Fausto Melotti, Rovereto 1901 - 1986 Milan

Fausto Melotti’s elegant sculptures are steeped in the languages of mathematics and music, their forms ranging from precise geometry to whimsical curves and filigree delicacy. Born in Rovereto in northern Italy, Melotti studied physics and mathematics before turning to art. The rigour of his early scientific training would inform his work throughout his career, in sculptures defined by pattern, proportion and balance. He met Lucio Fontana in 1928 at the Accademia di Brera in Milan, the city at the heart of Italy’s avant-garde. They became lifelong friends, sharing a determination to pursue abstraction to new heights.

Melotti was also an accomplished pianist, and much of his work draws on musical theory. His arrangements of lines, arabesques and geometric shapes mimic musical notation, creating compelling patterns and rhythms. Although revered for his abstract forms, Melotti was not exclusively an abstract artist, and his figurative works draw on folk tales and the ancient world.