Bill and I first noticed these curious graffiti last year.
We saw these two works on the Street of the Marble Foot on the front the Ditta G. Poggi art supplies store. We liked them very much and thought they must be by the same artist.
When we encountered this charming pair near the Palazzo Pamphilj we were hooked.
We started to see this person's work all over the centre of Rome. I found this nice set of drawings just off the Via del Tritone.
And this bewitching work on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. That's the Gesù in the background.
So when we returned to Rome this year we were delighted to find this little drawing. It was like running into an old friend. This morning I got curious about that name and decided to google it.
I discovered a newspaper article from 2014 and a dozen photographs of work by "our" artist, who it seemed went by the name B. R. Ammazzate. A Roman friend told me that "ammazzate" is Italian for "you kill (plural)" and is also Roman slang for "kill yourself".
He wondered if B. R. stood for Brigate Rosse (Red Brigades), the group that terrorized Italy in the 70's and 80's. Their name in Italian is routinely abreviated BR.
When Bill and I went out to get some lunch today I began to look again at what I began to think of as "text" works.
I admit I had noticed these and wondered about them but had been resisting photographing them despite the clear visual evidence that they came from the same hand that had done the sketches we liked.
I was already taking dozens of pictures a day and didn't want to have to start collecting pictures of individual words and numbers.
But I had to pick up a few -- like these lovelies.
Ammazzate's handwriting is as distinctive as Cy Twombly's.
We still like the sketches best.
They have a pleasant throw-away quality and yet there is a wonderful absurdity to them.
We still think of B. R. Ammazzate as our personal discovery.
That's because the work is both intimate and unforgettable.
Ammazzate is a generous artist with work all over the centro storico of Rome. May his or her magic marker never run out of ink!
Hello there, just for you to know, this artist is my uncle, my father's brother, his name's Enzo Romano. You can find his graffitis in many Italian cities, including Palermo where he's from and where he lives now in a house for the elderly. You can contact me for any extra info. I'm surprised that you were interested in his works, may I ask you what struck you? It'd be nice to keep in touch. All the best
ReplyDeleteErmanno (from Palermo)
Dear Ermanno,
DeleteI am so sorry that I missed seeing your exciting letter last summer. I hope that sometime you will see this reply. I am very excited to hear about your Uncle and to learn his name, and your name. I would very much like to keep in touch. You can write to me at johnelmslie@gmail.com.
My partner and I love art. We both retired recently and have been travelling to look at art. We have visited Italy many times to enjoy the marvellous artworks.
What struck me? When I saw the first drawing I liked it. Then when I saw more drawings (all in Roma) I saw that they were by the same artist. This was very clear to me. As I saw more drawings I realized he had created a body of work of high quality. One reason I think the work is very fine is that it is instantly recognizable. When you see a Matisse drawing you always know it is by Matisse. The same with your Uncle. Even your Uncle's handwriting is very recognizable. As recognizable as the handwriting of American artist Cy Twombly (do you know him -- worked in Rome for many years).
Is your Uncle still drawing?
My partner and I are in Naples until the end of April. Then we will be in Rome for most of May. Fun to think your Uncle is so close.
Please give him our best wishes. And please tell him and thank him for all the aesthetic pleasure he has given two strangers to Canada.
Again, sorry to have missed your nice letter. I hope I hear from you soon.
Sincerely, John Elmslie (Toronto)