Claudio Abate: The Photographer Who Captured the Artist's Gaze
Claudio Abate, who was born in 1943, snapped his first photo in 1955. Following the passing of his father, he enrolled in a boarding school and began assisting photographer Michelangelo Como in Via Margutta. In 1959, he captured images of Mario Schifano and encountered Federico Fellini. He worked with Magnum's Erich Lessing and photographed Carmelo Bene's 'Cristo '63' in 1963. Notable pieces include Jannis Kounellis's 'Senza titolo (12 cavalli)' from 1969 and Gino De Dominicis's 'Zodiaco' from 1970. Abate also documented artists such as Pascali and Beuys, showcasing his work at the 1993 Venice Biennale. His experimental pieces include 'Contatti con la superficie sensibile' (1972) and 'Bathroom' (2008), with a career spanning from the 1950s to the 2000s.
Key facts
- Claudio Abate took his first photograph in 1955 at age twelve.
- He learned photography as an assistant to Michelangelo Como in Via Margutta.
- In 1959, at sixteen, he photographed Mario Schifano at Caffè Notegen.
- He photographed Carmelo Bene's 'Cristo '63' performance.
- His iconic images include Kounellis's '12 Horses' (1969) and De Dominicis's 'Zodiaco' (1970).
- After Beuys's death in 1986, he photographed 'Block Beuys' in Darmstadt.
- He had a solo exhibition at the 1993 Venice Biennale.
- His experimental work 'Contatti con la superficie sensibile' (1972) used silhouettes of artists.
Entities
Artists
- Claudio Abate
- Domenico Abate Cristaldi
- Michelangelo Como
- Pericle Fazzini
- Mario Schifano
- Federico Fellini
- Carmelo Bene
- Erich Lessing
- Jannis Kounellis
- Gino De Dominicis
- Pascali
- Eliseo Mattiacci
- Fabio Mauri
- Joseph Beuys
- Lucio Amelio
- Maurizio Mochetti
- Pizzi Canella
- Tirelli
- Dessì
- Ceccobelli
- Nunzio
- James Lee Byars
- Anselm Kiefer
- Marina Abramović
- Franz West
- Micol Assaël
- Giuseppe Capitano
- Ugo Mulas
- Vettor Pisani
- Prini
- Accardi
- Benassi
- Michelangelo Antonioni
- Aldo Braibanti
- Joan Jonas
- Robert Smithson
- Cy Twombly
- Adrian Tranquilli
- Nino Giammarco
Institutions
- Magnum Photos
- Time Life
- Teatro Laboratorio
- L'Attico
- Galleria La Tartaruga
- Galleria Paolo Sprovieri
- Accademia di Francia a Roma
- Villa Medici
- Biennale di Venezia
- Gaumont
- Cinema Fiamma
- Galleria Il Ponte
- Associazione Mara Coccia
- Schirmer/Mosel
- Artribune
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Via Margutta
- Via del Babuino
- Caffè Notegen
- Palazzo Taverna
- San Lorenzo
- Pommidoro
- Bordeaux
- France
- Germany
- Darmstadt
- Bern
- Switzerland
- Moscow
- Russia
- Libya
- Florence
- Venice