| Description |
For Anthony Riccio (b. 1952), a picture truly is worth a thousand words. For the past four decades, the New Haven, Connecticut, native has documented, in word and image, the experiences of Italians and Italian-Americans not only in Southern Italy – from Campania to Sicily – but also in two culturally rich immigrant communities in America, Boston’s North End and New Haven’s “Little Italy.” “From Italy to America – Photographs of Anthony Riccio” features twenty-six black and white photographs by Mr. Riccio in addition to audio clips he recorded of his subjects reminiscing about the changes they experienced and witnessed in their lives.
Anthony Riccio’s stunning photographs of his subjects as they move through their daily lives resulted in two widely-acclaimed books: Boston’s North End: Images and Recollections of an Italian-American Neighborhood (Globe Pequot Press, 1996 and 2006) and The Italian American Experience in New Haven: Images and Oral Histories (State University of New York Press, 2006). He also co-authored the hugely successful Cooking with Chef Silvio: Stories and Authentic Recipes from Campania in collaboration with Silvio Suppa, chef at Café Allegre in Madison, CT, and Woodwinds Restaurant in Branford, CT.
Through the often poignant, always engaging photographs and interviews of his subjects, Mr. Riccio delves deeply into the lives of those whom he documents. In Boston’s North End, for example, he immortalizes the zampognari (singers with pastoral wind instruments) as they perform during the Christmas season. His New Haven images show people at work and play and also capture individuals engaged in moments of quiet reflection who share memories that define them both as individuals and as part of the larger Italian-American community. U.S. Congresswoman Rosa Delauro, whose district includes New Haven, CT, observes: “Anthony Riccio produces such a rich and emotional narrative of the Italian American Experience - both through his interviews and photographs that are timeless. I am sure this work will advance his lifetime project and give us insights that will not be lost.” Dr. Jill Deupi, Director of the Bellarmine Museum of Art and Assistant Professor of Art History at Fairfield University, notes “Anthony Riccio’s evocative photographs are not only visually rewarding they are also intellectually compelling. Through his works we are able to step into the shoes of Italian immigrants who left behind all that was familiar and comfortable to become citizens in an unknown new world.”
Mr. Riccio’s images of rural Southern Italy – an area that saw many of its inhabitants leave in search of the American dream – equally transport the viewer to another world, where captivating vistas and lively images of children are counterbalanced by the hardscrabble realities of an agrarian existence. His evocative view of an olive grove, with the cloud-shrouded hills of Faggiano looming in the distance, for example, is a bucolic counterpoint to his image of Naples, the abject buildings of which suggest a clear lack of financial prosperity. Italian American artist, educator and writer B. Amore notes: “These are rare photographs of a people at one with village life on the point of change. The intimacy and directness of gaze could only be captured by a photographer like Anthony Riccio, who works with great respect for his subject matter and an authentic interest in his own heritage.”
The exhibition was originally conceived by Dr. Mary Ann Carolan (Chair, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures/Director, Italian Studies Program), who proposed integrating Mr. Riccio’s photographs into her course on the Italian American Experience. Her students were thoroughly engaged with Riccio’s work, both the oral histories, which they read, and the photographs, which they researched and wrote about for the exhibition. “Anthony Riccio’s photographs invite us along the journey from old world to new world,” said Prof. Carolan. “Through these images we see the translation of traditions, customs, and attitudes from the stark beauty and authenticity of southern Italy to the Italian American neighborhoods of Boston and New Haven. These captivating images reveal an appreciation for those simple elements of our everyday existence or quotidianità.”
“From Italy to America – Photographs of Anthony Riccio” has been made possible through the generous support of Nestlé Waters North America, and its S. Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water, which is sourced in the Italian Alps, and the National Endowment for the Humanities: because democracy demands wisdom.
|
Get this Event
