Roberto de Fortino: Argentina's Master of Movement in Cubist Tango Sculptures

  • Roberto de Fortino: Argentina's Master of Movement in Cubist Tango Sculptures

     

    From Buenos Aires studios to global collectors, Roberto de Fortino transforms the passionate embrace of tango into geometric poetry through hand-carved wooden sculptures that capture Argentina's cultural soul.

  • In the flowing curves of Roberto de Fortino's wooden sculptures, we discover how the passionate embrace of tango transcends dance to become pure artistic expression. This Buenos Aires-based artist transforms single pieces of honey-toned wood into intimate moments of connection, capturing the soul of Argentina's most iconic cultural export through masterful cubist simplification. His sculptures invite us into a world where movement becomes geometry, where emotion distills into essential form, and where the timeless dance of human connection finds its voice in carved wood.

     

     

    Discovering Roberto de Fortino's Artistic Journey

    Roberto de Fortino emerged from Buenos Aires' vibrant contemporary art scene as a sculptor uniquely positioned to interpret Argentina's cultural heritage through modernist eyes. Working from his studio in the heart of the city that gave birth to tango, de Fortino developed his distinctive approach during the early 2000s, exploring how traditional cultural expressions could find new life through contemporary artistic techniques.

     

    Canvas & Bronze discovered de Fortino's remarkable work during a 2006 art expedition through Buenos Aires' galleries and artist studios. His pieces spoke a universal language of intimacy and movement that transcended cultural boundaries while remaining deeply rooted in Argentine identity. The gallery acquired two significant works from this period: "Tango Argentina" and "Tango Argentina II," both representing the pinnacle of his artistic exploration of dance as sculptural form.

  • Abstract wooden sculpture of a human figure in a dynamic pose, featuring smooth curves and geometric shapes, set against a black background.
    Roberto de Fortino
    "Tango Argentina" Cubist Figurative Wood Sculpture by Roberto de Fortino, 2006
    Wood
    Approx H 10” x W 5” x D 1.5”
    $825.00

    Cubism in Motion: De Fortino's Masterful Wood Sculpture Technique

    De Fortino's genius lies in his ability to reduce the complex choreography of tango to its emotional essence through geometric simplification. Working exclusively in hand-carved wood, he transforms each piece into a study of how form can suggest movement, how curves can convey emotion, and how negative space can speak as eloquently as solid mass.

     

    His "Tango Argentina" showcases this mastery through its circular, protective composition measuring 5.5 inches high by 9 inches wide. The sculpture depicts an embracing couple flowing together in a continuous curved line that creates a "sense of sheltered union." Through cylindrical and spherical elements, the artist suggests movement frozen in time, capturing tango's essence of two figures becoming one harmonious form.

     

    The contrasting "Tango Argentina II" takes a more dynamic approach, rising 10 inches tall in a vertical composition that captures the classic tango pose. The honey-toned wood reveals subtle grain patterns that enhance the sculptural rhythm while precise carved lines define the dancers' abstracted features. Both pieces demonstrate how the dimensional quality shifts with changing light conditions, highlighting different contours throughout the day.

  • The Soul of Argentina: Tango as Cultural Expression

    Tango represents far more than dance in Argentine culture—it embodies the nation's complex emotional landscape, its celebration of human connection in the face of urban isolation. De Fortino's sculptures function as powerful visual celebrations of this heritage, transforming abstract artistic concepts into immediate, visceral experiences of cultural identity.

     

    His works capture not just the physical movements of tango but its psychological depth—the vulnerability required to surrender to another person's lead, the trust implicit in the close embrace. Through his cubist lens, de Fortino reveals how tango's essence lies not in elaborate steps but in the fundamental human need for connection and understanding.

     

    The artist's choice to work in wood adds cultural significance. Wood carries its own history, its own grain patterns that speak to organic growth and time's passage. In de Fortino's hands, this living material becomes a metaphor for how cultural traditions evolve while maintaining their essential character.

  • Wooden sculpture of an abstract embrace, featuring smooth curves and natural wood grain, set against a black background.
    Roberto de Fortino
    2006 "Tango Argentina II" Cubist Figurative Wood …, 2006
    Wood
    Approx. H 5.5” x W 9” x D 1.5”
    $825.00

    Collecting Art with Emotion

    For Canvas & Bronze collectors, de Fortino's tango sculptures represent the gallery's commitment to discovering artworks that create immediate emotional connections while carrying deep cultural significance. At $825 each, these pieces occupy a distinctive position in contemporary sculpture collecting—sophisticated enough for serious art enthusiasts yet accessible to those beginning their journey into culturally significant art.

     

    Owning a de Fortino sculpture means bringing a piece of Argentina's soul into your living space, creating daily encounters with art that speaks to universal themes of connection, movement, and cultural identity. The sculptures work beautifully as standalone pieces or in dialogue with each other, their contrasting compositions offering complementary perspectives on the same essential human experience.

  • De Fortino's work exemplifies Canvas & Bronze's philosophy that meaningful art creates connections between past and present, between different cultures, and between the stories that objects carry and the stories we create around them. In transforming tango into geometric poetry, his sculptures remind us that the most profound artistic statements often emerge from the marriage of traditional cultural expressions with contemporary artistic vision.

     

    Ready to discover how Roberto de Fortino's tango sculptures can bring the passion and cultural richness of Argentina into your collection? Explore his available works and other treasures from Argentina at Canvas & Bronze.