Slyline - Franco Fontana

The radicalism and typically photographic approach of Franco Fontana's 1978 book Skyline helped pave the way for a new era in Italian photography. Significantly, it was the first book to be published by Punto e Virgola, the Modena based company founded by Luigi Ghirri that came to enjoy a dazzling reputation for its works showcasing the finest photographers of that generation, from Basilico, Jodice, and Chiaramonte to Guidi and Salbitani, introducing their work to a wider, non-specialist audience. The book, published simultaneously in France by Contrejour, was a huge success, being reprinted twice that same year. The work was barely eighty pages long, with very plain production values; nor was it excessively ambitious in terms of design, presenting one photograph per page.