L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 4 FRANCESCA BEZZONE NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS I think that speaking with an artist is always, always an honor. And for this reason, I was truly delighted and — I must admit — quite excited, by the idea of interviewing Flavia Pittalà, one third of DADAme Artisti Decoratori di Carretti Sicil- iani, a trio of young Sicilian, clas- sically trained artists who decided to make of carretti decoration their life. Carretti Siciliani have the sun and life of Sicily within. Their colors are those of the island's landscapes, waters, sky and mountains. There is the fire of Etna's lava and the gold of wheat fields. Their images tell stories of Faith and miracles, of ancient heroes and their coura- geous deeds, of the real essence of Sicily's heritage and culture. Their use, their being such a hum- ble means of transport at the heart, for centuries, of the farm- ing-based economy of the island, tell us about the hardship, the work, the beauty of a place and of its people. They tell us of ties with the land, with their roots, with work. You see, the soul of Sicily is held within a carretto, a soul that is ancient and divine, colorful and nostalgic, but also powerful, fiery, proud: a carretto is the royal portrait of Sicilia, one we are able to see thanks to the blessed hand of artists who can see the transparent and turn it into colors. Because souls are crystal, they are diaphanous and only the eye and the hand of an artist can give it shape. The guys at DADAme are special because of this, but also for another reason: they are devoted to their land, to their heritage, to their world, to the point they decided to make of the old art of carretti Siciliani dec- oration a job. It's certainly not a simple task, mind, as steeped as it is in a past that crass modernity often consid- ers useless, dated, unfit to become a "trend." But art and love are not a matter of fashion and popularity, they are a matter — again — of soul, and Flavia (who answered our questions) Alessandro and Gabriele have understood it well. L'Italo-Ameri- cano is delighted to bring to its readers the words and beautiful creations of these three young, tal- ented, precious Italians whose work is more than beautiful: it is mirror of Italy's heritage and tra- dition. So sit back, relax and read about the amazing, colorful soul of Sicily. What led you to this tradi- tional Sicilian art form, beauti- ful but at the same time little Carretti Siciliani: the young faces of an ancient tradition Continued to page 6 References to Sicily (its symbol at the bottom) and to religious figures (Saint John Paul II and Pope Francis are recognizable here) single out this beautiful cart decorated by Flavia Pittalà, her husband Alessandro Forte and his brother Gabriele @ DADAme Artisti Decoratori di Carretti Siciliani Pittalà and the Forte brothers in their atelier, among some of their works @ DADAme Artisti Decoratori di Carretti Siciliani

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