MATTOTTI, Lorenzo

(1954-)

   Italian COMIC-strip artist whose work combines Futurist and Vorticist forms with Expressionist Colour.

   Born in Brescia, he studied architecture before turning to comics in the late 1970s, with Jose Munoz (1942-) as his mentor. With other like-minded young artists, he formedthe Valvoline group to "explore the frontiers of progressive fumetti (comic strips)". His first success came with Il signore Spartaco ("Mr Spartaco") (graph 1982), about a man whose dreams of his childhood fears and anxieties affect his hold on reality. LM's masterpiece is Fuochi("Fires") (1985 Alter; trans as Feux 1986 France; trans as Fires 1988 US), about a battleship visiting a magical island. The story climaxes in a furious Expressionist inferno. Other works include: Labyrinthi("Labyrinths") (graph 1989); L'uomo alla finestra ("The Man at the Window") (1992), a long GRAPHIC NOVEL done in black-and-white line,written with Lilia Ambrosini; and Murmur (graph 1992 UK), written by Jerry Kransky.

   RT