Lecture “The art of the mask”, a meeting with Ezio Flammia
The study of the art of papier-mâché – in the West an excellence of Italian culture – has in the past been penalised by prejudices linked to its material, which originated from humble rags and was therefore considered a base substance and unsuitable for the production of works of art.
The book “Storia dell’arte della cartapesta”, written by the set designer and master of papier-mâché Ezio Flammia, the subject of the conference, re-evaluates the art through a rigorous and meticulous examination, from the first experiments in Tuscan workshops in the mid-15th century to modern art. The works of past and modern artists who have created major works of art in papier-mâché are thus examined with passion and expertise, including Jacopo della Quercia, Donatello, Antonio Rossellino, Benedetto da Maiano, Desiderio da Settignano, Jacopo Sansovino, Ferdinando Tacca, Beccafumi, Bernini, Algardi, Angelo Gabriello Piò, Sanmartino, up to Dubuffet and the very latest experimenters.
In Flammia’s meticulous study, an extraordinary heritage emerges even more, from toys to the applied arts, from furnishings to stage and ephemeral productions. And, as Claudio Strinati writes in the introduction to the book, “Flammia is without a doubt the foremost expert on the subject, a profound connoisseur of the execution procedures, a historian of undisputed competence, and a sensitive and learned critic. Flammia, however, is also and above all an artist of conspicuous quality, heir to a tradition that he consecrates in the book, demonstrating a truly commendable love and dedication to the subject.”
Ezio Flammia, artist and set designer, master of papier-mâché, has exhibited in Italy and abroad. He has created sets and costumes for numerous theatrical productions and has collaborated on the staging of prime-time variety shows for RAI 2. He has restored important papier-mâché works for the National Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions (Rome). In 1996, he received the international lifetime achievement award for the arts, La Plejade, at the Chamber of Deputies.
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Communications Office of the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome
Coordination: Prof. Guglielmo Gigliotti g.gigliotti@abaroma.it
Collaboration: Chiara Picco, Martina Macchia, Marianna Pontillo comunicazione@abaroma.it