Cocchiarelli: I was unaware of this.

Petracca: Yes, and the same thing happened with Mayor Bloomberg when he wanted some actors from the television series The Sopranos to parade in the Columbus Day celebration. They both missed the point. I guess they think the actors are just entertainers and not responsible for the roles they are portraying. Usually the Mayor makes good choices, so this surprised me.

Cocchiarelli: Yes, the problem with film is that as a medium it is defined by its ability to create an illusion of timelessness, so that once any stereotype is created it remains an indelible image in the American and international psyche—becoming very hard to erase. Therefore, how much responsibility do you think producers and directors have in portraying the truth about the Italian American experience—something other than this stilted stereotype (that our only role is playing crime figures)? Especially those actors of Italian American descent?

Petracca: That’s a tough question because there are many factors involved. In order to get the roles—to have a career—they choose these scripts. The actors see themselves as actors not the actual characters. I am not going to say that they shouldn’t produce or direct films that portray Italian Americans as criminals, but if more Italian American actors thought about the repercussions just a little more carefully, perhaps we would see more realistic portrayals of the Italian American experience in society. An example of someone who has rethought his role in all of this, I think, is De Niro because many of his later movies are not quite so mob related. Even Scorsese’s later movies portray less of a direct connection with violence and Italian Americans. I think that many of the older actors and directors are realizing how this stereotyping has affected the public’s awareness of who we really are.
A prime example of insensitivity is Spielberg’s Shark Tales. He is usually sensitive to ethnic issues, but apparently not those pertaining to the Italian American. In a way I feel he is victimized by the very system he is working in. He may feel that these negative depictions are so prevalent and entertaining in our society, why change them now? If Italian Americans are not vocal about being offended by these consistent stereotypes why should he? Actually, many activist groups tried to force changes but were not successful.

Cocchiarelli: How does your work reflect this understanding?

Petracca: In fact, my new series, Pompeii Overlay Tagged, evolved from a trip that my wife Kim and I made to Italy and Sicily. We visited Pompeii, where I took many photographs and was moved by the sophistication of this ancient culture. But in some ways it is a dead culture, in the sense that 2000 years ago these were our forefathers, our relatives now forgotten. Their advanced understanding of perspective allowed them to create spatial landscapes within a room that simulated the experience of being in a garden. A trompe l’oeil effect.

Cocchiarelli: What do you mean by our relatives? Do you mean they were our ancient ancestors?

Petracca: Yes, the unconscious pride this experience began to nurture within me was incredible. Before I knew it, I had a new series underway based on how the Pompeians understood painting, depicted real space, perspective and so much more. In college, I learned that it wasn’t until the Renaissance that perspective was understood. That was incorrect. I began to realize that the ancient Romans who painted these scenes over 2000 years ago understood the illusion of three dimensional space, figurative representations, the vanishing point and expressive use of color. They invented modern architecture and plumbing. Yet as their direct descendants, we know little or nothing about them. But we do know so much about Tony Soprano. What a waste of the television media.
So, I started to think that I should learn about these people. These are my ancient relatives—I should be proud of my history. The series on Pompeii began with a fascination with the architecture, the interior spaces of the Pompeian homes, and inspired a justaposition or overlay of typical stereotypes, from our American culture. I began to introduce symbolism as well. In many ways this is an outgrowth of These are not my Shoes, 2004-2005.

Cocchiarelli: I am looking at one of these works in your studio—is that a marriage hall? (See page 8.)

Petracca: No, it’s the House of the Small Fountain in Pompeii.