Franco Fontana is an Italian photographer specializing in abstract landscape and architectural photography. He uses different colour palettes to create surrealist images that catch the eye. In addition to this, his use of strong contrasts and the photographic line create unique works unlike the work of most photographers. He uses these camera and staging techniques to turn landscapes that would otherwise be mundane to photograph into bright and lively pieces. I feel it is quite impressive that Fontana is able to capture purely realistic landscapes and turn them into images comparable to that of the great abstract painters of the 20th century. His work is often compared to that of Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman, both of whom used a singular color palette and simple composition in each work to leave interpretation up to the viewer. Along with his surrealist work, Fontana also captured images involving the interplay between shadows and urban landscapes. These explore the relationship between a sprawling urban area, and the individuality of people. In another series called Asphalt, Fontana uses images of the various old and new signs painted on the road to allude to the idea that the world is ever changing, and as one thing may decay, another may be repaired. Lastly, I found interesting that along with his artistic works, Fontana also used his talents in commercial photography for several fashion and car brands, along with publications like Vogue and The New York Times.