Ugo Rondinone the alphabet of my mothers and fathers A, 2024

Ugo Rondinone’s the alphabet of my mothers and fathers is a semi-autobiographical work which is dedicated to his Italian parents who in the early 1960’s immigrated from Italy to Switzerland. This work is also an homage to all the Italian Americans who in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s were attracted to Long Island by economic opportunity and the availability of farmland as an alternative to the harsh living conditions of New York city.

This 26-panel work represents the 26 letters of the alphabet- each panel is dedicated to one letter of the alphabet and comprises mainly pre-industrial hand made farming implements and a variety of kitchen and household tools.