Tonino Caputo Biography
Tonino Caputo was born in Lecce, Italy, in 1933. He completed his studies at the Scientific High School in his hometown and then moved to Rome in 1952 where he studied Architecture at the local university faculty. Already from his first years in Rome he showed a great interest in painting. In 1956 he participated in his first collective exhibition in Rome, where he exhibited figurative drawings. During the same year, he met Gastone Novelli and began to explore the field of informal art, an artistic journey that lasted five years. In 1958, he participated in a collective painting exhibition in Rome together with renowned artists such as Mimmo Rotella, Carla Accardi, Corrado Cagli, Giandomenico Gnoli and Gastone Novelli. Over the years, Tonino has collaborated with national periodicals, contributing with art writings and drawings. From 1963 to 1965, he lived mainly in Paris, while maintaining contact with Rome, where he developed a friendship and collaboration with Carmelo Bene, whom he had already met previously. In 1967, Tonino created all the posters for Bene's shows, as well as the scene paintings for the film "Capricci"; the latter was partly shot in Tonino's Roman studio. In the film, Bene also gave him an acting role. In 1970-73, Tonino traveled extensively in Eastern European countries. In 1972, he participated in the Venice Biennale (Theatre section) with the sets for the drama "Ecloga" by Franco Cuomo and Marica Boggio. Since 1982, Tonino has opened a studio in New York and has since settled in Manhattan for part of the year. During the 1980s, he participated in several traveling graphics exhibitions organized by the Rome Art Quadrennial in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1992, the English magazine "Art & Design" recognized Tonino Caputo as one of the 50 most important Italian artists of the second half of the twentieth century. Towards the end of the 1990s, he created two lithographs commissioned by the mayor of Helsingborg and a mosaic installed in Bracciano station. Tonino Caputo died on August 5, 2021.
