Monday, August 22, 2005

The House I Live In: Ralph Fasanella

"A second-generation Italian-American immigrant, Fasanella (1914-1997) painted what he knew: New York's garment industry, its diverse ethnographic make-up, trade unionism and grassroots American politics." Fasanella captured the struggles and triumphs of ordinary people in large, colorful, and detailed paintings. He painted them at home, at work and in the celebrations in their neighborhoods. Fasanella grew up in Little Italy. Maybe he went to the feast of Saint Rocco? Here's a slide show of his work. Many of the images come from a highly recommended site, bread-and-roses.com.

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