My guest on Sept 27 2005 5PM will be:
Aldo Tambellini was born in Syracuse, New York in 1930 and was taken to Italy at the age of eighteen months where he lived in Lucca (Tuscany), Italy. At the age of ten he was enrolled in the Scuola D’Arte, Augusto Passaglia and studied there until he was sixteen. His neighborhood was bombed during World War II (21 of his friends and neighbors died). In 1946, Aldo returned to the United States. For his artistic talents, he received a full scholarship to study Art at the University of Syracuse where he earned his B.F.A. in Painting in 1954. Subsequently, Aldo was awarded aTeaching Fellowship at the University of Notre Dame studying under World–renowned artist, Ivan Mastrovic graduating with a Master Degree in Sculpture in 1959. Aldo moved to New York City at the end of 1959. He was the founder of the artistic group called "Group Center", an active counter-culture movement organizing group exhibitions, anti-Vietnam demonstrations, multi-media events and collaborative performances. While interacting with other artists, Aldo continued to exhibit as a painter and a sculptor. He founded the Gate Theatre the only daily public theatre showing avant-garde independent filmmakers in New York City. He, also, co-founded with Otto Piene the Black Gate, a second theatre, which held live multi-media performances and installations. In the late ’60s he was a pioneer of the movement of alternative video (non-broadcast TV). Aldo won the International Grand Prix, Oberhausen Film Festival, 1969 for his "Black TV" now in a collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, where he held a One-Man Film Show. Recognition for his avant-garde work led Aldo to be in the First Video as Art Form Exhibition at Brandeis University Museum, Massachusetts and the First Video Art Gallery Show at Howard Wise Gallery, New York City. With Otto Piene, Aldo Tambellini created the first ever National Television Broadcast by Artists in 1968 in Cologne, Germany and participated in the First Broadcast by Video Artists on WBGH, Boston. For his media work, he was awarded several grants from the New York State Council of the Arts. From 1976-84, Aldo was a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Visual Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There, he worked with Arts, Media and Communication conducting courses, workshops and participated in events in the United States, Europe, Japan and Australia. He organized a group called "Communicationsphere". His Media and Communication work was exhibited at the Bienale ‘83, Sao Paolo, Brazil and at the Sogetzu, Japan. Since 1984, his artistic activities have concentrated on writing and performing poetry in many venues in Massachusetts and Connecticut. In 1998 he founded and hosted a venue "The People’s Poetry" in Cambridge, MA. His poetry deals with the effect of technology on our lives, the issues of poverty, the alienation of humans in our society, the destructive aspect of war, and the neglect of the poor and the elderly. His vision has been described as "dark". Using a style that is sometimes tough, humorous, sarcastic, tragic and metaphorical most of his themes are contemporary and brutally raw. In contrast, Aldo is gentle and sensitive in his poems dedicated to children. He has performed his poetry with music; video projection; participated in many radio shows and countless poetry venues. Aldo was first published in the Syracuse University Literary Journal in 1952. Subsequently, he has been published in several journals and publications including "Center Poems", CAVS, MIT, "Black Rose Magazine", Boston, "Spare Change Newspaper", "Ibbetson Street Press", in the most recent book City of Poets, 18 Boston Voices , and in the Spring Issue 2002 of "Voices of Italian Americana" (VIA). These photos were taken by Anna Salamone(C) 2003, including, one with Daniela Gioseffi at the American Italian Roundtable Book Fair at Fordham University in New York City, December 2003.