The first phase of Carol Rama’s artistic career, dating back to the 1930s and 1940s, is characterized by watercolors with elegant chromatic and formal compositions and by oil paintings rich in texture. The subjects of these works include female nudes, sometimes with amputated bodies, dentures, animals, shoes and anatomical parts. These figures come from Carol’s memories and are translated into bold, provocative drawings, so anachronistic with their time that they were almost deemed unacceptable. The public presentation of an initial group of these watercolors took place only in 1979, during a solo exhibition at Galleria Martano in Turin.
From 1951 Carol embraced abstraction and, for a few years, joined the MAC (Movimento Arte Concreta) in Turin, the only movement in which she took part throughout her long career. In the works from this period, figurative elements disappear, giving way to a strict abstract geometry built from the repetition of pictorial patterns.
Her exploration of practices close to the Informal Art led to a prolific production of canvases during the 1960s, characterized by abstract color spots upon which Carol applied unusual objects such as doll eyes, steel wires, animal claws, or syringes. These works were called "bricolage" by the poet and close friend of the artist, Edoardo Sanguineti.
A significant new chapter began in the 1970s. Throughout this decade, Carol focused exclusively on the use of rubber, particularly bicycle inner tubes, which held a powerful fascination for her.
From the 1980s, Carol drew from her earlier repertoire, blending subjects and techniques in constantly innovative ways, all marked by an undeniable formal elegance. Midway through the 1990s, she produced drawings, paintings, and engravings inspired by the "mad cow disease" epidemic.
Her last known work is dated 2007.
Photo Stefan Giftthaler