“Life is in color.” – Franco Fontana
A pioneer of color and one of the most influential landscape photographers of our time, Franco Fontana has dedicated nearly six decades to capturing his surroundings with a masterful eye for composition and tone.
At first glance, Fontana’s most iconic works resemble paintings, reminiscent of the abstract expressionists who emerged in the US during the 1950s.
His unique eye for color and form strips natural landscapes down to their essential elements, resulting in striking, geometric compositions that are captivating in their simplicity.
Born in Modena, Italy, in 1933, Fontana began experimenting with photography in his early 30s as a means to ‘express the emotions he felt while observing the world around him.’
It was the early 1960s, more than a decade and a half before color photography would begin to receive acceptance as a legitimate art form. Fontana’s affinity for painting laid the groundwork for his photographic practice. Drawing inspiration from luminaries like Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman, he embraced color from the outset.
“I have always endeavored to interpret and convey what deeply resonates within me. However, I began to perceive possible parallels with renowned painters when my interest in art, particularly painting, became more profound. It was a visual understanding of color and space that already existed within my perception.”
By the late 1960s, Fontana’s unique gaze had begun to catch attention. He had his first solo exhibition in 1968, in his hometown of Modena, and over the next decade created some of his most iconic works, including his stunning depictions of Basilicata’s rolling landscapes which demonstrate the unique visual language for which he would become renowned.
In 1978 he published his debut book, ‘Skyline’, to widespread acclaim, and over the ensuing decades would go on to photograph across the world, capturing images of rural and urban landscapes that stand as some of the most compelling of the time. Alongside these works, he also began experimenting with polaroids, capturing details of his surroundings as well as nude portraits.
Though undoubtedly more intimate and playful than his other works, these images nevertheless, bear his distinct aesthetic. Fontana was drawn to the format for its dynamism, describing polaroids as ‘embodying the concept of uniqueness’.
‘To me, it felt like playing a child’s game where you instantly see the outcome. It’s also wonderful to revisit and modify those moments.’
Now recognized as a key pioneer of artistic color photography, Fontana has, over the years, contributed to many of the world’s most notable publications such as, Time-Life, Vogue, and The New York Times.
His images have been exhibited in a staggering 400 solo and group exhibitions globally and are held in the collections of some of the world’s most prestigious institutions, including, MoMA (New York), Musée d’Art Moderne (Paris), and Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna Contemporaneao (Torino).
He has published some 70 books and received numerous awards and accolades, yet remains the same enigmatic visionary as ever.
When asked about the evolution of his practice, his reply was a cryptic one, “To quote a phrase from the Prince of Salina in ‘The Leopard’: ‘everything changes to remain what it is’.”
All images © Franco Fontana