4 DIEGO VOCI TREASURES FOUND AT ESTATE SALE – NUMBER 4

”GROUPING” shown below represents faces of the working man, old and young. Faces from memory were an incredible ‘group’ of paintings, drawings, and sketches Diego graced the world with. Diego demonstrated his ability to vicariously experience feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of others. His empathy was great!

“GROUPING”, like many of the faces Diego rendered are hard-working regular people in small towns across Italy, like his birthplace of Gasperina here wrapping up the end of the day. Diego had two brothers, Vincent and Guiseppe. Their father Guiseppe Antonio hoped the boys would all continue in the Tailoring trade. DIEGO did learn to tailor and throughout his life designed and made some of his own suit jackets and dresses for the ladies. We have shared stories with Diego fans about his talents in sculpting, designing clothes, painting murals, even sculpting a  copper door for his wife Helga Voci’s parents: https://diegovociproject.wordpress.com/2017/05/17/diego-frontdoors-bavaria/

The “GROUPING” is Tom Catron’s last of the 4 treasures he found at auction in Marien, South Dakota, from the Estate Auction of Beverly Cowan’s family. She had collected while living in Europe and while there Beverly became a teacher in #Schwäbisch Gemünd, #Germany from 1973-1978. In her obituary last year a principal said, “she offered a great deal of important services to children and will be sorely missed.” A friend writes “we enjoyed travel for arts, theatre and historic places – the lady was on form.” One can see why she liked DIEGO and his art. Beverly was a hardworking, compassionate and worldly for sure. Beverly, the new owner Tom thanks you!

See more “FACES” in our 1^st deluxe coffee table book: http://www.blurb.com/books/5419805-the-beauty-of-diego and on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/diegovoci/faces-diegovocitm/

#DIEGO #FACES SERIES – PART FOUR

Once again we want you to see Antonio DIEGO Voci’s versatility in our part four of the #Faces series. Note the drama of the #Pierrot to the calmness of the #Mother and Child. Note also the sense of young versus old.  Best is how Diego could render the surreal with tenderness and beauty in  “Mädchen mit #Mandoline” owned by Barbara W.

Examples of old and faded #polaroids or photos kept by Helga Voci since mid 70’s….they were in the basement of their home in Taunusstein, #Germany

Face of a Young Woman (Oil on Canvas 40x30cm)

 

Shown above is a very similar surreal young woman absent the mandolin, owned by Stephen and Wendy Max of Edmonton, Alberta.

Read more about the close relationship Stephen and Wendy had with Diego and Helga in the 80’s before Diego passed away from cancer. The Diego Voci Project honored the couple who used to represent Diego in Canada in a 4 Part Series. Here is part ONE:

https://diegovociproject.wordpress.com/2016/02/10/diegovoci-in-canada-part-one/

Without the Max team, we would not have our “The Beauty of Diego” coffee table book or our YouTube videos! And of course our monthly Free Newsletter via email. Have you signed up yet? Do it here: https://www.diegovociproject.com/contact

Diego on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQ1OiZr7a94H0H1NC9aJCFuUapeLROTKh

View the book for free here: http://www.blurb.com/books/5419805-the-beauty-of-diego

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diego.voci

#DIEGO VOCI “FACES SERIES” PART TWO

“The Artist of a Thousand Faces”  Antonio Diego #Voci (1920-1985) internationally collected artist is mostly referred to as “Diego”. Part Two, much like Part One, reflects the exquisite mastery of Diego’s versatility. Unknown to many Diego #aficionados he created what appear to be ‘portraits’ of real people who posed – Diego actually did most from memory. Diego’s figurative #art includes the clear precision of the detailed features in faces shown in Part One of the “FACES SERIES” (click on link at bottom of post).

Diego mastered #figurative, #abstract, #cubism, and fantasy faces such as clowns. Having traveled to the #Southwest of US in 70’s and early 80’s Diego was fascinated by #Native Americans, one shown here:   https://diegovociproject.wordpress.com/?s=FACES&submit=Search

Having traveled throughout Europe and Morocco, Diego was also inspired by the indigenous people – again creating all from memory. Children were also depicted in various styles by Diego. Helga Voci, Diego’s widow, kept #Polaroids. The faded and definitely not as vivid as what you may have on your walls (or wish to have on your walls?)  Diego loved life and lived to paint. In his words,

“I must to paint. To me is important the white canvas.                                                     On the canvas I begin again. This is my life.”

Many more faces to come – and not only here – we have many more social media outlets like YouTube, #Pinterest, Facebook, and more! Search GOOGLE “Diego Voci Project”, you’ll find Diego’s bio on Wikipedia, too. Written by Coop #Cooprider, Diego Voci Historian, since 1973, you’ll be amazed at Diego and his art!  The DVP has archived more than 1,000 of his works. A couple more 1,000 to go! Send us your Diego art – or let someone you know that owns a “Diego” to contact us on our

Diego Voci Project at our website: www.diegovociproject.com

OR  via email at: diegovociproject@gmail.com

Here is just one of more than 15 videos on #YouTube created by Stephen #Max, who owns almost 30 Diego artworks and several others have more than a dozen). Enjoy:

Take a Virtual Museum Tour to see more genres, styles, and subject:

 

 

LET’S GO TO THE FRENCH #RIVIERA

Diego Voci; 80 x 60cm, oil on canvas (polaroid image of original painting)

Antonio Diego Voci, master figurative painter (1920-1985) once claimed he only paints from memory.  Too bad he’s not here to share more about this provocative memory he captured here, titled:

“En Regardant La Mer” (Looking at the Sea)

Joseph Marasco, where are you now?  And do you still have this painting? Contact us at diegovociproject@gmail.com.

Joseph Marasco paid Diego in his Wiesbaden studio $890 to take this marvelous (80 x 60cm) painting home on 28 September 1980.  Joseph address then (in 1980) was:

61 Westfalen Apt.5 62 Weisbaden – Aukamm

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.”

 

#DIEGO #SIGNATURES

To #historians of Antonio #Diego Voci, the DIEGO Signature began, about #1965 with an exclusive arrangement with Canadian art dealer Joy Gibson, and her soon to be husband Jawdat Naffouj.

See Signature Gallery of Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Diego_Voci

Signatures of A.Voci and D.Voci can be seen on works Diego Collectors has posted onhttp://www.artifactcollectors.com/diego-voci-antonio-diego-voci-3984818.html

Diego Voci on Google and YouTube.

AC DV History #98 1/9/2013

 

 

 

 

#Figurative #Abstract… Where is this #DiegoVoci #Painting?

#HelgaVoci (widow of Diego) says DiegoVoci™ would hum the #theme from “#LoveStory” as he painted.

In the image above, DIEGO Voci at work in his home studio. Help! Can anyone identify the whereabouts of this DIEGO work in progress?

DiegoVoci on Google (click images) and #YouTube.  To purchase original DiegoVoci paintings, click on www.diegovociproject.com.

AC DV History #22 5/10/2010

Great Artists and Self Portraits

It seems great artists always resort to self portraits, Van Gogh(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Gogh, and Cezanne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cezanne), ,etc. DIEGO, too, (but less often than the others). Here is a profile self portrait and a profile photo.

“Der Kunstler und Sein Model”, oil on canvas, 32″ x 24″ ca. late 70’s

To view a Self Portrait drawing of DIEGO,
http://www.artifactcollectors.com/diego-history- 4330818/Page2.html#47

AC P of W 3/26/12

AC Diego Voci History #24 5/25/2010

#PORTRAITS? “THAT IS NOT #ART,” Diego Voci, 1974

Diego felt his creativity was confined in portraits. #DiegoVoci deeply resisted the restriction. What about caricatures? Diego said,“They are fun. I can be creative.”

In 1976 Frank Freeman somehow convinced Diego to do portraits of his two sons John and Mitch. Frank and his wife had met – and seen Diego several times while living  in #Wiesbaden, Germany. They had even bought a “Landscape” from Diego in Schwetzingen (#Heidelberg area in 1974). See the Freeman’s and other #landscapes on our Pinterest “Landscape” board: https://www.pinterest.com/diegovoci/landscape-gallery/

One day Frank visited “Galerie #Dahms” in Wiesbaden’s fancy Wilhelmsstrasse shopping district and saw a portrait of a young girl. Frank named her “Principessa” as it was unknown who she really was. Diego had  used “pastel and felt-tip on posterboard” to capture the young girl. “It was a commission, that was refused by the ‘buyer’ stating ‘It doesn’t look like my daughter’!”

Having not forgotten the exquisite portrait, for Frank it was “the inspiration for asking Diego to do my boys – over his protestations!” Just months before Frank and his family were due to return to the United States he commissioned Diego do portraits of his sons, John and Mitch, then 9 and 5 ½.

John, age 9 and Mitch, age 5 1/2 (1976) by #Diego

“On a Sunday afternoon in mid-July 1976, I took the boys to his Wiesbaden home (Taunusstein), where Diego spent about 15-20 minutes capturing each boy’s likeness.” Frank recalls, “when I got home, I began to see the “Principessa’s” father’s viewpoint . . . the portraits weren’t really as the boys looked.” But “3 years later, comparing the boys to their portraits, they were EXACT likenesses!!! Diego had envisioned the boys as they would look a few years later. THEY matched what he had drawn!! Prescient!!”

A few days before leaving Germany Frank recalls to his surprise, “I got a call from Siegfried DAHMS, owner of the gallery, who informed me that DIEGO had instructed that I be given the portrait of “Principessa” in appreciation for our patronage.” Frank owns it.

“Principessa” Unknown Subject, “Who am I?” Diego drew me in 1974.

To this day, it is a mystery as to who the young girl may be. Frank hopes that someone out there may see this post! Do you know who she is?

Another rare portrait done in charcoal and pastels by #Diego of Mike Kennedy’s mother in the early 60’s can be seen: https://diegovociproject.wordpress.com/2015/01/19/mothers-portrait-by-diego-and-new-generation/

Do you own a portrait by Antonio #DiegoVoci? Tell us: diegovociproject@gmail.com

Search DIEGO VOCI on YouTube and Google!

A Serious Side of DIEGO is Highlighted with “Girl Reading”.

Impressionism and hints of Macchiaioli, the Italian period, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macchiaioli , characterizes this work of art by Post-war European Impressionistic artist, Antonio DIEGO Voci, captures calm concentration portrayed in this figurative oil painting on burlap.

This painting came from the Private Collection of Naffouj Gallery, a longstanding contract during DIEGO’s mid-career stage as an artist.

“Girl Reading”, 33″ x 26″ ca. 1967 oil on burlap

Google and YouTube “Diego Voci” 

Courtesy of www.diegovociproject.com 

 7/2012 AC P of W #71