Bonhams
Lot 40
Fausto Melotti (Italian, 1901-1986)Quattro coppette (Four little bowls) each signed with seven dots (on the base)glazed ceramica)circa 1960Diameter: 14.5 cm.5 11/16 in.Height: 6 cm.2 3/8 in.b)circa 1965Diameter: 14.1 cm.5 9/16 in.Height: 6.2 cm.2 7/16 in.c)circa 1955Diameter: 13.3 cm.5 1/4 in.Height: 5.4 cm.2 1/8 in.d)circa 1960Diameter: 13 cm.5 1/8 in.Height: 6.5 cm.2 9/16 in.Footnotes:This work is registered in the Fondazione Fausto Melotti, Milan, under no. CT 728, CT 729, CT 730 and CT 731.ProvenanceAngelo Ambrosini Collection, MilanThence by descent to the present ownerBorn in Rovereto in 1901, Fausto Melotti's work is not easily defined. Working as a sculptor, painter, poet, and ceramicist Melotti moved freely between abstraction and figuration and his work is linked to Futurism, Surrealism and Arte Povera amongst others. Having grown up in a musical family, he went on to study mathematics and physics at the University of Pisa and engineering, art and architecture at the University of Milan. Music remained an integral part of his life and its influence, along with his scientific expertise can be found throughout his practice. At 27 Melotti enrolled in the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan where, in the Plastica della figura class of the prominent symbolist sculptor Adolfo Wildt, he met Lucio Fontana who would become a lifelong friend. Whilst both Fontana and Melotti went on to produce a considerable ceramic oeuvre, Melotti was long best known for his lithe metal sculptures and Teatrini (Mini Theaters or Puppet Theaters). Ceramics would only really become a main focus of his practice towards the end of the Second World War, after his studio was destroyed in the bombardments of Milan, initiating a period in which the artist would focus exclusively on the production of ceramic and terracotta works. His experimental and hugely prolific foray into the ductile and intriguing material resulted in bas reliefs, abstract vases, lustrous bowls and plates, ashtrays, small ceramic sculptures, and whimsical teatrinos and he frequently mixed ceramics with steel or iron. Highlighting the beautiful iridescent glazes so characteristic of Melotti's ceramics, the present collection of works wonderfully showcase his mastery of the medium and his acceptance that he would never be fully in control of the finished product. To work in ceramics, means to hand over part of the artistic process to the kiln and the fire and according to the artist, that was why many traditional sculptors shied away from the medium. The glazes in countless shades of blue and soft pinks are interlaced with metallic accents that enhance the elegant design and feel of their vessels and gives each pot a delicate, gem like quality. As stated by Melotti, 'For an artist, ceramic is a material like bronze or marble. Ceramic may even be a more fascinating material because of the mystery in which it is born from. [...] The adventure of the piece of ceramic that enters the oven amorphous and emerges in full party dress is the source of an exciting joy, an indefinite limit between sense and beauty. It's like a holiday trip into a world that is more fairy-like [féerique] than magical, a world where expressions like joy in work find value and meaning. (The artist in: Antonella Commellato, 'Lotta. Materia prepotente Cervello luminoso', in Antonella Commellato and Marta Melotti, Fausto Melotti. L'opera in ceramica, Milan 2003, p. 27)Melotti was an integral part of the artistic and intellectual fabric of post-war Italy. A contemporary of Alexander Calder, parallels can also be drawn between the sculptures of Alberto Giacometti and throughout his life he stood in regular artistic exchange with some of the most revered artists of the age, such as Lucio Fontana and Gio Ponti. Today, his work is held in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Rome, and the Gori Collection in Pistoia, among many others.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ARAR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
