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                                        Feb 1959.

Dear Leo
I am feeling much better and working very hard. I've made a few pieces that look rather nice. I see Plinio often and he tells me about you. The other day he made me send you a note on one of his envelopes. Last night he had a discussion in his gallery. He wanted the younger painters to explain why they are doing what they do. They say that they feel very humorous in a very serious way. And they claim this to be an original Italian feeling. I felt very dipressed and went to the movies instead of listening to the rest of their confesions - I heard that Scarpita [[Scarpitta]] is doing very well in N.Y. I am glad. I think he is the best artist here - besides Burri. The rest that I have met (I don't know all) seem not to have much courage and fall into a pleasing decorative superficiality. They excuse themselves by saying that they saw too many horrors, dead people & poverty during the war. They don't want to suffer any longer. In the past I use to complain and then they would answer me saying "You Americans don't know anything about war." I don't complain anymore but I felt very strange about being called an American. In America I was never an American. My first reaction was to say "I am not an American!" but, I never said anything.

Those people from Chicago wrote me telling me that they have "the spectators." Did they buy it? Could you send me the catalog from the Carnegi show? I never saw it.

Love to Iliana 
Love Marisol

Transcription Notes:
Alberto Burri Ileana was married to Castelli for a while and was his partner