I have already explored the work of Pasquale De Antonis in a previous post on this blog in connection with Irene Brin but I recently visited an interesting exhibition in my hometown that pays homage to the work of Pasquale De Antonis and his son Riccardo and so I feel that a new post is requires.
Pasquale and Riccardo's photographs are exhibited until 7th September at the Ex-Aurum building in Pescara. A long time ago the building was a factory where the local liqueur called Aurum used to be produced.
Pasquale De Antonis also has a connection with this building since he took in the 30s some pictures of it and of its workers, so in a way it was symbolical seeing his work being exhibited here.
Born in Teramo, De Antonis first moved with his family to Pescara and then spent a few years in Bologna working for a photographic studio and studying art at the same time. Back in Pescara he opened his own studio and did a long-standing research on the local traditions, following religious processions and taking pictures of local fairs and celebrations.
In the mid-to-late 30s he moved to Rome and, after he opened a studio in Piazza di Spagna (in the same place where Futurist photographer Antonio Bragaglia had his own studio), he strengthened his relations and friendships with many artists and writers.
When the war ended he became a theatre photographer and worked with Luchino Visconti, and, in the following years, also collaborated with Strehler, Gassman, Zeffirelli and Tofano, while also developing an interesting technique to take abstract photographs.
After meeting Irene Brin, De Antonis also began working as a fashion photographer, taking pictures of models wearing the creations of the new Italian designers such as the Fontana Sisters, Emilio Schuberth or Fernanda Gattinoni, inside museums or using historical places as backgrounds.
Most of De Antonis’ work can be seen at the Rome-based Archivio De Antonis, while his pictures for the theatre are stored at the Genoa-based Museo Biblioteca dell’Attore and pictures of local fairs and traditions from Abruzzo are showcased at the Museo delle Genti d’Abruzzo in Pescara.
Pasquale’s son Riccardo was born in 1952 in Rome where he still lives and works.
He began working with his father in the 70s, helping him in his studio, while studying theatre history and photography at the local university.
Soon he started working on photographic campaigns, organised many exhibitions and made a lot of reportages from different countries.
Theatre remains one of his main passions, as his archives featuring roughly 5,000 images taken between the late 70s and the mid 80s during theatre shows in Italy and abroad also prove. Pasquale De Antonis’ artistic life is sort of summarised in the exhibition at the Ex-Aurum through pictures divided according to categories such as traditions, the war, fashion and art.
As you enter the building you are greeted by two rows of pictures by both Pasquale - showing a German sailor in 1939, a young and handsome Marcello Mastroianni, two models at the Whippy Club in 1947, a model clad in a creation by the Battilocchi tailoring house in 1947 - and Riccardo.
The main room of the building is dedicated to Pasquale De Antonis' work and features images of Pescara in the 30s; portraits of young German and American soldiers from the late 30s to the mid-40s; images of artists such as Renzo Vespignani (1950) and Renato Guttuso (1952), writers such as Ennio Flaiano and Sibilla Aleramo (1955), directors, actors and actresses, from Franco Zeffirelli to Silvana Mangano and Anna Magnani. Ample space is given to De Antonis’ work for the stage with images taken during plays by Luchino Visconti from the 40s and the 50s, and to his work for fashion with photographs taken from the Emef perfume campaign (1948) or from fashion photo shoots, portraying models in Emilio Schuberth’s atelier, in Pietro Consagra’s studio or at the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica at the Palazzo Torlonia (1947).
Interesting examples from De Antonis’ abstract pictures from 1951 to 1957 are also showcased, but my favourite images out of this exhibition were the ones dedicated to local traditions and processions, in particular two images portraying little girls from Rapino in 1935. I love the serious look in the girls eyes, and I also love their outfits, accessorised by rows of thick necklaces that criss-cross their chests and flowers in their ruffled hair.
The section of the exhibition dedicated to Riccardo features images from reportages shot in Afghanistan, Morocco, Nepal and Turkey, pictures from theatre and dance shows, but also quite a few photographs taken during processions and religious rites.
Inspired by his father's work, Riccardo went back to Rapino in 1998 and took new images of the same procession recorded by his father and also took further images during religious rites in Marsala and Ariccia (1988).
There is a particular picture from the Good Friday Procession in Marsala (1988) that portrays a girl wearing a rich costume and with a headdress almost entirely covered in gold jewels. The girl looks a bit like a statue of the Virgin Mary and her attire also makes me think about Christian Lacroix's bride at the recent Autumn/Winter 09 Haute Couture catwalk show.
I think these images are simply beautiful since they have a very special visual impact and also reunite different themes together, from religion to beauty, from fashion to poeticism, art and traditions.
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