DIEGO VOCI MASTER OF #SURREALISM

Although known as a figurative artist, Diego Voci was a Master of the Surreal.

Diego Voci; “Arlequin Sur La Plage” 50x60cm oil on canvas

 

The not-for-profit Diego Voci Project is searching for the lost paintings of internationally collected artist Antonio Diego Voci (1920-1985).  This is only one of couple thousand “Diegos’” to be found.  It was purchased by Eugene Alfaro April 4, 1977.

Our long term goal is a major museum exhibition.  Thus we have a “Buy or Borrow” program for the best of the best.  As the original collectors have passed on, Diego art pieces have shown up everywhere from Belgium to Lithuania, from a garage sale to under somebody’s bed.  Here is a terrific find that was purchased for 97¢!  https://www.artifactcollectors.com/diego-voci-painting-of-the-week-5154118/Page4.html#62739

Contact us at diegovociproject@gmail.com!

FRED CURLEY KNEW #ARTIST #DIEGOVOCI™

A #DiegoVoci™ #Collector, Fred Curley, once worked for Jawdat Naffouj at the Naffouj Gallery in #Landstuhl, #Germany from 1969-71.

The Naffouj Gallery once upon a time was the revolving door for DiegoVoci™ paintings. As Diego shipped them to Naffouj Gallery from one country to the next capturing human emotions on canvas along the way, those paintings were quickly acquired by collectors of all kinds. 

Fred Curley, orchestrated exhibitions for Naffouj Gallery at most all of the #Military Officer’s clubs and Embassy’s in #Belgium.

Fred Curley was the source behind the success of sold DiegoVoci™ works that are still in the hands of the original collectors.  In Fred’s words:

“DiegoVoci™ had quite a following and everyone looked forward to my next show to see his new work. I had the fortune of personally getting to know DiegoVoci™ from working at the Gallery. I remember watching Diego paint and everyone sitting around joking drinking good wine and eating cheese.”

“I have always dreamed of opening my own Gallery when I retire and have the opportunity to offer some great works of art that I had a chance to see and enjoy as a young man. I still travel to Germany and stop in to see Jawdat Naffouj when I am there. The Naffouj Gallery is still there and Jawdat looks good and still has many DiegoVoci (graphics), Diedter Grants and also Pallucci’s in his Gallery. I, myself, own a Diego of a Madonna and Child that I personally watched him paint.”

 

Here is an image (above) of Jawdat Naffouj in 2012 at Naffouj Gallery.

The DiegoVoci™ Project thanks Fred Curley for sharing his own personal experience with DiegoVoci™.

How fortunate for Fred Curley to share so much time with Diego, the man.  Also to personally possess a canvas Fred watched him create, one of Diego’s estimated 4,000 oil paintings.  Are there any photos?  Please contact us at the DiegoVoci™ Project website.  We hope to receive images of your Diego works of art.

AC P of W #293 2/10/16

AN ENERGIZING DISCOVERY

Great work Stephen Max, Diego Voci Project volunteer, with the creation of the “$30K Reward” video https://youtu.be/T3ODYMxxBdc.  We posted your video Thursday on Facebook.  Look at what we uncovered as a result from out of nowhere!

Tom Frinta: 22 May at 1:31am Diego and I were close friends in the seventies. One day in summer 1980 he asked me whether I could help him salvage a huge collection of oil paintings that he had loaned to gallery in Antwerp, Belgium. The Gallery had gone bust and the paintings were stored in the interim in a grand chalet on a huge estate South of Namur, Belgium. The owners refused to communicate with him. – So I suggested that I would drive him in my Mercedes very early on a Sunday morning when everyone was home and still asleep in the castle. We found the place and at 6am we knocked at the front door awakening the custodian. Luckily for us only the custodian was present so we avoided any big discussions and we managed to salvage all of his 30 or so oil paintings bringing them safely back to his home. – Diego will smile when he reads these lines in heaven 🙂  If one stolen painting is carrying a US$30,000 reward, I wonder how precious my car must have been when I returned to Frankfurt that day.

We learned for the first time that Diego was represented in a Gallery in Antwerp and in a country Belgium not on his resume.  We’ve reached out to the widow of Diego Voci, Helga Voci to see if she recalls the name of the gallery in Antwerp.

Isn’t this exciting not only from extending Diego’s historical provenance but also adds credibility to the value of Facebook and other social media sites. 

Visit www.diegovociproject.com