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October 1999 Historical Information on Carlo Ciampaglia and his murals at Fair Park Dallas, Texas
Ciampaglia’s first commission after his return to the United States in 1933 was the decoration of a home for Frank Potter in New York. This was followed by other rather diverse design jobs such as the tile decoration of a swimming pool for a hotel in Philadelphia, the mosaic decorations for the chapel of a Mausoleum in Newark, the sketches and color schemes for the Masonic Temple in Scranton, and the painted decorations in the vestibule of the New York home of David Milton, son-in-law of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. His decorative skills were evidently highly regarded, as he was elected an associate member of the National Academy of Design. Ciampaglia maintained studios in New York and at his country estate "Woodpecker Point," Middle Valley, New Jersey. In 1935, just two years after his return from Italy, he was asked by George Dahl to undertake the Centennial Mural Commission at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas. Ciampaglia arrived in Dallas in February of 1936. Here are a few details retrieved from the Archives Telegram: 17 Feb. 1936 "Each one of the subjects has been monumental in character and has had to be developed under the most adverse conditions and under a continuous strain because of the shortness of time. In addition, you have executed 25 or 30 small decorative features, decorative touches and wall ornamentations." "I have appreciated immensely the splendid spirit of coop and loyalty you have shown. You have had the happy faculty of inspiring your staff and co-workers with a desire to do a splendid job." Letter - 28 July 1936 George Dahl to Carlo Ciampaglia "Doodles Bug asks about you a lot. Calls you Ciampaglia – you made such an impressions on her. Murals are standing up in fine shape, everyone’s in love with them and I know that you have left your imprint on the community, and that they will be appreciated and enjoyed for many years to come." Letter – 26 August 1936 Harry Olmsted to Carlo Ciampaglia "Re: all the expo has to sell is education and entertainment. Expo owes money to you and others that it cannot pay at this time." The Fair Park Murals
The massive geometric forms of
the murals dominate the walls beneath the porticoes of the Centennial Building
and the Food and Fiber Building. They provide a colorful counterpoint to the
adjacent terracotta walls of the building, drawing the spectator into its more
intimate space. The murals of the Centennial Building depict the State’s
history as well as its natural and industrial resources. Stylistically they
represent a blend of classical, Art Deco and traditional Texas motifs. The Centennial Building has 11 different paintings totaling 5550 sq. ft. Their titles are:
Three medallions are painted on the exterior wall surfaces beneath the three South facing porticoes which represent
Opposite the Centennial Building across the Esplanade, stands another building which mirrors its image, the Automobile Building which originally had murals painted by another artist under its porticos also. Contemporary newspaper articles describe both sets of murals as being painted in "full rich colors that are associated with Italian art". Unfortunately the murals were lost when a fire destroyed the building in 1942. It may have been at the time of the reconstruction of this building that the murals on the Centennial Building were painted out so that the two buildings would be mirror images.
The paintings by Ciampaglia located on the Embarcadero Building are still covered over by overpaint. The combination of architecture and murals on these two buildings located next to each other was undoubtedly meant to be a mirror image and therefore a unified concept also. Over the past fifty years, the murals have been concealed by multiple layers of overpaint. They were thought to be lost until sandblasting of a section of the Centennial building’s exterior revealed a portion of "Motion". |
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Born in Italy in 1891,
Carlo
Ciampaglia came to the United States as a child. Intensely interested in art,
many took notice of his young talents. This lead him, eventually, to the
opportunity to study drawing at Cooper Union and painting at the National
Academy of Design in New York. Interested in his heritage and wanting to see and
learn from the masters, Ciampaglia went to Rome to study in his late 20’s. In
1920, while a student in the Italian capital, Ciampaglia won the Prix de Rome
which accorded him the chance to study at the American Academy in Rome (with
fellow-student George Dahl). This prestigious award provided the support and
opportunity to absorb the influence of his native land. During this exciting
period of study and intense focus, Ciampaglia was recognized for his talents of
applying his knowledge and interest in the old masters to the development of his
talents in the modern style of painting, which was so prevalent in Italy
(Modernism).
Described as one of the
"finest collections of Art Deco buildings in the country", Fair Park
is a product of the 1936 Texas Centennial Celebration. Fair Park represents the
epitome of collaborative public art that combined the talents of architects,
artists and craftsmen. It is a unique complex of architecture, monumental
sculpture and mural paintings. Fair Park has established itself in a long
history of other great expositions of the 1930’s still in existence. Its
addition to the National Register of Historic Places within the last ten years
ranks Fair Park along with the "Alamo" and the "State
Capitol" as one of the more significant cultural and historical sites in
the State of Texas.
