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Tino Zago, Foghorn Time, 1984 Acrylic on Canvas 42 x 138"

Offered by: Appleton

Description
Painted in 1984, Foghorn Time is a sweeping and immersive abstraction by Tino Zago (Italian-American, b. 1937). Executed in acrylic on canvas, the monumental format—more than eleven feet wide—reveals Zago’s fascination with the rhythm of landscape and the mutability of light. Layers of color and gesture evoke the pulse of fog, sea, and horizon, recalling both the physicality of Abstract Expressionism and the meditative depth of Venetian light.

Zago’s work is often described as a poetic distillation of water, landscape and atmospheric light, influenced by his time in Nova Scotia and his seasonal return to Italy, using the Dolomites and Venetian lagoon as visual reference.
In Foghorn Time, the expansive horizontal format evokes an open sense of horizon and motion — a vista across sea, sky or memory, punctuated by gestural rhythms reminiscent of foghorn blasts and shifting tides. The painting’s scale and tempo underscore Zago’s continuing interest in nature’s elemental forces filtered through abstraction.

Born in Crespano del Grappa, Italy, Zago emigrated to the United States in 1948 and earned his MFA in Painting from Yale University in 1969, studying under Al Held and Neil Welliver. Dividing his time between New York City, Venice, and Vinalhaven Island, Maine, he draws continuous inspiration from water, atmosphere, and shifting light—an elemental dialogue that defines his mature work.

By the early 1980s, Zago developed a close association with Ivan C. Karp, the pioneering dealer who founded OK Harris Works of Art in SoHo.
Zago’s first solo shows with OK Harris were held in 1983, followed by regular exhibitions through 2014. His paintings also appeared in Karp-curated group shows, including The Hot Centre: Contemporary Art Selected by Ivan Karp (Norton Center for the Arts, 1987).
Additional solo and group exhibitions include the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Heckscher Museum, California State University Los Angeles, Galleria d’Arte S. Stefano (Venice), and Robert Kidd Gallery (Michigan).

Foghorn Time represents a pivotal moment in Zago’s evolution—where gesture becomes atmosphere, and landscape dissolves into sensation.

More Information

Origin:	United States, New York
Period:	1980-1999
Materials:	acrylic on canvas
Condition:	Good. excellent condition
Creation Date:	1984
Styles / Movements:	Modernism, Expressionism
Incollect Reference #:	831541

Dimensions

W.	134 in;	H.	42 in;
W.	340.36 cm;	H.	106.68 cm;

Shipping Information:

15% Reshelving Charge. Ask about competitive S&H rates.

Message from Seller:

Established in 1984, Appleton offers a curated selection of 20th Century furniture, tables, chairs, and décor, featuring works by iconic designers like Frank Lloyd Wright and Edward Wormley. For inquiries, contact us at appletonarts@gmail.com.