Tomaso Binga at MADRE

John and I had never heard of Tomaso Binga before visiting Naples' contemporary art museum where we found a career retrospective underway.

We entered with mixed feelings but by the end of our visit we were firm fans of this lively conceptual artist.

In the early 70s Binga began using discarded styrofoam packaging as a base for pictures clipped from magazines. We want to make some too!

Risata sardonica/Ridiamo ridiamo (Sardonic laugh / Let's laugh, let's laugh), 1972. Collage on polystyrene.

Sono... ME, 1972, from the pair: Sono... IO, Sono... ME (I am I. I am me)." Photo by Verita Monselles.

In 1976, Binga made 26 Alfabeto Pop (Pop Alphabet) pictures, one for each letter of the alphabet.

Working with photographer Verita Monselles, Binga cut out pictures of herself to use in these collages. Here is a closer look at C di Ciliege (C for cherries).

T di Topo means T for mouse. John would love to buy a "board-book" version of this series.

She also spelled MATER (Latin for mother) with her body.

Also in 1976 Binga printed "Carta da parato (Wallpaper)" using illegible writing as a decorative design.  Here is a life-sized installation using the wallpaper.

Because men are privileged in the art world the artist took the name Tomaso. In 1977 she performed "Bianca Menna (her real name) e Tomaso Binga (her male artist self). Oggi spose (Just Married)."

Amid all the conceptual work it was fun to see a gorgeous watercolour drawing.

 John lingered in a room full of framed poems, trying to read the Italian: "nei boschi/sopra il mare/dentro il cielo/vivo-vivendo/io sono/lì/io sono li bera/io sono/Li llith 

(in the woods/above the sea/inside the sky/alive-living/I am/there/I am free/I am/Lillith)"

case rosse a tre piani/muri imbottiti di casse umane

case rosse a tre piani/muri imbottiti di ossa umane

case rosse a tre piani/muri imbottiti di cose umane

ultima porta

(three-story red houses/walls stuffed with human crates

three-story red houses/walls stuffed with human bones

three-story red houses/walls stuffed with human things/

last door)."

Una Vittoria zittita (A Silenced Victory)

"Abbiamo Bisogno Come Donne E Femministe Gestirci Hanno Impunemente Lordato Mondo Non Operando Positivamente Questa Rivolta Segna Tuttavia Una Vittoria Zittita 

(We Need How Women And Feminists Manage Us They Have Dirtied The World With Impunity By Not Operating Positively This Revolt However Marks A Silenced Victory)"

The catalogue for the show featured a large selection of her poetry with English translations. John is reading his way through them with moderate success. Wish him luck!

Photograph from a performance of Il confessore elettronico (The electronic confessor), Rome, 1989. Tomaso Binga lives and works in Rome. She is 95 years old.