L'Épée dans l'eau , 1962

Recognised as the founder of Spatialism, Lucio Fontana was a prolific artist who was driven by a desire to highlight and explore the relationship between surface and dimensionality. Fontana’s techniques included slicing through canvas and punching holes in the surface of his work – Spatial Concept is a series of works that exemplify this particular technique and Fontana would often line the reverse of his canvas with black gauze; the darkness would then shimmer through the holes he had created and further add to the illusory and mysterious effect. Fontana was also acclaimed for his use of a wide-range of materials; for a series of paintings created for the ‘Art and Contemplation’ exhibition, he manipulated the surface paint with his fingers and Murano glass. Inspired by his visit to New York City, Fontana also worked extensively with metal for several years – he used shiny copper sheets to scratch and gouge holes into the metal and the final results alluded to the burgeoning architecture of the city.  (Artist website)