Presentation


The writer-painter Tonino Gottarelli was born in 1920 in Imola and left a deep mark on his way of living and painting. He attended the "B. Rambaldi" Royal Liceo Scientifico of Imola and then graduated in Philosophy at the University of Urbino. At the age of twenty he wrote the novel L'ideale, which was published during his military service in Parma, in 1942. A year later, in the infantry barracks at the Mont Cenis pass, where he was a second lieutenant, he wrote a short story book, Il Gioco del solitario, published in Imola. began to paint around the 1950s. In 1953, he published the collection of lyrics rain in the city (The rain in the city) and the following year Where I live (Where I live), therefore, And nothing has yet been said about the trees (And yet nothing has been said about the trees).

He started teaching: first as a middle school history and geography teacher, then his interest shifted to child psychology and started teaching as an elementary school teacher. He writes and paints constantly and it is from this period the choice to isolate himself and live only in the countryside. In 1960, he won the Cervia Prize with the collection of poems Ieri e Oggi (Yesterday and Today) On this occasion he met the literary critic Giacinto Spagnoletti, president of the jury with Giuseppe Ungaretti From 1965 to 1967 he lived in a house near Castel San Pietro Terme (BO) where he wrote the poem Il Paese del diavolo ( Devil's Country), never published. In 1969 he published the collection of poems Pomeriggio degli avverbi (The evening of the adverbs), and the poem of the sea, published in an art edition, La botte di Diogène (The barrel of Diogenes), is also from this period. . In 1971 the book of poems La bambina e la rivoluzione (The girl and the revolution) was published, with the presentation of Giacinto Spagnoletti.

As for his pictorial activity, the first personal exhibition organized in Faenza (RA) dates back to 1960, followed by a series of exhibitions focused on collages, to arrive in 1966 with the exhibition in Paris, which will be the result of maturation and which will get him an invitation to the "Salone di Maggio". His love for nature led him to move tirelessly, from one house to another, until he stopped, at the end of the 1960s, in the region of Pediano (Imola) and remained there for about two decades. In 1973, he published the novel L'amore al rallentatore (Love in slow motion) and began to write in the form of a diary, a collection of philosophical love letters, which he would publish almost ten years later under the title Lettere Inutili (Useless Letters).

We are therefore in 1981, the year in which Gottarelli moved definitively from the countryside of Imola to the city and in particular via Spaventa nr. 5, where he lived until his death.

Tonino Gottarelli, pursues this artistic ambivalence of writing and painting with the same fervor to the point of asserting that his poetry is a “talking painting" and his painting a “silent poetry". In 1989 the collection of poems Vita di un'idea (Life of an idea) was released, with which he won the first prize of the Lions Club in Milan. Will follow Riassunto del cielo (Sky Summary) a book full of wanderings and metaphysical questions and the volume of reflections and aphorisms Pensieri in prospettiva (Thoughts in perspective), a work that does not betray Gottarelli's passion for all that is meditative thought.

In 1995 he published Musa a domicilio (Muse at home), a volume that captures the contemplative spirit of those who still know how to "hear" and "see" with their own eyes. In recent years we have found him in solitude accustomed to writing and painting permanently, immersed in an intense but always conscious search.

In the meantime, exhibitions of his works are organized in Italy and abroad.

It is worth recalling the act of generosity towards his town of Imola, to which he has always been extremely attached, that of having created in 2002 the Centro Studi Foundation which bears his name and whose main task is to become the promoter and the interpreter of his poetry and pictorial journey.


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The writer-painter Tonino Gottarelli was born in 1920 in Imola and left a deep mark on his way of living and painting. He attended the "B. Rambaldi" Royal Liceo Scientifico of Imola and then graduated in Philosophy at the University of Urbino. At the age of twenty he wrote the novel L'ideale, which was published during his military service in Parma, in 1942. A year later, in the infantry barracks at the Mont Cenis pass, where he was a second lieutenant, he wrote a short story book, Il Gioco del solitario, published in Imola. began to paint around the 1950s. In 1953, he published the collection of lyrics rain in the city (The rain in the city) and the following year Where I live (Where I live), therefore, And nothing has yet been said about the trees (And yet nothing has been said about the trees).

He started teaching: first as a middle school history and geography teacher, then his interest shifted to child psychology and started teaching as an elementary school teacher. He writes and paints constantly and it is from this period the choice to isolate himself and live only in the countryside. In 1960, he won the Cervia Prize with the collection of poems Ieri e Oggi (Yesterday and Today) On this occasion he met the literary critic Giacinto Spagnoletti, president of the jury with Giuseppe Ungaretti From 1965 to 1967 he lived in a house near Castel San Pietro Terme (BO) where he wrote the poem Il Paese del diavolo ( Devil's Country), never published. In 1969 he published the collection of poems Pomeriggio degli avverbi (The evening of the adverbs), and the poem of the sea, published in an art edition, La botte di Diogène (The barrel of Diogenes), is also from this period. . In 1971 the book of poems La bambina e la rivoluzione (The girl and the revolution) was published, with the presentation of Giacinto Spagnoletti.

As for his pictorial activity, the first personal exhibition organized in Faenza (RA) dates back to 1960, followed by a series of exhibitions focused on collages, to arrive in 1966 with the exhibition in Paris, which will be the result of maturation and which will get him an invitation to the "Salone di Maggio". His love for nature led him to move tirelessly, from one house to another, until he stopped, at the end of the 1960s, in the region of Pediano (Imola) and remained there for about two decades. In 1973, he published the novel L'amore al rallentatore (Love in slow motion) and began to write in the form of a diary, a collection of philosophical love letters, which he would publish almost ten years later under the title Lettere Inutili (Useless Letters).

We are therefore in 1981, the year in which Gottarelli moved definitively from the countryside of Imola to the city and in particular via Spaventa nr. 5, where he lived until his death.

Tonino Gottarelli, pursues this artistic ambivalence of writing and painting with the same fervor to the point of asserting that his poetry is a “talking painting" and his painting a “silent poetry". In 1989 the collection of poems Vita di un'idea (Life of an idea) was released, with which he won the first prize of the Lions Club in Milan. Will follow Riassunto del cielo (Sky Summary) a book full of wanderings and metaphysical questions and the volume of reflections and aphorisms Pensieri in prospettiva (Thoughts in perspective), a work that does not betray Gottarelli's passion for all that is meditative thought.

In 1995 he published Musa a domicilio (Muse at home), a volume that captures the contemplative spirit of those who still know how to "hear" and "see" with their own eyes. In recent years we have found him in solitude accustomed to writing and painting permanently, immersed in an intense but always conscious search.

In the meantime, exhibitions of his works are organized in Italy and abroad.

It is worth recalling the act of generosity towards his town of Imola, to which he has always been extremely attached, that of having created in 2002 the Centro Studi Foundation which bears his name and whose main task is to become the promoter and the interpreter of his poetry and pictorial journey.

What is Tonino Gottarelli’s artistic movement?

The artistic movements of the artists are: Paintings with Classical Charm

When was Tonino Gottarelli born?

The year of birth of the artist is: 1920