Babetto. The Entity of Being

Giampaolo Babetto (b. 1947 in Padua) has been influencing the international goldsmith and art jewellery scene since the late 1960s. As a protagonist of the so-called Scoula di Padova, he has decisively shaped the image of Italian auteur jewellery. His geometrically stringent forms, which come together to form refi ned entities of extraordinary perfection and beauty, reflect such modern or contemporary art genres as Minimalism, neo-Constructivism, and arte programmata/cinetica as well as his far-reaching roots in (Renaissance) art and the culture and nature of Italy.

Babetto rarely starts a work with an abstract idea, rather usually a piece of metal – or one of the small colourful shards from Murano that he has been collecting since childhood. He often prefers the precious metal gold, in particular on account of its malleability and warm glow, and combines it with unconventional materials such as plastic or glass, dusting it with velvety pigment in lustrous red or blue and using enamel and the ancient technique of niello.

Assembled from abstract, sometimes figurative elements, deconstructed into modules, or made moveable with ingenious connecting parts, his works possess an at once tectonic and sculptural character. His preoccupation with the symbol of the cross repeatedly plays a role, but one designed from an individual perspective, freed from the restraints of an exclusively religious reading.

Alongside Christian iconography, Babetto’s sources of inspiration include the cycle of frescos by the Renaissance artist Jacopo da Pontormo; here outlines are transformed through the vibrating relief contours of the metalwork and the chromatics of the pigments used. Yet, he also produces drawings, many of his which also have an autonomous quality, in addition to liturgical devices, silversmithing, furniture design, and architectural projects.

The new monograph The Entity of Being presents for the first time a complete view of the multifaceted work of this Italian all-round artist. The comprehensive catalogue section is supplemented with contributions that contextualize Babetto’s oeuvre from diverse perspectives. An appendix featuring an index of exhibitions and a bibliography makes this book an informative reference work for collectors too.