“THIS ARTIST IS A LION”

On this day, August 10, we celebrate the 98th birthday of internationally collected artist Antonio “Diego” Voci (1920-1985).

I am Coop Cooprider, Diego Voci Historian. I first met Diego in late 1966. Patti and I bought our first Diego oil painting on layaway, our first of many. We were and remain addicted https://www.artifactcollectors.com/diego-history-4330818/Page7.html#98597.  In 1973-74, I volunteered for a year to help Diego become better known. One of those efforts was the 3-page biography in the May 1974 issue of the AFNTV Guide by my ghost writer Victoria Williams.

$30,000 REWARD
“The Clown” pictured above was stolen about 1980 from what was then my office in Otterbach, Germany. There is a reward of $30,000 for its return. See “The Clown” in color in the video by Stephen Max: https://youtu.be/T3ODYMxxBdc

Link to August Newsletter; Celebrate Diego’s Birthday. https://us3.campaign-archive.com/?u=cb3fa199216c4f48823999e03&id=3f77539409

 

#CELEBRATE ALL #MOTHERS

#Diego Voci #Biography https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Diego_Voci

Check out other Diego originals for sale by Helga Voci: https://www.diegovociproject.com/_p/prd4/4622949491/product/title%3A-maternit%C3%A0 

Curious about your Diego signature?  https://www.pinterest.com/diegovoci/signatures-antonio-diegovocitm/

 

 

CALLING FAMILY SOULE

La Revolte by Diego Voci #251-201 70x80cm oil on canvas 

We would like to locate this Diego Voci painting.  All we know is the last name SOULE, as the original buyer on 24 April 1975.  “LA REVOLTE” is by internationally collected artist Antonio Diego Voci (1920-1985).  The price paid 42 years ago was $720 in Germany, in the home studio where Diego and wife Helga lived.   Diego was about people, a master at making them come alive.  Help us find this Diego work of art.

Learn more Diego’s painting trail in his travels in Helga’s biography:  https://www.diegovociproject.com/helga-and-diego.  And see Google’s Diego Collection by searching Diego Voci Images.

Artist Diego Voci was a Man of the People

Helga Voci, Diego’s lover, wife and confidant from 1960 until his death from lung cancer (chain smoker), wrote in her biography, her memory;

“Diego played cards with the Fishermen”

Here is an example of Diego’s memory of 3 Fisherman we found in an old faded Polaroid from 1974.

“Fisherman” # 151-195 60x80cm purchased by Mr. Thomas

To learn more about the life of Helga and Diego: https://www.diegovociproject.com/helga-and-diego

FRUSTRATED VAN GOGH COULDN’T SELL ANYTHING

#VanGogh artistic talent was among the all-time best.  But, it didn’t sell until many years after his #death; and now Van Gogh’s works bring in multi-millions worldwide.

As noted in the Wikipedia biography (see below) of internationally collected artist Antonio Diego Voci (1920-85), he was motivated not to live the cash-strapped lives of Van Gogh and Modigliani and lived the good life solely from the buyers of his art.

“Diego thrived on camaraderie, as did other artists before him, such as Amedeo Modigliani, both “figurative” artists, both Italian born, both migrated to Paris.  Among Diego’s many facets was a drive never to be poor, never to live a tormented drug ridden life of Amedeo Modigliani who at age 35 “died in Paris exacerbated by poverty only one exhibition to his credit.” or the tortured life of Vincent van Gogh who died at age 37, with only one painting purchased in his lifetime. Diego greatly admired the exceptional work of both artists, but, unlike both artists who found few buyers for their work, in their lifetime, Diego did for his.”

 

#DIEGOVOCI SIGNATURE TRANSITION

Although everyone called him “Diego” in 1960 he signed Antonio Voci, as in the previous blog containing his registration in #Paris https://diegovociproject.wordpress.com/2015/08/19/paris-forced-diegovoci-to-register-to-save-helgas-health/ to stay by Helga’s side as she recovered in the Paris Hospital.

Notice the signature on the painting below “D.Voci”, part of the transition from “A. Voci”.  Both would vary on Diego’s art until 1965 when he used “Diego” signature for the last 20 years of his life.

Here is a sample of the Moroccan paintings referred to in Helga’s biography https://diegovociproject.wordpress.com/2015/08/19/helga-in-a-paris-bistro/ in the previous blog.

This painting is believed to have been found in a warehouse.

#WOMEN POWER IN ART

New York Times provides life biographies and images of these notable ladies art.

Here is the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/05/15/t-magazine/17older-female-artists-agnes-dene-herrera-rockbourne-farmanfarmaian.html

Courtesy NYT and the Diego Voci Project www.diegovociproject.com

SPRING! LOVE IS IN THE AIR!!! (LOOK CLOSELY)…

See #Diego Voci’s love “Lady”, written by Helga Voci, Diego’s widow: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/498281146248867040/ and/or https://www.facebook.com/diego.voci?pnref=story

COURTESY “Diego Voci Project” www.diegovociproject.com

MEMORIES OF UNCLE DIEGO by Mario #Voci (U.K.)

“Hello everyone! As I was going through some old photos it occurred to me an episode happened when uncle Diego was visiting us in the mid 50’s, same time of the photo where the whole Voci family are posing in front of St. Peter’s in #Rome with “nonna” (grandma) Arcangela ( See photo: http://www.artifactcollectors.com/diego-history-4330818/Page7.html#198)

Antonio #Diego Voci in 1954

He came with his big car #Opel #Kapitän and as I was fascinated by its size and style. I asked my father Guiseppe (#Diego’s younger brother) if uncle could take me for a drive, which he did.

Whilst driving I noticed a hammer on the dashboard and I asked what on earth he had such a thing next to him. He took the hammer, and smiling he banged it against the windscreen and  said it was only rubber – that he used it when driving in Paris for the drivers there were a bit naughty. Uncle “Toto” would frighten them by banging the hammer on his windows.

Funny but true. He liked to joke a lot my dear uncle “Toto“. I hope this will be of interest to you.

Best wishes from Mario Voci in England”

Thank you Mario! With regards from the DIEGO VOCI PROJECT Team
Coop, Stephen, Lisa and Kami

Visit and Write us at: www.diegovociproject.com

AC DV History #198 4/5/2015

Strengthen the Legacy of Diego Voci – Your Photos & Stories about Diego are Needed!

…The second book is in beginning phases of “collecting” material about internationally collected artist Antonio Diego Voci.

The first book is “The Beauty of Diego” view http://www.blurb.com/books/5419805-the-beauty-of-diego.  Flip the pages to see 140 images of works by Diego.

This second book will be an extended biography on our master artist, Diego Voci.  We need everyone’s assistance in helping us gather the material to make this a successful publication.  The project team wants to know of every person that has ever met Diego even for a day; those that had a handshake with Diego, an espresso with Diego, a glass of wine with Diego, and a great conversation about life and philosophy with Diego.

All Photographs of Diego are welcomed; photographs of Diego in his early years all the way until his passing.  All photographs with ancestral family before Diego and after.  Was Diego a competitive cyclist, let us see.    Any photographs of Diego as a designer, a tailor, making a special home-cooked meal for those he stayed with while traveling around.  The Diego Voci Project Team wants to see and hear all about it.

We need all of your stories about Diego written in “first-person”.  What did he say?  What did he do?  Every little thing counts to make up the full mosaic of Diego’s life.  You’ll make the book come alive.

Diego’s widow, Helga Voci supplied us with an image (see below) taken back in #1968 in #Paris along the Seine River with her parents, and Tonino Voci brother of Mario Voci in the U.K. They are two of the children to Guiseppe and Maria Teresa Voci, one of #Diego’s older brothers (Vincenzo is the eldest). See more Diego & Helga’s history: http://www.artifactcollectors.com/diego-history-4330818.html#1

Helga also let us know via email this weekend (Saturday 11 Jan 2015),

“that Tonino came many times to visit us, he loved Diego, Diego was his great master, he wanted to do whatever Diego did, he also painted a little, but, of course, he did not have his uncle`s gift. Also after Diego`s dead he came many times to Germany to visit me, but unfortunately a few years ago he died in a car accident in Rome. I think he knew much more about Diego than Mario, as he was closer to Diego. I will try
 to find more material on Diego, some pictures, letters, whatever for the new book.”

Please send us your images and material to diegovociproject@gmail.com. 

AC DV History #193 1/24/2015