Exploration of Art, Erotic Themes, and Dream-like Nightmares in Carol Rama's works, as detailed in a book by Maurizio Ternavasio
"Haunting Turin with Carol Rama: An Extraordinary Life and Art," penned by our long-time contributor Maurizio Ternavasio, graces the shelves thanks to Graphot. This article is an excerpt from the preface of the book.
A ghostly presence lingers in Turin, and it's that of Carol Rama. One of the select few to have entered the city's mythical realm, she was known for her eccentricity, excess, and sometimes blunt speech, all while showcasing an extraordinary artistic talent. International acclaim would have peppered her career years before her seventieth birthday, had society been less confining. Maurizio Ternavasio's book, "Carol Rama: A Ghost in Turin" Delves into her eventful life (born in 1918, departed in 2015) and her heroic voyage: from the pampered daughter of a visionary entrepreneur who fell on hard times, to a destitute elder struggling to prepare a meal with the help of friends. The book serves as a beautiful, choral tribute, using interviews, essays, articles, and reviews to encapsulate the extraordinary life and creations of this enigmatic artist. Navigating the labyrinth of Carol's ever-changing narratives was a challenging task, as she often rewrote her stories to suit her audience.
Carol's Circle
Maurizio Ternavasio brings attention to the integral role friends played in Carol's life, as she was far from being ignored by the cultural establishment in Turin. Though not personally tutored, she soon found solace under the watchful eye of Felice Casorati, the city's dominant artistic figure for three decades. She interacted with intellectuals such as Edoardo Sanguineti, Cesare Pavese, Italo Calvino, and Massimo Mila. She also counted Luciano Anselmino among her companions, who took her to New York where she met legends like Orson Welles, Andy Warhol, and Man Ray. She was close friends with Paolo Fossati, who archived her work and aided in her rediscovery, and Lea Vergine, who played a key role in her global recognition as a pioneering female artist. Her unique bond with another legendary eccentric and genius, Carlo Mollino, materialized through their shared, liberated, and transgressive vision of art and sex.
A Shifting Presence
Self-taught, unconventional, sporting a faux braid and donning black as she aged, she seemed to appear and vanish like a phantom: spotting her at Sante Peverin's Montecarlo restaurant or the Regio theatre, or at exhibitions at the Gam were common occurrences. Yet her research remained secluded and undiscovered: she shied away from joining movements or cliques, and mysteriously stayed outside the Arte Povera movement that put Turin on the international art map. But make no mistake, Carol's work was avant-garde in its embrace of unconventional materials, as her use of bicycle tires and her ability to create art from the torments and nightmares of her youth demonstrate.
During the '40s, her first exhibition was canceled due to their shocking nature, leaving her to wait for decades before the public could appreciate the watercolors that would make her a global sensation in the '70s. Winning the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale in 2003 and countless exhibitions worldwide have secured Carol Rama a place in art history books. However, to the citizens of Turin, she remains the young girl who waited for her mother outside the Due Pini psychiatric hospital on Via Giulio, transforming her suffering into masterpieces that resonate with our deepest emotions without offering solace or comfort. And Carol Rama's enduring message is more relevant than ever today, as we navigate the challenging landscape of Artificial Intelligence, striving to make sense of life's pains. - © RESERVED REPRODUCTION
- Maurizio Ternavasio's book, "Carol Rama: A Ghost in Turin," highlights Carol Rama's connection with the intellectual circles of Turin, including figures like Felice Casorati, Edoardo Sanguineti, and Massimo Mila.
- Besides her friendships with renowned figures, Carol Rama also counted Paolo Fossati and Lea Vergine among her closest allies, who played significant roles in her artistic rediscovery and global recognition as a pioneering female artist.
- Throughout her life, Carol Rama cultivated an unconventional lifestyle, characterized by her penchant for black clothing, her tendency to fade in and out of public view at places like Sante Peverin's Montecarlo restaurant and the Regio theatre, and her preference for staying independent of movements and cliques.
- Despite being self-taught and relatively unknown, Carol Rama's work was ahead of its time, as evidenced by her use of unconventional materials like bicycle tires and her ability to transform the torments of her youth into powerful art.
- Drawing inspiration from Carol Rama's life and art, Maurizio Ternavasio's book chronicles her avant-garde creations, her isolation from certain movements like Arte Povera, her eventual breakthrough in the '70s, and her impact on the art world, which continues to resonate today, particularly in the face of the challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence.
