SIGLINDA SCARPA: BY WAY OF A BIOGRAPHY

1940	Born to Maria Comazzi and Sergio Scarpa in Novara, Piemonte, Italy, in the foothills of the Italian Alps. Not long after, Siglinda’s parents became founding members of the partisan movement against fascism. Sergio Scarpa was one of the principal authors of the new Italian constitution, was elected to the first Chamber of Deputies, and now holds the title of Senator for Life.
1946	Introduced by her father to the beauties of the surrounding mountains and took the first of many walks, often alone, in the rarefied air of the Alps that instilled in her a life-long sense, not only of independence, but of oneness with the universe.
1953	Met Romano, who owned a motorcycle and never kissed her, as well as Nino Caruso, who introduced Siglinda to her other great love: clay.
1958	Seduced by the romantic fairy tale of marriage, which almost paralyzed the artist she was to become.
1959	Bore two children, the eldest of whom, Elena, is still alive and lives in Rome with her son—Siglinda’s much loved grandson—Tomasso, who also rides a motorcycle.
1961	Became part of the art movement associated with Carte Segrete. The group of painters, writers, musicians that included Ugo Attardi, one of Siglinda’s first mentors, Burri, Lucio Fontana, Guttoso, Carlo Levi, Dacia Maraini, Moravia, Pino Pascali, Pier Paolo Pasolini.
1962	Prepared to go to America with Pino Pascali, who impulsively spent all his money for the trip on scrap metal in Rome, and thus Siglinda went alone. The scrap metal is now a sculpture in the Museum of Modern Art in Rome.
1962 to 1968	Studied art informally in San Francisco, worked in the free-speech and anti-war movement with Mario Savio, talked philosophy with Jim Morrison, and decorated Allen Ginzberg’s ample belly with a Rapidograph pen, to Allen’s great delight, at the beach one day.
1968	Returned to Italy determined to work in film.
1969 to 1979	Studied film and sound editing by looking over the shoulders of the best in Italy, worked with Fellini and Antonioni (edited “Amarcord” and “Zabriskie Point”), and learned how hard it is for a woman to get her name on the crawl—the only credit a film editor can hope to get.
1978 to 1985	Founded the Siglinda Scuola di Ceramica, which was associated with the Accademia di Belle Arti, and watched the mafia destroy it with sledge hammers when she refused to lend herself and her students to their purposes.
1985	Hired by George Pitt to edit films for his film company, Spectrum Associated, in Manhattan.
1986	Met and married her present husband, a mascalzone if ever there was one.
1986	Hired as Studio Manager of the Greenwich House Pottery.
1987 to 1996	Established a studio in Cold Spring, NY, exhibited her work widely, and made a modest beginning to her family of animals with just two cats, a couple of pushy geese, and one very mean rooster.
1996 to Present	Has lived and worked in Chatham County, NC, has had her ups and downs (including watching her studio and Goat House Gallery burn to the ground that awful January morning), and has added goats, chickens, guinea hens, new geese, dogs, a totally beautiful bull, and cats, cats, cats to her family and to her great joy.