Exhibition: Paolo Patelli
27.06.2024 - 27.07.2024
Place: POREč-PARENZO
(Zuccato Gallery, Decumanus 34)
Organiser: POU Poreč
Event type: Visual Arts
COLORED SURFACES 1964 - 1967. MARINKO SUDAC COLLECTION
Paolo Patelli, born in 1934 in Opatija and lived in Vižinada until he moved to Italy with his family. His work goes through several phases, from early works, through geometric-analytical paintings from the second half of the 1960s, to the works of "arte povera" that he developed during the 1970s. Later, Patelli dedicated himself to exploring the synthesis of different artistic concepts and methods.
He was a member of the Illumination group. The group was founded in 1967 and was initiated by Abe Nobuya (1913, Niigata – 1971, Rome), an already established avant-garde artist of the previous generation originally from Japan, active on the Roman art scene. It was a group of young artists oriented towards new tendencies, emphasizing the importance of color and light as fundamental elements of art, united by a focus on the primary structure of the painting. Group members included American Marcia Hafif (1929, Pomona – 2018, Laguna Beach), Italian Aldo Schmid (1935, Trento – 1978, Rome), and Yugoslav artists Milena Čubraković (1924, Brežice – 2004, Rome) and Mira Brtka (1930, Novi Banovci – 2014, Belgrade). They exhibited together in 1967 at the L'Argentario gallery in Trento, Italy.
The exhibition, Patelli's first in Croatia, showcases minimalist geometric-analytical works from the second half of the 1960s, along with a few works from the early '60s and '70s. The surfaces of Patelli's paintings explore perception through the interplay of shapes and backgrounds, using simple geometric forms, predominantly circles, in repetitive patterns to create rhythm and structure. His compositions reflect an analytical approach, focusing on the relationships between shape and space. Many paintings are titled "Colored Surface," emphasizing the surface as the primary subject of investigation, without representational or narrative content. The repetitive patterns in his works invite viewers to observe subtle variations and relationships within the works, focusing on the fundamental elements - shape, color, line, and space.
Paolo Patelli has exhibited in prestigious galleries, including nine times at Galleria del Cavallino in Venice, and in significant group exhibitions in Italy, Germany, and the USA. His work has been analyzed by art historians such as Umbro Apollonio, Achille Bonito Oliva, and Filiberto Menna.
Gallery opening hours:
10 AM - 12 PM and 7 PM - 10 PM
closed on Sundays and holidays
Admission is free!
