Wolf Tail (Coda di Lupo)

Description

"Coda di Lupo" delves deep into Italian history from the post-war era to 1977, viewed through the lens of Native Americans, often referred to as "urban Indians." De André, in this song from 1978, addresses the true and final conflict that marked Italian society: the clash between an antagonistic far-left and Europe's largest communist party, which was utterly incapable, in its narrow-mindedness, of grasping the impulse for real change. Incapable even of leveraging its electoral victory in 1975, preoccupied as it was with moralism and austerity...

My interpretation of the song within this painting, however, holds a much more personal significance, equally important to me. It's a revisitation of my life through a sequence of situations and events that sometimes align surprisingly closely and resonate deeply with the lyrics. At other times, the painting hosts many friends and characters who have influenced my life in various ways. Also present in this journey are symbols representing some of the world's most prevalent religions.

The nine most prevalent deities divide the "cloves" of my life and the "cloves" of this work.