Francesco Pergolesi: Heroes
@ Catherine Edelman Gallery
300 W. Superior St. Chicago, IL 60654
Opening Friday, May 6th, from 5PM - 7PM
On view through Monday, July 1st
Francesco Pergolesi: Heroes
May 6 – July 1, 2016
Opening Reception with the Artist: Friday, May 6, 5-7pm
Francesco Pergolesi was raised in Spoleto, a small Italian village filled with artisan shops and small businesses. Now splitting his time between Spoleto and Barcelona, Pergolesi creates photographic tableaus inspired by memories from his past: narrow cobblestone streets, the sound of a hammer coming from the open door of a shoemaker; the smell of fresh bread from a baker, the steady beat of a sewing machine from an open window, the smell of old paper in a used bookstore. In Pergolesi’s world, these sights and smells drive his art making, as he seeks to preserve the past, before big-box and chain stores arrive. As he says:
“When I was a child, I used to walk free, exploring my village streets. I loved to spend time in the little cobbler or the grocery where my grandmother sent me to shop. Time seemed to be extended and gave me a sense of freedom. I grew up loving neighborhoods where human relationships were the center of life. I understood these places were disappearing, pushed by a mysterious force, and a new era was coming.”
The impact of his upbringing can be seen in Heroes, Pergolesi’s project devoted to this disappearing landscape. A typical piece begins when the artist meets a person, or sees a shop, that evokes a memory. Working together, Pergolesi and his subject create a story that honors the past while preserving the present. In Pino, Spoleto, 2013, we see a woodcarver alone in his shop, shaping a block of wood. In Righetta, Milano, 2014, an older woman sits alone in a window lit by a small lamp, an homage to his grandmother who was a concierge in a hotel. In Alfred, Macerata, 2015, the owner proudly displays his knives and tools in his front windows. In Marlène, Spoleto, 2013, a woman sits in her fruit and vegetable store, lit by an industrial fluorescent tube.
Francesco Pergolesi sees himself as a guardian of a vanishing world where people congregated to talk about families and daily activities. The artist presents his work as traditional photographic prints and as 5 x 7 x 2” / 9 x 12 x 3” photo boxes, lit from within. These small pieces force the viewer to stand inches away, creating an intimate interaction with strangers – it is what inspires Pergolesi every day, as he continues to wander the streets looking for a connection.
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Tags: Catherine Edelman Gallery, CEG, Francesco Pergolesi, Italy, River North
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