Bozzolini was a prominent exponent of European post-war abstraction and co-founder of the avant-garde group “Espace” that championed geometric abstraction during the 1950’s. Born in Fiesole he studied at the academy of art in Florence during the 1930’s before setting up a group called “Arte d’Oggi”, as well as launching an art journal “Posiziono”, and an artist run gallery “La Porta”. In 1947 he went to Paris to attend the distinguished École des Beaux Arts. He supported himself initially by hand-printing fabrics and his sensitivity to the printed aesthetic would reappear in his later work. He first began to explore abstraction in 1947 and, with the likes of Sonia Delaunay, embarked on a classical, constructivist approach characterised by a simple, clean palette and an emphasis on line. While discussing his work Bozzolini said “La musculature de l’oeuvre est à la fois physique et spirituelle”, (the strength of the artwork is simultaneously physical and spiritual). In 1952 he co-founded the avant-garde Groupe Espace, which published the journal “Art d’Aujourd’hui,” an influential voice of geometric abstraction and neo-plasticism. He was close friends with the Florentines Suzy and Alberto Magnelli, as well as Jean Pons, Hartung, Deyrolle, Pillet, Gilioli and Manessier. He never forgot his Tuscan heritage of the great works of Giotto, Masaccio, Uccello and Piero della Francesca, which were the subjects of his early study in Florence, and he retained in his painting a similar concern with clarity and spatial perception, which brought him international acclaim.
Bozzolini held his first solo exhibition in 1949 at Galeria Strozzina in Florence, and then at Galeria Salto in Milan, 1950. His first solo exhibition in Paris took place at the Galerie La Hune in 1951. Numerous further solo shows ensued most notably in the distinguished Galerie Denise René 1953, 1954; the Galerie de Beaune 1955; Galleria Pagani del Grattacielo, Milan, 1957, 1960, 1963, 1965, 1967; Galerie George Bongers 1958; Wittenborn Gallery, New york, 1959; Galerie Madeleine, Brussels, 1961. Also many group exhibitions including at the Buenos Aires Instituto d’Arte Moderno in 1951; the “Ecole de Paris” show at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, 1953; “Abstract Art - France/Italy”, Museum of Modern Art, Rome, 1953; “Groupe Espace” Oslo State Museum, 1959; “Retrospective 1950-1960”, Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1960; “100 Works from Europe, 1950-1960”, Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston; and Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris, 1971. Recently in 2014 a major retrospective of the artist’s work was held at the new cultural centre in Poggibonsi between Siena and Florence.
Bozzolini also participated in major avant-garde salons, the Salon de Mai from 1950 to 1970, the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles from 1952 to 1967, and the Salon de l’Art Sacre in 1965.
The artist is now represented in many major museums including Musée d’Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Museo d’Arte Moderna, Sao Paulo; Galeria d’Arte Moderna, Florence; Museo d’Arte Gravdos, Madrid.
