CHRIS FREMANTLE

I have vaguely known about Villa Panza for a long time, but had no idea that there were so many monochromatic painters: Max Cole (b 1937), Ruth Ann Fredenthal (b 1938), Phil Sims (b 1940), David Simpson (b 1928), Ettore Spalletti (1940-2019), and Alfonso Fratteggiani Bianchi (b 1952).

In the context of the classical ’empire’ rooms these create a quiet interplay.

Add to this the artists whose primary concern is light – Dan Flavin, Robert Irwin and James Turrell – and the collection extends in fascinating ways.

It is then remarkable how illuminating the temporary exhibition of Joseph Albers’ ‘Homage to the Square’ works is in the context of these other artists. None of the painters or artists working with light studied with Albers at Yale or Black Mountain College after he had arrived in the USA, but ‘Interaction of Colour’ was first published in 1963, maybe a critical moment for some of these artists.