Biography
Primo Conti was an Italian painter, writer and one of the youngest artists associated with Italian Futurism. He was born in Florence on October 16, 1900, and showed an exceptional talent for the arts from a very early age. At eleven he painted his first work, a self-portrait on cardboard, while at thirteen he composed the Romanza per violino e pianoforte.
In 1913 he visited the Futurist exhibition organized by the magazine Lacerba and came into contact with important figures of the Italian avant-garde, including Ardengo Soffici, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Aldo Palazzeschi and Giovanni Papini. Although still a teenager, he was already becoming part of the new artistic movements developing in Florence.
His earliest paintings reveal an interest in the Macchiaioli and especially in Paul Cézanne. Gradually, however, he moved toward more experimental forms of painting. In 1917 his contact with Giacomo Balla and Marinetti brought him into closer association with Futurism.
That same year Conti became involved in the formation of the Florentine Futurist group and produced works such as Antignano dall'alto and La cocomeraia. In these paintings, the distortion of space, sense of movement and use of collage reveal his personal interpretation of Futurist aesthetics. During this period he also came into contact with Pablo Picasso and other representatives of the European avant-garde.
Conti did not limit himself to painting. He wrote poetic prose, published Imbottigliature and, together with Corrado Pavolini, founded the magazine Il Centone in 1919. He also participated in the publication of the satirical Enciclopedia, an unusual example of the presence of Dada in Italy.
Around 1919 his painting began to move away from pure Futurism. Works such as Marinaio ubriaco and Il limonaro display elements of a more metaphysical and introspective style. He later came into contact with the Novecento Italiano movement, although he never remained permanently tied to a single artistic school.
His activities also extended to literature, theatre and stage design. In 1928 he participated in the founding of the Viareggio Prize, while from 1935 to 1939 he collaborated with the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, producing stage designs, drawings and costumes. In 1941 he was appointed to a chair of painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence.
During the postwar decades Conti continued to paint, often returning to elements derived from Cézanne as well as from his Futurist period. Major retrospective exhibitions in Florence confirmed his place in the history of twentieth-century Italian art. In 1980 the Primo Conti Foundation was established to preserve his work and extensive archive. He died in 1988.
