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March 13 '64
(Temporary address till June 1964.)
470 Prospect St Apt 79
New Haven Conn.

JOHN BEAL

Dear Betty Parsons:

You probably remember my telling you about Louis Aiello one time at Annie Laurie's party and I believe another time before that. At the time you said you were all booked up and your calendar was filled. Maybe it still is. But I believe you also said you might advise him about another gallery.

He has recently gone in for sculpture again. He has always considered himself a sculptor first and foremost but he is also a very fine painter. I believe another Italian artist several centuries ago felt the same way!

As I probably told you, I feel Lou is in a direct line from the Italian masters who could do everything brilliantly, but he is also very modern and decidedly of his own century! His paintings are wonderfully full of wild color. Or sometimes wonderful subtle quieter color. Non-representational. I do not know exactly what to call them. He also has been a teacher and is expert also in drawing, painting and sculpture in the realistic manner although he has left that behind when it comes to expressing his talents these days. He also built his own studio, and a stone house and has supported his family (a wonderful talented wife and five wonderful children) by a business operated from his basement and based on his talent for sculpting arms and hands for store window mannequins. How he finds time for it all baffles me. But he can do anything.

His new wood sculpture is what he wants to exhibit now. I wish he would also show his paintings but he feels there are so many painters these days he wants to concentrate on the sculpture. He said he had to do all the painting to get to the point of being able to do what he is now doing in abstract wood sculpture. There are people who are very interested in it but I would like him to aim for the best gallery. Namely you. I have taken the liberty of asking him to mail you some photos of his sculpture so you can see what I am talking about. I also hope he will include some stills of his painting too but that is up to him.

I feel I would like you to have a first crack at exhibiting Louis Aiello in case your gallery has any free dates now. But in any case 

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