Last fall I decided to find a way to get to Italy and work on an idea I’d been developing for some time. I have been
studying Italian for 3 years and on a previous trip to Florence, Venice, and Tuscany I had become fascinated with the way
ancient art pervades life in the towns I visited. I drew a parallel between the layers of paint on the ancient walls and
shutters of Venice, and the layers of dye and overdye on fabric. I found similarities
between decorative ornamentation on architecture and textiles, and my own approach
to integrating pattern and image in collage constructions.
I was reading the original text of Pinocchio, which is a long, moralistic, entertaining, but
sometimes somber fairytale set in Italy. I decided to plan a series of textiles that would
deal in some way with the Pinocchio story, but combine the decorative inspirations I
was starting to draw from Italy.
I applied for a grant from the Surface Design Association. This national organization
funds personal development grants for its members. The guidelines are posted on the
website, and are fairly specific. Clarity of writing and strict adherence to proposal
guidelines are paramount. I sent my draft proposal out for proofreading to several
people I knew to be good writers, some of whom had received arts grants themselves.
Writing the proposal was a wonderful way for me to clarify what I wanted
to do, especially since my concept was rather complicated. I was thrilled to
be one of the three people chosen for an award. We all received partial
funding, but one of the grant specifications was to state how we would
cope with partial funding of our projects. I cut down on the time and scope
of my trip, and was also able to stay with a friend in Florence.
My trip began in Florence, where I visited the Fondazione Lisio Arte della
Seta, a study center where weavers reproduce original patterns of
Rennaissance velvets and brocades on ancient looms. The Fondazione
makes textiles for the Church, museums, and occasionally for fashion
designers to use in couture items. I also visited the Museo di Tessuti in
Prato, which is a well-laid out textile museum with historic and
contemporary collections. I then traveled to Collodi a small village west
of Florence where Carlo Lorenzini, the author of Pinocchio, was born.
There is a wonderful Pinocchio amusement park and landscaped sculpture garden, as well as a piazza surrounded by
mosaic-covered walls illustrating scenes from the life of Pinocchio.
In addition, there is a grand formal garden belonging to
the 18th century Villa Garzoni, where Lorenzini’s father worked as a cook.
The town itself has an old section that climbs up a mountainside. The
streets are only about 10 ft. wide and made of cobblestones, so the
inhabitants must park at the bottom of the old section of town and walk up.
From Collodi I traveled to Lucca, a walled city. Here I saw lovely
churches replete with ornate carving and frescoed detailing. Lucca was
the center of fine textile production in the 14 Century. I took many photographs
at all of these stops, and plan to incorporate pattern elements,
images, and colors from this trip, as well as the overall spirit of the
Pinocchio story, into the panels I will soon begin.
An Exciting Adventure by Sue Moran
The garden of the villa garzoni is in the town of Collodi.
Carlo Lorenzini’s father worked there in the kitchens
.
The mosaics from the Giardino di Pinocchio.
This illustrates a scene in the Osteria Gambero Rosso.
The ancient hill town of Collodi,
where Carlo Lorenzini was born.