Carol Rama

"I didn't think I had the qualities, qualità, for becoming an artist," Carol Rama told SAST REPORT in an interview, and continues with describing the view she had of the art scene: "beautiful women, primedonne, beautiful people who speak several different languages, sitting and being charming."

Olga Carol Rama (born 17 April 1918 in Turin, Italy) is a self-taught artist whose unconventional painting encompasses an erotic, and often sexually aggressive universe populated by characters who present themes of sexual identity with specific references to female sensuality. The Fondazione Sandretto carries over 150 pieces of Ramas's work.

As a young unmarried woman in a fascist Italy, at 21 years of age, Carol Rama was already creating images that were challenging state censorship.

Solo Exhibitions

1945 Galleria Faber, Turin 1946 Carol Rama, Galleria Il Bosco, Turin 1947 Carol Rama, Galleria Il Bosco, Turin 1955 Carol Rama, Libreria Il Salto, Milano, (presentation by Albino Galvano) 1957 Carol Rama, Galleria La Bussola, Turin, (presentation by Albino Galvano) 1959 Carol Rama, Galleria La Bussola, Turin, (presentation by Luigi Carluccio) 1960 Carol Rama, Galleria La Bussola, Turin, (presentation by Albino Galvano) 1964 Carol Rama, Galleria Stampatori, Turin, (presentation by Albino Galvano and Edoardo Sanguineti) Carol Rama, Galleria La Carabaga, Sampierdarena (Ge)(presentation by Edoardo Sanguineti) 1965 Carol Rama, Museo Civico, Pistoia, (presentation by Edoardo Sanguineti) 1966 Carol Rama, Galleria Lutrin, Lione, (presentation by Edoardo Sanguineti) 1967 Galleria Numero, Rome, (presentation by Edoardo Sanguineti) Carol Rama, Galleria Fiamma Vigo, Rome, (presentation by Edoardo Sanguineti) 1970 Carol Rama, Sala Bolaffi, Turin 1971 Carol Rama, Galleria La Bussola, Turin, (presentation by Edoardo Sanguineti) 1972 Carol Rama, Galleria Anthea, Rome, (presentation by Edoardo Sanguineti) 1974 Galleria Il Fauno, Turin (presentation by Man Ray) 1975 Carolrama, Galleria LP220, Turin, (presentation by Maurizio Fagiolo dell'Arco) Carol Rama, Galleria Marin, Turin, (presentation by Maurizio Fagiolo dell'Arco) 1976 Carolrama "Place and sign", Galleria Luciano Anselmino, Milan, (presentation by Edoardo Sanguineti) Carol Rama, Galleria Il Capricorno, Venice, (presentation by Edoardo Sanguineti) 1978 Carolrama, Galleria Weber, Turin, (presentation by Giancarlo Salzano) 1979 Carol Rama, Galleria Martano, Turin, (presentation by Paolo Fossati, Albino Galvano, Marco Vallora) 1980 Carol Rama: watercolors 1939­1941­work 1966­1980, Galleria Giancarlo Salzano, Turin, (presentation by Corrado Levi and Edoardo Sanguineti) 1981 Carol Rama, works 1950/1955 , Galleria D'Arte Maggiorotto, Cavallermaggiore, (presentation by Albino Galvano and Paolo Fossati) 1983/84 Carol Rama, works 1983 , Galleria Giancarlo Salzano, Turin, (texts by Corrado Levi, Lea Vergine and Edoardo Sanguineti) 1985 Carol Rama, Sagrato del Duomo, Milan, (curated by Lea Vergine) Carol Rama, Seven Works, Galleria Giancarlo Salzano, Turin 1987 Carol Rama, Works from 1937 to 1987, Galleria Dell'Oca, Rome, (presentation by Giuliano Briganti and Corrado Levi) 1988 Carol Rama, Casa del Mantegna, Mantova, (presentation by Giorgio Manganelli, Francesco Bartoli, Giuliano Briganti and Anne-Marie Sauzeau Boetti) 1989 Carol Rama, Circolo degli Artisti, Turin, (presentation by Paolo Fossati) 1990 Carol Rama, Galleria UXA, Novara Carol Rama, works 1989/90, Galleria Giancarlo Salzano, Turin 1991 Carol Rama, Galleria Giancarlo Salzano, Turin Paintings and drawings 1940/48, Galleria Giancarlo Salzano, Turin 1993 Carol Rama, Quasi note azzurre (Almost blue notes), Galleria Giancarlo Salzano, Turin XLV Biennale Internazionale d'Arte, Venice (presentation by Achille Bonito Oliva and Corrado Levi) 1993/94 La corona di Keaton, 1993 ­ Idilli, 1993 ­ Inediti, 1952/57, Galleria Giancarlo Salzano, Turin 1994 Galleria Monica De Cardenas, Milano 1994/95 Carol Rama, Past to Present 1994­1930, Galleria Sprovieri, Rome, (presentation by Achille Bonito Oliva and Maurizio Fagiolo dell'Arco) 1995 Le stanze di Carolina 1939 ­ 1994, Galleria Otto, Bologna (presentation by Paolo Fossati and Dario Trento) 1996 Galleria Il Ponte, Turin Stamperia del Borgo Po, Turin (text by Edoardo Sanguineti) 1997 Carol Rama, works on paper, 1930s to present, Esso Gallery, New York, curated by Filippo Fossati (with presentation by Filippo Fossati, Corrado Levi, Paolo Fossati, Edoardo Sanguineti and Ingrid Schaffner) Galleria Giancarlo Salzano, Turin 1998 Carol Rama, Retrospective, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam traveling to ICA Boston (catalogue) Carol Rama, Retrospective, ICA, Boston Carol Rama, Incisioni Recenti, Franco Masoero Edizioni d'Arte, Turin 1999 Carol Rama, GAM, Museo d'Arte Moderna, Turin 2002 Carol Rama, Galérie Anne de Villepoix, Paris, France 2003 Biennale di Venezia, Venice, Italy Carol Rama, past and present. Esso Gallery, New York, NY

External links

• CAROL RAMA, "Sast Report: Culture"
• Exhibition at maccarone, new york October 25, 2008
• Info on a past exhibition of Rama's work, with images of a few of her paintings
• "Crazy Life", The Walrus, March 2005.
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