Hermann Fitzi
1935 - 2012
Hermann Fitzi in his studio, 1986
Hermann Fitzi, the Swiss painter, was born in Gais AR the 30. 12. 1935. From the year 1960 onwards he lived in Dicomano nearby Florence, Italy. His research basically followed two development-lines that induced him to express himself both through formal abstract and figurative painting.
After a first period of figuration in the style of his masters at the Florentine art academy (Ottone Rosai, Primo Conti, Rolf Meyer) Fitzi developed a strong interest for New-York style abstract expressionism and pursued his work in the domain of abstract painting. In this time arises his cooperation with the Italian avant-garde (Artecronaca) that is documented by several exhibitions. In the context of the developing Transavanguardia in 1980, the need was felt to put the means of figuration, especially in their De Chirico inspired variety, again to test.
A major production of symbolic paintings ensued. The development of Fitzi’s new figurative painting world did not however become an ideological argument against abstraction. So he continued his formal research and explored the areas beyond the concrete painting, by primarily advocating the contamination of post-Cubist decomposition in triangles and rectangles with the female principle of the round shape. Hermann Fitzi passed away in Borgo S. Lorenzo, Italy on 17 June 2012.
Education
- 1949-53
- Neuchâtel and Zürich: College
- 1953-55
- Zürich: Evening Academy Henry Wabel
- 1956-57
- Florence: Academy of Art by Ottone Rosai
- 1957-58
- Paris: Académie de la Grande Chaumière. He meets André Lhote.
- 1958-61
- Florence: Academy of Art by Primo Conti und Rolf Meyer
- 1961
- Swiss federal fellowship
Personal exhibitions
- 1975
- Vinci, Italy: Arte Cronaca, Castello dei Conti Guidi, Città di Vinci. Curator Lara-Vinca Masini
- 1976
- Lucerne, Switzerland: Gemeindegalerie Emmen. Curator Hans Reichlin
- 1977
- Milan; Italy: Galleria Pietra, Via Cusani. Curator Lara-Vinca Masini
- 1978
- Zürich, Switzerland: Galerie Vista Nova. Curator Helga Norych
- 1979
- St. Gallen, Switzerland: Galerie Foyer Stadttheater. Curator Felix Stoll
- 1980
- Zürich, Switzerland: Galerie Vista Nova
- 1981
- Basel, Switzerland: Galerie zum Kupfertor Curator Max Fischer
- 1983
- Basel, Switzerland: Galerie zum Kupfertor
- 1984
- Winterthur, Switzerland: Galerie Neustadthus. Curator Hans Neuburg
- 1990
- Prato, Italy: Galleria Comunale, Palazzo Comunale. Curators Aldo Rostagno and Gianni Pozzi
- 1992
- Hamburg, Germany: Galerie Ohm. Curator August Ohm
- 1993
- Florence, Italy: Galleria AERRETIE. Curator Sergio Ardinghi
- 1995
- Eglisau, Switzerland: Galerie am Platz. Curator Brigitte Egli
- 1997
- Poppi, Italy: Galleria Comunale, Castello dei Conti Guidi. Curator Lucilla Conigliello
- 1998
- Neukirch-Egnach, Switzerland: Galerie Burkarthof. Curator Kurt Schaer
- 1999
- Basel, Switzerland: Deusser-Museum, Zurzach. Curator Hans Schneider
- 2000
- Feltre (Venice), Italy: Galleria Comunale, Fondaco delle Biade. Curator Angelo Paoletti
- 2001
- Neukirch-Egnach, Switzerland: Galerie Burkarthof
- 2002
- Florence, Italy: Galleria AERRETIE
- 2003
- Heidelberg, Germany: Galerie Fredo. Curator Miriam M. Gass
- 2003
- Arbon, Switzerland: Weihnachtsaustellung by Erat. Curator Paolo Schoop
- 2004
- Neukirch-Egnach, Switzerland: Galerie Burkarthof
- 2008/9
- Gais, Switzerland: Gemeinde Museum. Curator Esther Ferrari
- 2012
- Bibbiena, Italy: Gallerie Expart. Curator Paolo Schoop
Collective exhibitions
- 1961
- Bern, Switzerland: Kunsthalle Schweiz. Curator Eidgenössische Kunstkommission
- 1974
- Vinci – Florence, Italy: Arte Cronaca, Avanguardia Toscana. Curator Lara-Vinca Masini
- 1974
- Florence, Italy: Rassegna della Grafica in Toscana
- 1975
- Prato, Italy: Centro d’Arte. Curator A. Bencini
- 1980
- London, England: Gallery 14, West Kensington
- 1982
- Paris, France: Centre d’Art Contemporain
- 1987
- Herisau, Switzerland: painters of eastern Switzerland, Altes Zeughaus
- 1991
- Hamburg, Germany: Galerie Ohm
- 1991
- Florence, Italy: Mostra Europea Pittori Contemporanei, Villa Arrivabene
- 1994
- Florence, Italy: Cdltura Svizzera in Toscana, Palazzina Presidenziale. Curator Vania Partilora
- 1995
- Frosinone, Italy: Arte Contemporanea Europea, Boville Ernica. Curator Federico Gismondi
- 1997
- Lugano, Switzerland: Artisti Svizzeri all’estero, Galleria dell’Albergo Splendide Royale. Curator Ursdla Ditchburn
- 2000
- Pontassieve ‒ Florence, Italy: „Mito“ Castello del Trebbio. Curator Rossella Tesi
- 2004
- Heidelberg, Germany: Galerie G. Curator G. Kern
- 2004
- Florence, Italy: Centro d’Arte Puccini. Curator Fabrizio Borghini
Bibliography
- Lara-Vinca Masini,
- Catalogue, Edizioni Stiav, Florence 1976
- Hans Neuburg,
- Catalogue, Edizioni Ramella, Florence 1978
- Gianni Pozzi,
- Catalogue, Edition Gassner, Vaduz 1990
- Clotilde Vesco,
- Catalogue,“Dimensione – D“,Florence 1994
- Tommaso Paloscia,
- Catalogue, Centro Studi Cdlturali e Progresso, Florence 1994
- Lucilla Conigliello,
- Catalogue, Edizioni Polistampa, Florence 1997
- Andrea Felder,
- Bodenseehefte, Wil, Switzerland 1998
- Mario Perniola,
- Catalogue, Quaderni del fondaco, Edizioni DISISIFO, Feltre - Venice, 2000
- Barbara Bortot,
- Catalogue, Edizioni Via Claudia Augusta Altinate, Venice, 2001