By Maria Cocchiarelli

Antonio Petracca is a thoughtful artist who ventures outside the boundaries of conventional art making in the exhibition Identity Theft, which opens April 26, 2006 at the Italian American Museum.

Petracca’s paintings and prints on view convey unexplored themes in contemporary American art history. As an Italian American male confronted with images of stereotypes that referred to his experience found in the media, Petracca began to analyze where fiction ends and truth begins. Although the idea of stereotype has been used regarding other ethnic groups in recent American Art, Petracca has discovered unexplored territory concerning the Italian American psyche. In his previous series of paintings and prints, These are not my Shoes (2004-2005), Petracca began to integrate art and social commentary within the same pictorial space. He did not need to travel far to find instances of skewed portrayals of Italian descendents living in America today. His method for inspiration combines intuitive skills as an artist with an unquenchable desire to communicate what filters through articles on the internet, television shows, movies, popular fiction, and newspapers. Although one may interpret his findings as a lack of responsibility on the part of filmmakers, writers, reporters, and advertisers; Petracca’s work cannot be understood so easily. For him, issues of censorship, freedom of expression and artistic license are held closely and in high regard. Just as the idea of being Italian American cannot possibly be understood as a superficial interpretation easily codified by a cartoon image or a stereotype, neither is Petracca’s message. In a series of informal conversations with Petracca, his voice reverberates with the same integrity expressed in his paintings and prints. In the following interview, Petracca explains how These are not my Shoes developed and evolved into his newest series, Identity Theft (Pompeii Overlay Tagged), which is making its debut at the Italian American Museum through June 16, 2006.

As we began to discuss his current exhibition at the Italian American Museum, we bantered back and forth on its possible title. I was struck by the amount of physical evidence of his creative process: stacks of computer printouts with facts concerning stereotypes dated as currently as today, posters from past shows at the Italian American Museum, and shelves of Art History and Sociology books lining the walls of his studio. Thinking out loud I commented:

Cocchiarelli: I am intrigued by some words that I am not able to decipher completely, something that read _________?

Petracca: But the Italians also fascinated America. I find much on the internet and also from the exhibitions at the Italian American Museum. He Said She Said is taken from the painting I did after reading the Franklin D. Roosevelt quote, “I don’t care about the Italians they’re a lot of opera singers,” in the exhibition, Prisoners in Our Own Home. (IAM, October 2002 through January, 2003.)

Cocchiarelli: That exhibition at the Italian American Museum explored the issue of how some Italian immigrants were considered enemy aliens during WWII in America and held in captivity, so President Roosevelt’s comment supported this fear. What is that statement that contains the word “Caruso?”

Petracca: Concerning Caruso—this came out of an article supposedly celebrating his 100th debut anniversary in the New York Times (11/23/2003), but instead recounted the time he spent a night in jail right before the debut at the Metropolitan Opera. I found it odd that this story appeared in an article supposedly celebrating his artistic achievements. The story reported that a beautiful woman accused Caruso of pinching her derrière. He was arrested and The Metropolitan Opera helped to release him. Here again, the stereotype was reinforced.