L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2015 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 7 Sorelle Fine Arts: one way trip from Bergamo to L.A. VALERIO VIALE I n 1994, the tw o s is ters , Cristina and Laura Capitanio embarked in a one way flight from their foggy hometow n, Bergamo – an urban conglomerate founded by Celtic tribes a few hundred years B.C. in Lombardy, region of Northern Italy – to the sunny Los Angeles – a metropolis risen up in an area which, accordingly to recent archeological s tudies , w as populated by a seafaring culture, starting from 8000 B.C. I'm s ure that comes as a s urpris e for lots of you. H ones tly, dear readers , how many of you would have guessed right to the question: Which, among Bergamo and L.A., is the oldest human settlement? Very few, for sure. However, that's not the point here. The fact is that, as far as art and cultural artifacts in general are concerned, Italy boasts a very ancient, intact heritage, while there is hardly any evidence left today of the Native American populations, before their contact with the Europeans. Cristina and Laura, who have had the privilege of growing up, surrounded by art, displayed a great enterpris ing s pirit, founding the cus tom w all- covering and decorative painting studio, Sorelle Fine Arts LLC. I've had the precious chance to get a tas te of the s is ters Capitanio's zest for life, talking with them, in occasion of their debut at the WestEdge Design Fair-Made Modern (hosted from October 22-25, at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica), which annually celebrates the very best of international design. Please, tell us more about your background. Where were you born? How did you grow up? What type of education did you have? We were born in Bergamo, Italy. We were like best friends, since we were very little. We used to play together, then, we started to travel around the world together. F inally, w orking together seemed to be the most natural evolution. Cristina attended the "Liceo A rtis tico" in Bergamo and learned the art of fresco painting and res toration at Studio Manenti, in Bres cia. A fter moving to L.A ., s he s tudied interior design, screen printing and printing at UCLA. Laura, ins tead, had a background in accounting, then, she pursued her real vocation and earned a degree in Ar t History. Lastly, she furthered her specialization in precious metal leafing, gilding and s creen printing, by als o attending restoration and conservation workshops. Tell u s more ab ou t th e WestEdge Design Fair, Made Modern, in Santa Monica? Is it the first time you're taking part to it? This is o ur firs t time participating in Westedge. Made Modern presented the perfect platform for us to showcase our products. It has been an honor and an ins piration to be surrounded by all these talented, creative makers , artis ts and artisans. We were very excited about the wonderful opportunity of attention from des igners , architects and other professional in the trade about our unique wall-covering. There is nothing like our product in the market. That represented a challenge: in fact, one may feel totally indifferent tow ards our creations, because he/she can't envision an application for them. We made new , valuable connections at the fair, including many outstanding Italian firms. Ultimately, having taken our share of risks, paid us back, since lots of professionals in the trade "grasped" our offer of something different, handcrafted and unique. Please, share with us some of your ups and downs in the tw en ty years you 've b een ru n n in g S or elle Fin e Ar ts LLC? In 1994, when we came to the United States, we found this country to be very welcoming and supportive. In those same years, the economy was growing fast because of both the computers and internet becoming mainstream. The housing market bloomed rapidly and the demand for decorating the real estate grew accordingly. Back then, Mediterranean architecture was fashionable, so we were able to fit right in, w ith our reproductions of those looks and ambience, whom people were after. The demand for decorative painting came in every shape and form. Imagine us , jus t arrived from Italy, working for celebrities, the likes of Eddy Murphy and Kirk Douglas! We were over the moon! Everything changed with the lates t economic reces s ion. F ollow ing 2008, the des ign world shifted from lavish and elaborated finishes to minimalist and bare designs. We had to adjus t and reconfigure the services we provided. It was very challenging to reinvent ourselves and our work in a way that w as both authentic and fresh. Right now the design world is shifting back. There is a new demand for decorative accents, which are unique, hand-crafted, durable and precious. A different challenge came, when Cristina started a family and had children (Nilo, now 13, and Chiara, 11). As a matter of fact, to balance family and work was pretty demanding especially for an Italian "mamma". Tell u s ab ou t you r experience as set decorators in Holly w ood ? Wh at w as th e b igges t p rofes s ion al satisfaction as set decorators? We loved it! We were very young and for us it was like a dream come true! We als o learned to work very fast and to handle the s tres s of tight deadlines. In fact, set painters are the last to come in, right after the set is built and before the actual shooting start. Since we were working on small budget, indie films, our professional satisfaction came more from the chance to make a living out of what we loved (that is, painting), rather than from collaborations on well-known movies. Do you have contacts with th e I talian -A merican commu n ity in L.A .? For instance, do you attend the local Italian Cultural Institute? We love the IIC and attend its events often. We are also part of the DIVE – organization that stands for Donne Italiane Che Vivono all'Estero. About once a month, we take part to the club's meeting, w hos e only requirement to join is to speak Italian. We always participate in fun and engaging activities , including mus eum vis its , architectural tours , tombola etc...We als o belong to the Minitalians LA - an online yahoo group which connects Italian families in Los Angeles. We constantly strive to keep our Italian s pirit alive. The typical, Italian sense of humor, livelihood and take on life is "engraved" in our spirit, but we als o "fuel" thos e pos itive qualities, keeping in touch with our community. To conclude, what do you think about Los Angeles and its surroundings? Is there a specific architecture/design in L.A. that inspires you? We love L.A ., mainly because people come here with a dream. You can feel the energy and it's always amazing and inspiring to witness people going for their dreams. We enjoy how the museums here offer very welcoming and approachable events, which pair art and mus ic. We love es pecially going to L ACMA museum, because of its exhibits but also for its concerts in the park. We attend regularly to the s als a/Latin jazz s eries , on Saturdays, and the jazz one, on Fridays. In 2013, finally the city of Los A ngeles lifted a ban on public murals , that w as in storage for, likely, a decade. That brought about a myriad of street art, which can now be enjoyed all over town. It always make us happy and inspire us. We are also very supportive of the mural conservancy of L.A., which helps preserving this form of art and educate people about the city's rich tradition of murals. Wallpaper in the making by Capitanio sisters. Photo Courtesy of Sorelle Fine Arts LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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