Lucio Fontana (1899–1968) was an Italian-Argentinian artist, widely regarded as one of the most revolutionary figures of post-war art. He is best known as the founder of Spatialism and for his iconic slashed canvases, which radically redefined the relationship between painting, space, and viewer.
Born in Argentina to Italian parents, Fontana trained initially as a sculptor. After working in Argentina and Italy, he became the leading force behind the Spatialist movement, formalized through manifestos in the 1940s and 1950s. Fontana argued that art should transcend traditional materials and embrace new ideas inspired by technology, space, and cosmic energy. He sought to break free from the two-dimensional surface, declaring the need for an art of “free space.”
His most famous series, “Spatial Concepts” (Concetti spaziali), began in the late 1940s. Initially, he punctured the canvas with holes (buchi), exploring light and depth. By the late 1950s, he created his legendary slashes (tagli)—clean cuts made with a blade on monochrome, often richly painted canvases. These were not acts of destruction but deliberate, elegant gestures that opened the flat picture plane to a third dimension. The slash invites the viewer to perceive the space behind the canvas, blending painting, sculpture, and spatial installation.
Beyond his canvases, Fontana experimented with ambient installations using neon lights, spatial environments, and sculptural works, making him a pioneer of environments and light art.
Fontana’s legacy is profound. By physically violating the canvas, he liberated painting from its conventional limits, shifting focus from representation to concept, gesture, and spatial experience. His work paved the way for movements such as Minimalism, Conceptual Art, and installation art. Today, his works are held in major museums worldwide and continue to influence contemporary artistic practice.
Concetto Spaziale, Natura sculpture
Made of polished brass, mirror polished, in two parts, each dimensions: 26.7 x 21.9 x 21.9 cm
Technically speaking, how can one fabricate a metal sculpture with such a structure and surface effect? With full respect for the original creator, WEMEDEC team, as the expert for creating nice space solutions, will cautiously explore this topic based on extensive prior experience in sculpture design and production.
Firstly, the material is brass or silicon bronze, with the latter offering better corrosion resistance and a relatively higher cost. Given that the original work uses brass, we can focus on brass as the material.
The process begins with mold design, which requires the use of a casting method—specifically, a detailed and precise design based on exact dimensions. This is followed by lost-wax casting. Once the brass is cast into shape, the surface of the sculpture is polished.
This type of brass sculpture initially exhibits a very bright finish, appearing almost like mirror-polished stainless steel from a distance. Over time, the golden-yellow hue of the brass gradually deepens, and the silvery tone shifts toward a richer gold, developing a beautifully natural oxidation effect.
Technically this can be perfectly made out by Chinese sculpture suppliers, for souvenir only, not for re-sales.
This Concetto Spaziale sculpture provides an intuitive and tangible visual expression for Spatialism. In China, many people appreciate this Lucio sculpture because it closely resembles the “golden egg” image from traditional Chinese culture, symbolizing wealth and prosperity. We are highly skilled in crafting elliptical brass sculptures of this kind. As long as it is intended for personal commemorative purposes or authorized IP sculpture creation, we are fully confident in faithfully recreating it.
Mr. JIA Yulong, engineer of WEMEDEC team
Mr. Lucio Fontana has made pivotal historical contributions to Spatialism and is commemorated by numerous sculptors, artists, and museums worldwide. WEMEDEC, not only a supplier of sculptures, is also dedicated to spatial creation, encompassing sculpture design and production, landscape design and turnkey solutions, public landscape sculptures, as well as interior decoration and recommendations for furniture and lighting in hotels and luxury residences. If you have any needs regarding the aforementioned sculpture or our services, please feel free to contact us anytime.
