Richiama (I call for you)
—
Ellis Island Museum
July, 2012
Richiama (I call for you)
—
Ellis Island Museum
July, 2012
Based on the artist’s immigrant history, Richiama is a visual family tree, detailing each of her relatives that made the arduous journey from Naples between 1904 and 1949. With each type of lace representing a different gender and age (Italian/Sicilian woman, Sicilian girl, Italian/Sicilian man, Italian/Sicilian boy, American born), if examined, Richiamacan literally be decoded to decipher key family members that immigrated to America. The same 13 members appear on both the warp and weft, with the addition of the four American born members (including the artist herself) woven into the weft lace twill.
Richiama is the term used when a Sicilian immigrant in America was ready to ‘call for’ their husbands, wives, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters. It was rare for whole families to immigrate together. And with trips between Italy and America taking an average of roughly 18 days, frequent travels were few and far between. After hearing story after story of families being torn apart while one member came to America to save money for the fare of the others, the significance of this term is amplified. Filled with hope and optimism despite the arduous journey ahead, richiamais what every person who is left behind longs to hear.
Click on images below to view full screen.
Based on the artist’s immigrant history, Richiama is a visual family tree, detailing each of her relatives that made the arduous journey from Naples between 1904 and 1949. With each type of lace representing a different gender and age (Italian/Sicilian woman, Sicilian girl, Italian/Sicilian man, Italian/Sicilian boy, American born), if examined, Richiamacan literally be decoded to decipher key family members that immigrated to America. The same 13 members appear on both the warp and weft, with the addition of the four American born members (including the artist herself) woven into the weft lace twill.
Richiama is the term used when a Sicilian immigrant in America was ready to ‘call for’ their husbands, wives, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters. It was rare for whole families to immigrate together. And with trips between Italy and America taking an average of roughly 18 days, frequent travels were few and far between. After hearing story after story of families being torn apart while one member came to America to save money for the fare of the others, the significance of this term is amplified. Filled with hope and optimism despite the arduous journey ahead, richiamais what every person who is left behind longs to hear.
Click on images below to view full screen.
