Agostino Bonalumi : Small Gems

Bonalumi is one of the figures who has made the most significant marks on the Italian artistic scene starting from the 1960s. He took part in the cultural debate that developed in those years, contributing decisively, together with Enrico Baj, Piero Manzoni and Enrico Castellani, to the transcending of informal language in the name of a new objectification of the artwork. Starting from 1959, Agostino Bonalumi began to create shaped works using convex canvas obtained through the use of wooden or steel elements positioned behind the canvas itself. This is a stylistic characteristic that was to remain unchanged over the years and that would lead to the artist testing his skills in both the sculptural and the environmental/architectural fields.

Through a special selection of works of small dimensions, created by the artist during the entire course of his career, one can look back to his conceptual and project path, from the convex canvases to his sculptural production. The sophisticated results of the artist’s research are achieved here also thanks to a more intimate dimension, in which he employs his own methodological approach.

The works presented here are neither preparatory models nor sketches of works of larger dimensions: rather, they have come about from the same practice and sometimes share the conformation of the larger works. The small format works were often realised following the larger ones, as if the reduced dimensions enabled the artist to better delineate the project idea lying at the basis of the latter.

Text in English and Italian.