“There were many photographers at Jamaica. Like painters, writers, filmmakers, journalists. Or, better said, there were many young people who had decided to do one of these jobs – and who would have succeeded in doing it, and, in many cases, very well. For anyone born and raised at Jamaica, their most beautiful photographs remain those over there, with four or five very young people sitting on the iron armchairs in the “garden”, or inside, against the background of white tiles, in vague, dreamy and incomprehensible poses, in front of a glass of white wine and other things – invisible things, these, and yet, if you look closely, confusedly mirrored in their pupils and perhaps even depicted as cheap enigmas in the poses of their inconsistent, all-too-vulnerable pride…”

(Emilio Tadini, from the book Jamaica. The artists’ café seen through the lens of its photographers. Milan, 2001)

I was born thirty meters from Bar Jamaica, in Via Solferino at number 8. I knew that in addition to artists, the place was also frequented by photographers. All my friends used to go to another place, where they played cards or billiards, but I was more attracted to that world... One morning, a gentleman approached me, told me he needed an assistant and asked me if I was available. It was Ugo Mulas.

Ugo took me in and taught me many things. I am truly very grateful to Ugo. He showed me how to print, I did it for him, then I started doing it for other photographers, many photographers, from Alfa Castaldi to Irving Penn, when he did services in Milan...

I was with Ugo for a little over a year and a half and then I continued to work alone. I took many photos, but what gave me a living, initially, was the darkroom.

Carlo Orsi

from a conversation with Federico Sardella in 2008