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Fantoni confesses, brought a progressive reduction in himself to teaching, hosting naturally a restricted
the number of student-employees. A strict control number of students, while conducting contemporarily
over the relationship with the employees, the his own activity. 5
conditions, the schedules, and the working methods “Marcello Fantoni’s School” as Piero Barellino
was, for Fantoni, an imposition, and the fear that he wrote,“ has nothing of the academic nor the abstract.
would no longer be able to work in complete Aesthetic theories are not preached there, intellectualist
freedom, as he had in the past, was decisive. This doctrines are not followed, purely commercial aims are
partially confirmed the notion that a specifically not sought. It comes close to the glorious ancient
industrial production style was not inline with workshops of the renaissance when an artist was
Fantoni’s intent. Thus, he considered it quite timely, considered a master not because of diplomas or
and even “obligatory” given his personality, to return degrees, but because of his actual ‘mastery’ in knowing
to directing an artesian style workshop with a smaller very well how to make art, beginning with knowing
number of collaborators and greater freedom of how to treat the actual subject of art. Mindful of the
movement. excellent education that he received at the Art Institute
It was because of that need for freedom that his of Porta Romana and with a, by now, forty year
first maestro, Carlo Guerrini, advised him against experience, Fantoni knows that the student, once made
taking up teaching, at least if the school was not his aware of the “construction” processes of the object,
own. Knowing very well Fantoni’s character, he knew must find his way autonomously along the road that
it would be inconceivable for him to accept a job that will bring him to discover his own language, without
would not be under his exclusive control. the master’s invasive intervention in his work. Fantoni
Nevertheless, not heeding Guerrini’s advise, Fantoni follows his students in the three fundamental phases of
accepted a job offered to him by Gastone Breddo and design, modeling, and decoration of the object; he
Luciano Bausi for the biennial 1975-76 at the controls and supervises their work so that the
Academy of the Fine Arts in San Marco. He was “technical” preparation will be complete, but he also
offered the teaching post in sculpture which Fantoni, requires that it be the students themselves who actively
considering it a prestigious appointment, felt he could engage in the creating of an exclusive expressive code
not refuse. But, at the end of 1976, for the afore thus avoiding the risk of a mere and poor quality
mentioned reasons, he left the Academy. imitation of the Master’s style.
Furthermore, as Fantoni admits, the lack of discipline His research is centered on, in other words, the
which the students showed – which was translated, for attempt to bring about, in them, a desire to investigate
the majority of them, into lackluster results – outside a pragmatic application of the didactics, and in
confirmed further his indisposition to traditional Fantoni’s school, as in the old Institute of Porta
teaching, convincing him to dedicate himself Romana, the contiguity of the class room with the
exclusively to a small group of students whom he studio of the artist-teacher is of fundamental
could “educate” in art in the manner in which he importance because it is, thanks to this “cohabitation”,
himself was trained: the sever discipline of the trade as that the student moves naturally toward a more fluid
taught in the ancient workshops, the personal ability of execution. But, above all, the student moves
inequality between master and student and based toward a more personal stylistic treatment of the
principally on practice. material, extrapolating from the teacher only those
The “International School of Ceramic Art”, with references which fit with his own personality.
the sponsorship of the Ministry of Public Education, Furthermore, it is legitimate that the themes faced in
was founded with this intent in 1970 in the rooms of the school on Via Bolognese are guided and interpreted
Fantoni’s new workshop on Via Bolognese. With the according to a comparison with the exemplarily works
aim of founding a personal studio, a factory- of the master, but this does not coincided, for the better
workshop, and a adequate show room to exhibit the students, with a denaturing of their talent, and quite
works, Fantoni had already bought, at the end of the contrarily, the freedom from stylistic modes of teaching
60’s, a large building, designed by the architect and the formulation of specific predetermined
Leonardo Ricci destined initially to be a restaurant. directions soon follows, as it did for Fantoni in his
Having gone bankrupt after a few years, the building confrontations with Guerrini. Once the practical
was put up for auction, and Fantoni had the intuition
to see that that very property perched on the rocks, 5 The courses at the International School of ceramic Art directed by
with a view of 180° like a bird’s nest, as Antonio Fantoni provided for and provide for even today, an alternating of
Paolucci had described it, immersed in the vegetation lessons in theory ( with a general study of ceramic techniques, life
drawing, and the study of ancient forms ) with studio practice:
of the hill looking out at Fiesole, with its’ spacious and
practice in modeling, wheelwork, casting, collage, touchup work,
luminous rooms, would be ideal for hosting a plaster modeling, glazing, airbrushing, painting and decoration, and
ceramicist’s studio. Here, Fantoni could dedicate firing and final patina application.

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