L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 18 L'Italo-Americano LIFESTYLE FASHION FOOD ARTS ADVICE I taly is known all over the world for its ceramics. Indeed, handmade and hand painted pottery is common all over the country, from north to south: colorful and bold or understated and elegant, you can find almost everything made of ceramic, from kitchenware to precious ornamental pieces. The art of Italian pottery it's been the Spalluto family's love and life for 30 years, a passion that brought the creativity and skills of many Italian artists into the home of Americans, contributing to the widespread diffusion of a form of art which is often overlooked. Thanks to the Spalluto family, and by taking a look at their Ita- lian Pottery Outlet in Santa Bar- bara, we of L'Italo Americano learned something more about the art of pottery and what the Ame- rican public likes the most. Julie Spalluto tells us more about her family, their love for ceramics and their beloved family busi- ness. Tell us something about yourselves: how did you disco- ver Italian pottery and what made you think about making a living out of it? After our father retired from his electronics business in his early forties, he and my mother started looking for their next chapter. After a few attempts in different directions, in 1982 they found their passion – Italian pot- tery. The beautiful pottery of Italy can be found in most Italian American households. It is close to all our hearts, often part of family traditions or heirlooms. Finding the artists who create this functional art is so exciting. Our dad was raised in Puglia, so he loved the idea of mixing impor- ting with family visits. The busi- ness began strictly as a wholesale distributor and the first artist was Nino Parrucca. In the following years more ceramicists were added from all over Italy. We buy from small family owned facto- ries and have become friends with the multiple generations who run them. This is incredibly rewarding. In 1993 we opened our warehouse to the public and the Italian Pottery Outlet was born. Our parents always dreamed of this being a family business and in the 90's that dream came true when three of us joined our parents. The art of pottery is an old and well known tradition of Italy, very much developed all over the country: beside obvious practical reasons, why do you think this art form beca- FRANCESCA BEZZONE The beauty and art of Made in Italy ceramics...in the US sketch on a paper napkin. Picasso agreed and quickly produced a sketch, but before handing it over requested a large sum of money to the shock of his admirer. "How can you ask for so much!? It took but a minute to draw!" to which Picasso replied, "Not so – this took me 40 years." One last curiosity: what do your customers like the most? What's, in other words, your best seller style and why? Our customers generally sit in one of two different camps; either they lean more toward the fruit designs, or they tend toward the bold geometric designs. Our Alcantara collection, which fea- tures a crisp white background with bright yellow lemons and cobalt accents, has always been a best-seller and because it's a bit more understated than some of our other patterns, it's a safe bet when people are considering gifts for friends or family. Perhaps equally popular is the Raffaelle- sco design, which originated during the Renaissance and fea- tures the benevolent seafaring dragon and namesake of the Great Master painter, Raphael. Because this dragon is a symbol of good luck and calm seas, this collection is often given as enga- gement or wedding presents. A sampling of Susanna DeSimone's art Famiglia Spalluto: Francis, Joe, Julie, Ben, Carol, and Adele A collection of some of our most popular patterns; Toscana Bees, Raffaellesco, Alcantara, Ricco, and Limone me so immensely popular in the country? It's a really rewarding, thera- peutic art form for the creator, and one that serves everyday pur- pose while also being beautiful. I think most likely it became popu- lar in Italy because the materials were so accessible - from the ori- ginal clay dug out of riverbeds, to the minerals that comprised the glazes – but it didn't really become the "Italian pottery" we think of today until the Renais- sance, when there was such an explosion in artistic prowess and technical knowledge. Once the Italians became such experts in the craft, their production beca- me world-renowned, which is quite a feat in and of itself in the days where information traveled by ships! Since so many Ameri- cans are of Italian descent, I think the memories of these works of art and the nostalgia that comes with seeing them are ingrained in our consciousness, which is why it is still highly regarded here, today. Plus, the quality of the craftsman is unde- niable, as is the case with most Italian-made things! You truly offer an immense variety of beautiful ceramics, in some of the most famous Ita- lian pottery styles: Tuscan, Deruta, and Southern Italian, only to name a few. Do you have a personal favorite and why? My personal favorite is the work of Sicilian artist Susanna DeSimone. Many people are familiar with the work of her father, Giovanni, who was a pro- minent ceramicist from the 1960s until he passed away in the early 1990s. Susanna's work is very much inspired by the work of her father; bold, primary colors on a bright white background featu- ring images of Sicilian villages, mermaids and sailors at sea, sea creatures and birds. It is sort of reminiscent of cubism and has a bit of a mid-century aesthetic, but it also feels timeless. Many people, I think, tend to forget sometimes pottery and ceramics are a real art form, especially the handmade and hand painted ones you propose. You have, for instan- ce, some Della Robbia style ornamental pieces, indeed very beautiful, and amazingly color- ful decorative tiles. Do you think ceramics should get more attention from this point of view, that their artistic value should be more emphasized? I'm so glad you mentioned this! Yes, I think that people have become so accustomed to functional ceramics, often made on an assembly line, minimally decorated or mass-produced with decals (as opposed to hand pain- ted), that it's very easy to forget that it is a true art form - and one that has been perfected over cen- turies by expert Italian artisans, who have passed the first-hand knowledge along to their protégés, generation after gene- ration. Our ceramics are comple- tely handmade and hand painted in Italy from start to finish, and the artists are paid a living wage. They're functional pieces of art; you get to enjoy your coffee from a work of art each morning and eat your dinner from another every night. It's not uncommon for us to hear commentary on the costs of some of our pieces (though we do have options at every price point), but when I remind our sticker-shocked friends that these are entirely handmade and hand painted, and we have a conversation about what goes into making them, they find our prices are quite rea- sonable. This reminds me of a story about Picasso that I think hits the nail on the head. The legend goes that Picasso was sit- ting in a Paris café when someo- ne approached him requesting a

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