INTERVIEW WITH LAURA FERRETTI At   the   national   kermess   of   contemporary   art   of   Bastia   Umbra   I   have   a   happy   meeting   with   a   country   woman   of   mine,   Laura   Ferretti, who   makes   her   debut   in   this   Expo   of   Art   '90   with   solid   talent   and   valuable   sunny   brightness,   harmonically   marked   by   the   ochreous and cheerful chromatisms of the maremma grossetana. I would like to have your impressions, Laura, about this Expo Art '90. It   is   evident   the   ample   cultural   breath   of   this   kermess   that   has   involved   artists   of   various   fields,   that   has   approached   sensibilities   and poetics   of   avant-garde   (an   example   for   all   is   the   colourful   wooden   statues   by   Molinari)   and   other   ones   turned   to   a   visitation   of   the past   as   it   happens   in   the   works   by   Marchionni,   works   full   of   magic   evanescence   as   ancient   frescos.   It   is   very   large   range.   Perhaps the   galleries   are   too   many   compared   to   the   number   of   the   artists   and   this   reduces   the   possibility   of   a   direct   comparison.   A comparison   is   particularly   important   today   considering   that   it   is   difficult   to   penetrate   through   the   bark   of   this   contradictory   and incoherent reality.  What will you bring to Maremma of this your experience umbra?   Surely   the   expectations   were   a   lot   of,   it   always   happens   to   whom,   as   me,   remains   for   a   long   time   at   the   borders   of   a   reality   and   then, once   forded   the   river,   would   like   to   understand,   to   penetrate   a   whole   world.   Umbria   Expo   Arte   is   at   its   first   edition   and   therefore,   in spite   of   its   many   undeniable   merits,   has   not   had   (and   has   not   given   us)   a   true   impact   with   the   critics   even   if   there   was   an   effective exchange   of   opinions   among   us.   So   I   bring   home   some   names   of   people,   artists   and   gallered   men,   with   whom   the   dialogue   has   been deep   and   constructive.   Like   friends.   I   bring   home   a   lot   of   and   different   annotations,   more   positive   than   I   hoped,   given   by   art   critics and   others.   I   bring   home,   and   this   is   the   most   important   thing,   a   great   desire   to   take   palette-knife   and   brushes   in   order   to   fix   ideas and emotions. Which are the peculiar elements to your way of painting? Since   very   young,   and   you   know   it,   I   have   been   attracted   by   trees,   flowers,   nature   that   surrounds   me.   Going   through   paths   of   the Maremma   has   always   filled   me   with   joy.   I   love   my   land,   its   clear   light   that   makes   the   puddles   shine   among   the   burnt   esparto   of   the marsh,   I   love   this   mixing   and   dispersing   of   sweetness   and   asperity. That   is   what   I   have   in   my   eyes   and   in   my   heart   when   I   am   in   front of   the   canvas.   Perhaps   because   of   this   that   my   colors   are   clean   and   intense,   the   light   has   a   fundamental   role,   I   alternate   the   flat   and rapid   brushstroke   to   palette-knife   that   cuts   and   underlines   the   asperities   in   order   to   remember   us   that   this   laughing   earth   comes   out from   a   past   of   bitterness   and   sweat.   Being   surrounded   by   so   much   beauty   seems   almost   a   luxury   today,   but,   for   me,   it   is   the   only   way of living and, if we have this fortune, should not we have to communicate the joy the and vital strength which derives from it?  How was and how would you have liked the meeting with the public at Bastia Umbra to be?   Some   people   talked   to   me,   they   understood   the   essential   lines   of   my   painting. Adjectives   as   sunny,   bright,   serene,   cheerful   and   some poetic   too,   have   been   used   very   often   and   sincerely   I   enjoyed   it   very   much.   Sometimes   the   public   of   the   Expo   was   tired,   stunned   by the   excess   of   the   messages,   so   someone   looked   like   passer-by   instead   of   a   public;   however,   if   he   stopped   and   looked   at,   a   good feed-back    was    guaranteed.    To    see    the    exhibition,    I    employed    many    days    too    and    with    time    I    discovered    new    artists,    new suggestions .   When,   finally,   does   the   relationship   public-painter   result   positive   element   to   the   coeducation   to   the   art,   possible   stimulus   of growth and creativeness for the painter?   I   don't   know:   perhaps   always,   perhaps   never.   I   make   myself   understood   better.   Communication   doesn't   exist   if   nobody   is   receiving, communication   needs   a   public.   The   greatest   stimulus   reaches   the   painter   through   his   eyes   and   therefore   through   the   comparison with   the   works   of   other   artists   of   the   present   as   well   as   of   the   past.   It   is   very   important   that   extraneous   eyes   look   at   our   painting:   it serves   as   mirror   to   our   works   so   that   we   may   see   them   objectively.   Do   you   know   that   if   you   want   to   look   for   some   mistake   in   a drawing you don't have to look at it directly but reflected in a mirror? I   know,   dear   Laura,   and,   with   an   almost   “pirandelliano”   suggestion,   I   wait   you   on   higher   paths   and   hope   to   find   "mistake"   in the mirror of your paintings, mistake that feeds your thirst of improvement, that is thirst of life.