Lucio Fontana

Lucio Fontana (1899, Rosario de Santa Fé, Argentina – 1968, Varese, Italy) was an influential Argentine-Italian artist and the founder of Spatialism. His movement aimed to transcend traditional two-dimensionality in art by exploring spatial qualities in sculpture and painting. Fontana is best known for his monochrome canvases, Concetti Spaziale, which he would cut or puncture, creating striking slash marks and holes that imparted a dynamic, almost violent energy. His 1946 White Manifesto outlined his vision of blending architecture, painting, and sculpture to open up new dimensions in art. Fontana's innovative approach had a lasting impact on later generations of artists, particularly in the fields of installation art and Land Art. His work is featured in major collections, including the Tate Gallery in London, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Kunstmuseum in Basel, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid.