Naples 1944 Print

I am Umberto Carotenuto, a painter, decorator and engraver deeply attached to my Vesuvian roots. The thousand-year history of the Vesuvian towns, the mystery that emerges from the remains of the ancient cities buried by Vesuvius, the spirit and culture of these places are the creative material that characterises my research. The search for an archetypal, almost primitive image and at the same time the reference to classical iconography are manifested in the destructive but cathartic energy of the natural element, in the depiction of fragments of people and architecture, in the colouristic and sign rendering characterised by colours distributed in patches and material stripes. The jute canvas support and the painting technique give the works an appearance that brings them close to the faded and time-worn frescoes of Pompeii and other archaeological sites. The theme of cultural identity, the relationship between mankind and the volcano, the stories, myths and rituals that arise from it are vital creative material for my artistic research. The story that I try to write with my paintings is that of an entire community, men who have drawn from the magma of their land and the ashes of Vesuvius their own character and their thousand-year history.