Ettore Spalletti - Marian Goodman Gallery

Ettore Spaletti: Every dawn, is first / Ogni alba, è la prima is at Marian Goodman Gallery (London) until 4 June 2016.

This is a beautiful exhibition in a beautiful gallery space.

Spalletti’s last solo show in the UK was in 2005 at the Henry Moore Institute – and that show was evidently the first for more than a decade. So this is a rare event indeed.

The paintings are, principally, exquisitely toned panels of luminous blues, pinks and greys – aptly described in the gallery's exhibition text as the tones of Piero della Francesca and Fra Angelico; the panels are sometimes flat to the wall, but sometimes angled away from it; many have bevelled edges which are gilded; others sit in gold lined frames.

Adrian Searle’s review of the 2005 exhibition gives an excellent account of the subtle effects of these beautiful works.

Spaletti was born in Cappelle Sul Tavo in 1940 and continues to live and work there. The beautiful surfaces of his paintings are achieved through the application of many layers of colour – executed at the same time each day – each gently sanded before the next layer is applied.

The paintings are wonderful.
Read review by Cassie Davies; read an interview with Christopher Turner.
(Click on images to enlarge.)