Luciano Gaspari

Born in Venice in 1913. He studied at the Fine Arts Academy of Venice and Bologna, he was a pupil of Virgilio Guidi and Giorgio Morandi. He participated in a number of Biennales.
Luciano Gaspari is a painter who enters into symbiosis with glass production, studies the collections, scientifically verifies the techniques, establishes a deep relationship with great masters such as Alfredo Barbini , Luciano Vistosi , Paolo Martinuzzi, especially Livio Seguso and, later, Pino Signoretto.
Become the artistic director of Salviati in 1955, he plays the role with untiring commitment and rigor.
Characteristic of his approach is a total mastery and an innovative use of traditional techniques, the ability to look to the past to invent the future, but also to use novelties with courage and imagination, or to "force" common use by transforming, for example, simple bottles in sculptures.
He engages in serial productions, in "unique pieces", in sculptures, but also in objects such as plates (including absolutely extraordinary those presented at the '66 Biennale), vases, cups, bottles: in every creation the quality of colors, the balance between brightness, transparency, glows and shadows reveals the intense relationship between the painter's sensitivity and fantasy and a perfect understanding of the potential of glass.

1913. Born in Venice on March 22 in a family of decorators.

1931. After attending the Institute of Art, he made his debut at the collective exhibition of the Opera Bevilacqua La Masa.

1932. He receives the prize for the younger painter at the XVII Venice Biennale.

1933. Student of Virgilio Guidi at the Academy of Fine Arts.

1935. He follows Guidi in Bologna. Here he attends the course of engraving techniques held by Giorgio Morandi, with whom he will remain in correspondence for a long time.

1936. Participates in the Rome Quadriennale and the Venice Biennale.

1937. After completing his studies in Bologna, he returns to Venice.

1938. Participates in the Venice Biennale. 1940. Participates in the Venice Biennale; becomes assistant to Giuseppe Cesetti, professor of figure at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, who takes over holding the chair until 1983.

1943. marries the painter Bruna Gasparini. He held his first private exhibition at the Galleria del Milione in Milan with Armando Pizzinato.

1944. He exhibits thirteen works in a solo show in Venice, at the Galleria del Cavallino by Carlo Cardazzo, a reference point for Venetian Spatialism, whose - although not adhering to the movement - is close to his inspiration.

1947. Participates in the Rome Quadrennial. He began working as a designer with the Salviati Murano glassworks.

1948. Participates in the 24th Biennale with three paintings: Dormiente, purchased by the Gallery of Modern Art of Ca ’Pesaro, Figure and Composition. Take part in the Palazzo Re Enzo in Bologna at the first national contemporary art exhibition promoted by the Alliance for the Defense of Culture, (over forty appearances, including, in addition to him, Afro, Cagli, Consagra, Guttuso, Leoncillo, Mafai, Turcato, ...), who claims the necessity of artistic confrontation with avant-garde European experiences.

Photo credits Book: Murano Glass Museum