Home, Un-homey Home is Italian artist Francesca Brunetti’s latest exhibition to be held in the Dallas area. Before moving to the USA to pursue a PhD in Aesthetic Studies at UT Dallas, Brunetti earned Master’s degrees in Philosophy and Communication Design from the University La Sapienza in Rome and Glasgow School of Art in Scotland, respectively. Although her training was based in graphic art and illustration, her past work has spanned several mediums and subjects including photo collages of pinup-era women and high-resolution photographs of melting candy. This new show takes the form of a series of screen-paintings displaying women and their families, often in states of sadness or frustration. Brunetti states the exhibition’s subject as depicting “the relationship between Italian women and the domestic environment in a way that questions the cozy and comfortable concept of home as representative of Italian culture” in the show’s billet. While there does not seem to be a chronological setup to the display of pictures, there are clear subjects and themes along the series that feel far from random. When I interviewed her about the show, Brunetti revealed that the images in the series came from a combination of her own memories, pictures in her family’s photo albums, and Italian media such as films or advertisements. The uncomplicated and sparing style used by the artist to draw her subjects can be linked to her days at the Glasgow School of Art’s Design department, where she learned to “tell as much as possible with as little as possible and be very direct.”

A fair number of the prints depict a family vacation to the beach—an occasion which one would rather expect to be enjoyable—and yet the female subject of the pictures looks uncomfortable, stressed. The expression is one of a woman who cannot truly relax around others, even at an event centered around rest and relaxation. According to Brunetti, visiting the seaside is an extremely common pastime in a country surrounded so overwhelmingly by water. It is so common, in fact, that Brunetti views it as an extension of family and the home: she claims that “when you go to the beach, you bring your house… the beach becomes a second house.” Thus, the seaside scenes that may seem out of place with the other more traditional domestic settings of the kitchen and children’s rooms actually tie into an extension of the home (and the Italian woman’s domestic responsibilities) itself. Another theme that appears across several images in the series is the act of eating. The women prepare food for their families, who do not seem to be very appreciative of the hard work required to put meals on the table. Brunetti explained that because Italy is not a very wealthy nation, most households require both the husband and the wife to work a job outside the home. The wife, however, is expected to come home from that job every evening and make dinner for her family. One print shows a rare relaxed woman eating pasta alone, relieved even momentarily from having to put on the daily show of domestic bliss and constant energy.

Several of the prints build the idea that the pressure these women experience is borne in silence. One stark black and white print titled Neighbors clearly shows a woman strung up and vulnerable visible through what seems to be a windowpane, giving the impression that the Italian woman’s struggle is something of an open secret in the country’s culturally conservative society. A few other prints show women looking weary and almost hopeless in private, reminiscent of the classical observation of private moments á la Edgar Degas’s Bathers series. Domestic life seems to be very lonely for these women, as they often look sad or distracted even when engaging with their children and husbands. There is very little joy to be found among Brunetti’s figures- at least among the women. The men shown, in contrast to their overworked and melancholic partners, look comfortable and jovial, telling jokes, drinking, sleeping peacefully. The only obviously unhappy man is the one captured in Father. He sits in an armchair holding out his infant awkwardly at arm’s length, almost as if he does not deem the task of caring for his child worthy of him. I asked Brunetti if this was one of the images from her own memories, and she was quick to assure me rather that it was inspired by a movie scene and that her own father was very loving and involved in her life. She stated that with such as strong presence of the woman in the home, often Italian fathers are not sure of their places in their children’s lives and development. Because many come from very traditional families and conservative upbringings, they struggle to negotiate their love for the children with their conventional minor role in the home. Raising children resides within the domain of the mother, just one part of the responsibilities that accompany the domestic sphere.

The theme of Miss Brunetti’s series came through vibrantly: even an onlooker without any information about the exhibition is able to feel the stress and exhaustion of the female subjects as they go through daily life. Brunetti attempts not to outright condemn the existing practices and traditions of Italian culture, but rather draw attention to the fact that these women are not allowed the choice of whether or not this is the life they want. Obviously it is a serious issue that she feels strongly enough about to make an entire publically-displayed series over, and one that is not nearly as well-known as she would like it to be. There is a shocking amount of emotion conveyed through the simple screen-paintings, assisted by the use of a pale, washed out background contrasting against sharp, saturated color. There is an undeniable theme of what should be versus what is, and a message urging for awareness and change for the future.