Oliviero Leonardi

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Oliviero Leonardi
Oliviero Leonardi in his art studio, Rome 1970s
Born(1921-07-07)July 7, 1921
Vezzano, Trentino, Italy
Died(2019-01-30)January 30, 2019
Jonzac, Charente-Maritime, France
Occupation(s)Painter, sculptor

Oliviero Leonardi (July 7, 1921 – January 30, 2019) was an Italian contemporary art painter and sculptor based in Rome. He was known for his ceramic paintings on steel plates enamelled in ovens at 900 degrees Celsius. His artistic research focused on, among other subjects, cosmogony.

Early life[edit]

Leonardi was born in 1921 in Vezzano, Trentino in Italy.[1] He was a member of a family of ceramists from Trentino, learning skills and spending time during his youth in his father’s kiln.[2][3][better source needed][4]

After the war, he spent 6 years on the island of Capri where he devoted himself to philosophical and artistic studies, discovering oriental philosophy, and esoteric symbols of primitive languages.[3][better source needed] He expanded his creative experiences with wood, clay, plastics and canvas, and discovered the possibilities of high temperatures and steel.[5]

Work[edit]

He travelled to Florence, Venice, Paris, Ravenna and Rome in addition to Capri.[5] In Rovereto, he was discovered by Fortunato Depero, who became a friend and advisor.[4]

He was a member of the Associazione Nazionale del Libero Pensiero Giordano Bruno [it] in Rome.[6] In 1965, he was a speaker at Congresso lnternazionale di Ceramira in San Marino and at Convegno d'Arte di Verrucchio.[7]

Leonardi created ceramic paintings on steel at "high-fire".[8] His creative process involved painting on steel plates fired and enamelled in ovens at 900 degrees Celsius.[9] His artistic research focused, among others, on the subject of cosmogony[2] and was influenced by surrealism.[10][better source needed]

Oliviero Leonardi's largest ceramic painting on steel exhibited in the Subway of Rome in 1990

Leonardi created his art studio at Via Aurelia Antica 289, an old ruined farmhouse that he rehabilitated in the outskirts of Rome within the premises of Villa Doria Pamphili.[11] In 1972, he founded the Romacrea art school at Via Aurelia Antica 289.[12]

In October 1974, he was nominated Professor of Modern Arts by Michele Tana, the Rector of the Libera Accademia Laurentina in Rome.[13] German art historian Gustav René Hocke wrote a monograph on Leonardi in 1978.[14][better source needed] Leonardi's work reviewed by Giulio Carlo Argan,[15] Philippe Fontana,[9] Aldo Del Gaudio,[11] and Dolores Montane.[16][better source needed]

Oliviero Leonardi's exhibition at Saarland Museum in 1978

His work was exhibited in Italy, Spain, Monaco, Germany, Luxembourg and France (including Galerie Drouant).[17] He exhibited with artists including Giorgio De Chirico, Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró during the Contemporary Art Exhibition in 1975 in Fiuggi, Italy.[18]

Leonardi was commissioned to create works for public spaces, including a temporary project the subway of the Municipality of Rome[citation needed] and the Pan American Airlines headquarters in New York, Pan Air do Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, as well as United Arab Airlines, Cairo. [5]

He died in Charentes Maritimes in France in 2019.[1]

Exhibitions[edit]

  • 1974: 6 + 7 Club Europe, from April 16 to 26, 1974 – Milan, Italy[19]
  • 1976: the Galerie des Arts Contemporains, December 1976 – Monte-Carlo, Principality of Monaco[20]
  • 1977: Galerie Drouant, from February 10 to 28, 1977 – Paris, France[5]
  • 1977: Maschio Angioino from October 26, 1977 to November 9, 1977 – Naples, Italy[21]
  • 1986: VIII International Biennale of Limoges on the Art of Enamel, July to August 1986 – Limoges, France[16][22]
  • 1986: Castello Colonna as part of the Genazzano’86 Internazionale d’Arte, November 1986 – Genazzano, Italy[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Oliviero Leonardi, ID card". Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Leonardi, Oliverio". Benezit Dictionary of Artists. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Oliviero Leonardi". Arte Mercato (in Italian). Vol. 6, no. 4–5.
  4. ^ a b c Genazzano 86 Internazionale d'Arte (in Italian). Comune di Genazzano.
  5. ^ a b c d Benezit (2006). Benezit Dictionary Of Artists, Koort-Maekava. Internet Archive. Grund.
  6. ^ Associazione Nazionale del Libre Pensiero, 1950, retrieved 2024-02-03
  7. ^ Silvio Branzi (1959). CONVEGNO Internazionale Artisti, Critici e Studiosi d' Arte (Rimini-Verucchio-San Marino) 1959-1965.
  8. ^ Gaetano Bonifati (1975). Il colore del capo scuola della pittura su acciaio a gran fuoco.
  9. ^ a b Philippe Fontana (1976). Philippe Fontana in Arte Contemporanea.
  10. ^ "Oliviero Leonardi | ARTIST DATABASE". www.artistdatabase.com. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  11. ^ a b Aldo Del Gaudio (1989). Dall'io all'eternita.
  12. ^ "Patrizia Simonetti @ Rome Art Week". Rome Art Week. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  13. ^ Accademia Laurentina Oliviero Leonardi.
  14. ^ Gustav Renée Hocke (1978). Nuovo Esoterismo Umanistico - Monograph of Oliviero Leonardi.
  15. ^ Giulio Carlo Argan in Musagete (1977). Successo a Parigi: 10e personale.
  16. ^ a b "Oliviero Leonardi Exhibitions and CV". Internet Archive. Retrieved 2024-02-04.
  17. ^ "Leonardi, Oliviero". Benezit Dictionary of Artists. 2011. doi:10.1093/benz/9780199773787.article.b00107821. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  18. ^ Giorgio Tellan (1975). Oliviero Leonardi espone a Parigi, Cimento Volume XII 1975.
  19. ^ "Nella sede del club". Archivio Storico Luce (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  20. ^ "Oliviero Leonardi à la galerie des arts contemporains" (PDF). Journal de Monaco: 9. 1976.
  21. ^ l'Unità (1977-11-06) (in Italian). 1977-11-06.
  22. ^ Catalogue VIII Limoges Biennale. 1986.
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