Natalino Tondo: From Salento to the World

Natalino Tondo (Salice Salentino, 1938 – Lecce, 2017) was an Italian artist whose career spanned from the 1960s to 2015. After studying at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Lecce, he engaged with Action Painting and Pollock, focusing on the structural value of light. In the late 1960s, he created the cycle 'Tensioni strutturate' using industrial plastic tubes, exploring space and modularity. In 1967, he exhibited at Fiamma Vigo's gallery in Rome. Critic Franco Sossi included Tondo in his 1967 volume 'Luce spazio strutture', alongside artists like Nicola Carrino, Enzo Mari, Riccardo Guarneri, Enrico Castellani, and Nato Frascà. In 1970, Tondo participated in 'Interazione plastica' at Galleria Carolina in Portici with Renato Barisani, Franco Gelli, Mario Persico, and a young Mimmo Paladino. In the early 1970s, he began the 'Rilevamenti salentini' cycle, using photography to document social and anthropological changes in Salento. In the 1980s, he created the 'Spazio n-dimensionale' cycle with large acrylic canvases featuring parallel bands and curves. The 'Pagine di spazio' cycle of the early 1990s used sprayed pigments and black bands to represent finite and infinite space. His later works include the 'Criptico' series on galaxies and final works from 2015. Tondo also wrote extensively, leaving notes and small-format projects. His children Emanuela and Daniele preserve his archive. The article calls for a cataloging of his works and a retrospective exhibition.