Arnaldo Pomodoro is one of the most important European metal artwork sculptors. This PhD dissertation analyzes the sculptures by Arnaldo Pomodoro on the basis of a catalogue raisonne. References to artistic movements of pre- and post-war period show his work correlation to Art Informel sculptures. The content of this thesis includes not only sculptures in the round, reliefs and small sculptures but also three dimensional works from fields relevant for his artistic progress as goldsmith’s art and stage design.The analyses take into consideration not only technical aspects as the innovative use of cuttlefish bone technique but also possible literature and philosophy sources that define the artist as a contemporary of post-war intellectual period. Through specific examples, it is also shown how the artist takes his inspiration from archaeology, ethnology, renaissance painting and the20th century engineering and adapts it to his own sculptural language.
The study of the artist’s early work, consisting basically of reliefs, begins with the description of material-specific conditions that influence his sculpture to date. Subsequently, his main work, which is dominated by stereometric solid object, is also shown to be classified in different shapes like cylinders, spheres, discs and spirals. Finally, other general considerations are made in iconological correlations regarding subjects as mnemonic aspects, act of writing or commemoration of the Dead.
