Ralph Fasanella's America

Ralph Fasanella (1914-1997) was a self-taught painter whose body of work is one of the most compelling artistic critiques of post-World War II America. His paintings--bold, colorful, loaded with detail yet unified in composition--speak powerfully of a distinct working-class identity and culture, and of the dignity of labor. They capture the past and express hope for the future. This profusely illustrated volume, which includes seventy-four color images of Fasanella's paintings as well as numerous personal photographs, provides the first comprehensive look at the life and career of this important American artist. Ralph Fasanella's America explores the formative influences on Fasanella's art: his Italian immigrant family and neighborhood; Catholic reform school; his work life; his involvement in progressive causes such as the Spanish Civil War and organized labor. The book also traces Fasanella's development as an artist by examining his paintings in the context of twentieth-century American social and political history. The author of this volume, Paul S. D'Ambrosio, knew Fasanella for over sixteen years. From 1993 to the artist's death in 1997, D'Ambrosio conducted extensive interviews with him, his family, friends, and associates. He also researched Fasanella's life in numerous libraries and archives to complete a truly comprehensive biography.