Well known for his abstract tonal paintings which have over several decades explored the interplay of forms interacting with each other, Caio Fonseca's work is in part influenced by his training and interest in classical musical composition. In Fifth Street C11.70, 2011 Fonseca has begun to distill his vision and approach to painting, which results in a boldly minimalist painting with shades of grayish blacks punctuated against a white background. Fonseca aspires toward abstraction in the purest sense, or, as he explains, that which can be communicated in paint alone as a medium. There are musical and mathematical allusions in his works, and a reference to his studio on Fifth Street in the title. His works are avidly collected because they just look great on the walls. At the young age of 42 in 2001 Fonseca joined an elite club of living artists whose works have been acquired by major contemporary museums such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. It is interesting to note that few of Fonseca's pictures turn up in the auctions rooms or in the secondary market, because his collectors simply do not want to part with them.
Pietrasanta C03.17 sits in the artist’s most sought-after period. Although Fonseca has consistently produced a steady body of work throughout his career, our Pietrasanta C03.17 is one of the pieces specifically chosen for Corcoran Gallery of Art’s show: INVENTIONS: Recent Paintings by Caio Fonseca, October 9, 2004 – February 14, 2005. Here, Fonseca, who has become a leading exemplar of the abstract mode, establishes a distinct niche for himself by embracing, rather than resisting, early twentieth-century modernist traditions.
Fonseca achieves his paintings by both planning and improvisation. He starts by covering the already gessoed canvas with a selection of water-based paints. The quick-drying polymer paints, which he prefers to oils, make it easier for him to accumulate multiple layers without one bleeding into another. Next, Fonseca applies a composition that will be painted over and marked with a curious array of implements from his toolbox – items you may find in a kitchen or a piano repair shop. In Pietrasanta C03.17, the artist reveals blue symbols striped with red, yellow and black that dance across the canvas with a rhythmic balance.
Well known for his abstract tonal paintings which have over several decades explored the interplay of forms interacting with each other, Caio Fonseca’s work is in part influenced by his training and interest in classical musical composition. Although Fonseca willingly views his paintings in musical terms, he remains uncompromising in the belief that his paintings are truly abstract – that is, not imitative of any specific object or scene in the real world. The artist emphasizes the reality of the painting’s flat
At the young age of 42 in 2001 Fonseca joined an elite club of living artists whose works have been acquired by major contemporary museums such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. It is interesting to note that few of Fonseca’s pictures turn up in the auction’s rooms or in the secondary market, because his collectors simply do not want to part with them.