A #MEMORY OF #JFK & #ARTIST DIEGO VOCI

Margaret Carrow shares memories of her Aunt’s memories of how she collected her two internationally collected artist Diego Voci (VOH-chee 1920-1985) paintings.

Margaret shares;

My Aunt lived most of her life in Europe working for the Air Force as an administrator of the Air Force schools, in Germany, France and Spain. She is 93 (in 2012) years old and I have moved her back to the states,along with her personal possessions including two of her paintings.She talked about the artist she knew while she was in Germany. The two oil paintings by Diego are signed on the front and the back. I have taken pictures of them and have included them with this letter. One of the paintings needs some repairs, and I didn’t know how I should have this done. My Aunt is living in a retirement home, and wanted her paintings to be with her. She told me that Diego was working on a painting for President Kennedy when she first met Diego.”

Diego Voci; Paessaggio 1966 32″ x 23 3/4″ oil on canvas

Diego Voci; Fiore 1966 23 3/4″ x 19 7/8″ oil on canvas

To see more: https://youtu.be/GG5Jl-2FuXM

#FRANCE; #ITALY; #SPAIN; FOOTSTEPS BY DIEGO

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  Venice

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  Spanish Seascape

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  Le Petit Port

Diego Voci; Venice 40x30cm ca. 1975

Diego Voci; Spanish Seascape 50x40cm ca. 1975

Diego Voci; Le Petit Port 60x50cm ca. 1974

At the Diego Voci Project, our research unveiling Diego Voci footsteps around the world led him unconfined in one space or in one town. Diego traveled around to take in life, click to experience more;
https://www.diegovociproject.com/helga-and-diego

Images above are faded polaroids of the original paintings. Provided to us by Helga Voci, owner of the Diego Voci Estate

#FRANCE DINGS TAXPAYERS A BILLION DOLLARS TO SEE #ART

Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris; 

The Louis Vuitton Foundation in #Paris has been called a “gift to France.” But according to some critics, the private museum founded by billionaire art collector Bernard Arnault was a gift that came at a spectacular cost to French taxpayers. Now, an anti-corruption group has filed a complaint accusing the foundation of fraud and tax evasion in the Court of Auditors in #Paris, France’s financial taxation watchdog.

The final construction cost of the Frank Gehry-designed building on the edge of #Paris was nearly €790 million (around $900 million), according to French media, seven times the original estimate when Arnault first announced the project. This figure has been revised significantly upward since the museum first opened in 2014. At that time, the New York Timesreported that the cost was closer to $135 million. (The foundation declined to comment to artnet News about the final cost.)

Read rest of article here: https://news.artnet.com/art-world/louis-vuitton-foundation-fricc-1406812

View this video about an Artist of a Thousand Faces “Artist of Thousand Faces” https://youtu.be/dECP7O3ftUo

 

 

#RARE TO #FIND!

Diego Voci; Italian Poster was for Theater in #Italy  (shared by Mario Voci, Diego’s Nephew)

It would be extremely rare to find a signed #caricature by internationally collected artist Antonio “Diego” Voci, even though, he did thousands. And if he did sign, it would be some form of Voci through 1965.

Caricatures were a source of Diego’s quick money in his early years. Diego was known to complete 20 drawings in one sitting of only a couple of hours. Helga Voci, (Diego’s widow) was his constant companion for 25 years (1960 until his death in 1985).
Helga notes Diego’s caricature experience in her biography “Sometime later I found out that DIEGO was doing caricatures in American Officers Clubs in #France, #Germany and later on also in #London and #Spain. He did wonderful caricatures, it took him only a few minutes to do each one and people were crazy about them, they stood in line waiting for their turn. He made a lot of money with this” https://www.artifactcollectors.com/diego-history-4330818/Page2.html#43754

To own a Diego Voci Lithograph visit; https://www.diegovociproject.com/acquire-graphics-shopping

 

SURREALISM, WOMEN AND LE SPHINX

Le Sphinx; oil on canvas; 80 x 60 cm, #9802-095

Diego loved the “creative spirit” of “Surrealism”, a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for its visual artworks and writings.

Diego’s muses were women…..“A man look at woman… this is cerebral feeling. Venus is love god … who made her? In reality Venus never existed. I like for example fat woman … that’s the way I build Venus. Or I like the skinny woman … that’s the way I build Venus. If I am important enough, that’s enough to influence 90% of the world.” DIEGO, 1974.

Diego loved his visits to Paris. The title of this particular painting is “Le Sphinx”.  Le Sphinx was a brothel opened in 1931 in Paris. In 1946, France outlawed all brothels. Le Sphinx was among the most expensive and best known maisons de tolérance in the Paris of the 1930s

This painting was purchased on September 9 1980 by Captain Kenneth Zielmanuski (in Ramstein, Germany).  Do you know where this painting is now?? Contact diegovociproject@gmail.com.  

#Pissarro #painting looted by #Nazis and owned by the #University of #Oklahoma to return to #France

A painting by Camille #Pissarro “Shepherdess bringing in sheep” will return to a #Jewish family in #France whose art collection was looted by the Nazis in #1941, a lawyer who led the negotiations said.

The #University of #Oklahoma will give back “La bergere rentrant des moutons” — or “Shepherdess bringing in sheep” — to #Holocaust survivor Leone Meyer, her New York lawyer Pierre Ciric told AFP about the restitution agreement signed Monday.

Meyer is the adoptive daughter of late businessman Raoul Meyer, who was co-owner of the French retail company that owns the upscale department store chain #Galeries #Lafayette.

He deposited his art collection in a vault at the bank Credit Commercial de France in 1940 before the Nazis seized it during their occupation of France.

Pissarro completed “Shepherdess bringing in sheep” in 1886. (In the top image)

#Corot influenced Pissarro and Pissarro had an influence on many generations, one being DiegoVoci™.

(In the below image) is a DiegoVoci™ titled.  “Der Markt”.  Search DiegoVoci™ on Google and YouTube.

A #TASTE OF #PARIS IN EACH IMAGE FROM #DIEGO

#MAX AND #DiegoVoci™ PART THREE

“Dans La Rue” top painting by DiegoVoci™

and a #YouTube video snapshot (image below) created by Stephen Max

Stephen and Wendy Max, collectors of #DiegoVoci™ works of #art and past exclusive agent for Diego’s works in #Canada.

“…In 1975..We continue to have fond memories of a motor trip, early in our tour, to #France.

One of the first great European City’s we visited was #Paris.  “Dans La Rue” is the Diego oil painting which helps to keep those memories of “The City of Love” alive and current.

Here, Diego created an immersive work capturing stunning detail which explodes with #color.  This oil on #canvas represents one of our more memorable trips, with its perfect depiction of a moment in the streets of #Paris.  Its simple #beauty, coupled with the complexity of form strikes you at every level (just like #Paris itself) with its eloquent yet subtle depictions of its people.

The combination of #people, #structure and the #energy of being “In The Streets” make it one of our favorite #paintings.”

Visit Part One

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

and

Part Two

https://diegovociproject.wordpress.com/2016/02/23/diegovoci-in-canada-part-two/

AC DV History #214 2/24/2016

 

 

#PARIS BEGINS 25 YEAR #LOVE AFFAIR

Chapter Two:  Helga meets #DIEGO in #Paris

“My girlfriend and I decided to go back to #Paris in January 1960 to study for another period. Shortly after that I met DIEGO one Sunday afternoon my girlfriend Eve and I were sitting in a very famous coffeehouse which was frequented by many artists:  Les Deux Magots http://www.lesdeuxmagots.fr/en/ambiances.php#/ambiances.php

Suddenly an Italian sculptor, #Gigi Guadagnucci http://www.gigiguadagnucci.com/ (whom we had already known from before) entered together with Diego (had never seen before) and they came to sit at our table. We had a nice chat and some time later they left.  See Gigi Guadagnucci below.

I didn`t see #DIEGO for several weeks and then one day I was in a Bank to change some money when I heard a voice behind me….”Mademoiselle Helga…”, I turned and saw #DIEGO behind me and he said: “Can I give you a lift with my car?”   I must say at that time I had met many artists who were quite poor, they were all seriously working, they mostly had small ateliers, no comfort, happy when they sold a painting, and then invited the others. And when they didn`t sell – just eating bread and black coffee. Nobody had a car, in fact #DIEGO was called: “el pintor con coche” (which means- the painter with a car). So, when I heard #DIEGO inviting me in his car I thought: this man is showing off, besides the car he was very well dressed, like a businessman. So I said: “I have to go to school and it`s very close, I can walk there, I don`t need a car.” Finally he convinced me to sit in his car and he explained to me that he had seen me, left the car outside the Bank at a corner (double-parked) in order to follow me and that he had to move the car.  See Diego’s in 1954 and an example of Opel Kapitan car below.

Okay, this was the beginning of a 25 years lasting love, we stayed together until December 1985 when #DIEGO died of lung cancer. In #Paris we stayed until October 1960. We had a wonderful time, I became acquainted with another part of Paris, we went to fantastic Restaurants, we met very interesting people, many artists, long discussions in  – La Coupole– http://www.lacoupole-paris.com/en/, a famous place, that has been frequented by such artists as such as Yves Klein (painter), Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir (both writers) and many others.

#DIEGO was living in a small Hotel near the Seine, he did not really work, just a few sketches from time to time and I was wondering how he was financing his living. He made a big secret about his finances. He spent quite a lot of money, he had a big car and he hardly worked. From time to time he went off from #Paris for a few days or a week and then everything went on again. He told me that he was separated from his wife Josiane, maiden name Schäfer, she was from #Geneva, #Switzerland. I know that he had been living with her for some time in #Geneva and also in Wiesbaden but how he made his living at that time I don`t know. Whether he was painting or not, he never talked about it.

Some time later I found out that #DIEGO was doing caricatures in American Officers Clubs in #France, #Germany and later on also in #London and #Spain. He did wonderful caricatures, it took him about 10 minutes to do each one and people were crazy about them, they stood in line waiting for their turn. He made a lot of money with this, I`m sure there are still many Officers who remember him. When I said to him why was he not painting or only a little he said that he was studying people and he would start later on.” – written by Helga Voci

To read Chapter One: https://diegovociproject.wordpress.com/2015/08/05/helga-and-diego-voci-by-helga-voci/

Courtesy of www.diegovociproject.com 

Diego Voci on YouTube and Google.

This site is authorized by Helga Voci, sole owner of the Diego Voci Estate.

6/11/2010 AC DV History #33

“HELGA and #DIEGO VOCI” by Helga Voci

#DIEGO VOCI Aficionados get a special bonus. Nobody knew #DIEGO VOCI better for 25 years than Helga Voci.  She is sole owner of the Diego Voci Estate and provides us with this terrific insight into her, and her years with #DIEGO VOCI.

Chapter One:  Who is Helga Voci?

“I was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia in 1939, just before the war started. My parents were Germans, at that time many Germans had been living in Czechoslovakia for generations. When the war started my father had to join the army and he was killed in 1941 in Russia, my maiden name was Drössler.  In 1945 all Germans had to leave Czechoslovakia (because Hitler had lost the war) and we were brought to Germany, my family to Bavaria.

“Prag / Tschechin”, D. Voci 1964, oil on wood, 56 x 80 cm. 

In 1948 my mother married again, her name was then Brandl, I kept the name Drössler. After high school I went for 1 year to a Hotel boarding school, where I received my diploma when I was 18. In order to improve my language knowledge in English and French which was very important for that profession, I decided to go to Paris together with a girlfriend of that school. A few months before we had made a short trip to Paris to find out what possibilities we had to find accommodations, the right school and the way to make some money, as my family and her family were not quite happy about the idea to see us in Paris (this was over 50 years ago!)  and did not want to finance this project.

Anyway, we took the train in December 1957, went to Paris, took a taxi and went right away to school. There was a big blackboard in the hallway with many ads of families who were looking for au-pair girls. We called several numbers and within short time we both had a place to live.

In Paris we stayed until March 1959. It was a beautiful time, we studied, in the evenings we frequented the typical Parisian coffeehouses where we met many students and many artists and during the holidays we made trips through France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Greece and so on. In March 1959 we decided to work for the season to make some money. So we both found work in a Hotel in Bernkastel at the Mosel/Germany for 6 months, until September 1959. Then we both went home to our families for a few months.” – Helga Voci 

NEXT: Chapter Two: Helga meets DIEGO VOCI in Paris

6/10/2010 AC DV History #30

#RAMBO is an artist? #ROCKY is an artist?

Who would have guessed that Sylvester Stallone of ROCKY/RAMBO fame is celebrating 40 years of his #artwork.

See for yourself (direct link below):

#BLOUN LINK:  http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/1160634/review-40-years-of-sylvester-stallones-paintings-in-france?utm_source=BLOUIN+ARTINFO+Newsletters&utm_campaign=d622bcc807-Big_Clicks_5_3_154_3_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_df23dbd3c6-d622bcc807-83386813#

Courtesy DIEGO VOCI PROJECT TEAM        GOOGLE  “Diego Voci”

www.diegovociproject.com