I've known Claudio Francia for several years. But only now, I notice that sometimes, like a snake, he changes his skin. Some years ago, his work was very precise, like that of an excellent craftsman, working with glue and scissors. His latest work has undergone a transformation. He has discovered the object.

When I started my work as a visual poet at the beginning of the Sixties, a critic who was in vogue at that time, Filiberto Menna, wrote that the decade was characterized by two dominant artistic movements: one was pop-art ; the other, the vast domaine that we call op-art and conceptual-art. In other words two expressive modes, one ostentatious, the other structural-reflexive. At that time, as a joke, I divided the intellectuals and artists in two categories: those who were" virtuosi" and those who were "intelligenti". The first ones were toiling like Sisyphus to perfect forms and models (as well as giving lectures); the second ones focused on modifying the conscience of men and culture using art as a vehicle. According to Menna visual poetry was closer to pop-art. I accepted this theory, but with great reservation, for the sake of clarity (us both being "intelligenti"). Later on there was an exhibition curated by Achille Bonito-Oliva that aimed at clarifying the differences: that is to say, the absolute alienation of America from the vaguely ideological character of contemporary European art ( the title of the exhibition was called "Europa-America"). The same thing happened in 1964 when pop-art disembarked at the Venice Biennial and the Italian art critics made a big to-do about it, finding sociological values in it, which the Americans loudly disclaimed. The most cautious of the Italian critics spoke only about an apologetic and cynical inversion of the consumer society. . .

Visual poetry on the contrary generated and still generates an ideological, or at least a critical tension with regard to the consumer society, as well as to all cultural expressions, not only artistic ones.

In my view Claudio Francia doesn't look for a balance in verbo-visual practice (that uses the 'Iogo-icon' materials of mass-media loaded with exhortations) ; he doesn't look for the 'attributes' of this society. Francia puts them on stage with pertinent and cheeky captions. If he were cynical, I would categorize him as a pop-artist. In fact, in his work, the things that Claudio exposes are, one might say, 'exorcised' by the purifying nature of irony that is like taking a stand, that states a point of view in tones ranging from smiles to mockery, from fun to sarcasm. . .

His composing technique is excellent, as is evident in his way of selecting and placing objects, of fixing them to the panels. . .

In this series of Claudio's work, using a process certainly dear to Duchamp (but not to Schwitters), he uses stereotypes of communication and visual representation: for example, the Mona Lisa and its creator, Da Vinci; jargon such as 'maccaroni' used synonymously for 'Italian, but which in the expression 'poesia maccheronica' implies a vulgar, burlesque language, originally associated with a parody of Latin; or the biting wit of the work 'In hoc signo vinces'('In this sign we conquer'), a crucifix made up of dollar bills.

Claudio has lived in Paris for the last twenty years. A native of Emilia Romagna, he has bent and masticated the French language in such a way that, even when he speaks Italian, I now have difficulty understanding him. At any rate, the grace he has brought to this transalpine idiom, Claudio transfers to his work; there is always a levity, a lightness in his art, a fleeting smile. The meaning is explicit, as is needed for satire. Yet the greatest surprise is his film, in which he succeeds in getting us to speak volumes simply, in a few words, a laudable achievement in this type of documentary. It is edited with the same impression of lightness as his other work, and with an expert touch. I am very grateful for this work, as the film makes known the work of visual poets and performance artists, among whom Claudio certainly is included.

Eugenio MICCINI

WALKER’S POINT

CENTER FOR THE ARTS

MILWAUKEE - WISCONSIN (USA)

LA LETTRE & THE WORD

CLAUDIO FRANCIA / JULIEN BLAINE

APRIL - MAY 2000

A. PARISE EDITORE

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