Alfonso Iannelli

Alfonso Iannelli was an Italian immigrant. He came to the United States with his family when he was ten and would spend the rest of his life finding and creating American art.

The Midway Gardens.

Sprites at Midway Gardens.

Close-up of the sprites.

Part of a sprite spindle.

The Midway Gardens was destroyed in 1929. What remains of the sprites spindles were saved by Iannelli himself.

A sketch of a sprite from Midway Gardens.

In 1915 Frank Lloyd Wright and Iannelli began working on the Midway Gardens in Chicago. This collaboration began as a major opportunity for Iannelli, but ended up being their only partnership.  Iannelli would continue to discuss the Gardens for the rest of his life as an important time in his career. In the sprites he created we see his signature Art Deco style. Ianelli strove for public art that would encourage those around it to interact with the artwork. 

Sources:

Elsesser, Brian. “Alfonso Iannelli & The Fountain of the Pioneers.” Chronicle (Summer 1985).

Jameson, David. “Alfonso Iannelli: Modern by Design.” Park Ridge: Top Five Books, 2013.