatialism'. This group of works was inspired by the space travel in the 1960s, which peaked with the first unmanned moon landing in 1966. [KA]

In good condition. Some minor rubbing to the edges from framing, with slight superficia color loss in places, however, not impairing the extremely fine overall impression as framed.