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

#JFK #Rauschenberg #Christies #$50M #ArtNews

Robert Rauschenberg, Buffalo II (1964). Image courtesy of Christie’s Images Ltd.

#JFK #Rauschenberg #Christies #ArtNewshttps://news.artnet.com/market/christies-rolls-first-pop-art-blockbusters-spring-season-1478608?utm_content=from_&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=US%209%3A57%20a.m.%20newsletter%20for%203%2F4%2F19&utm_term=New%20US%20Newsletter%20List

This work by Rauschenberg was created after JFK assassination and Rauschenberg’s perception of America at that time.

Diego Voci & #JFK; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Diego_Voci#JFK
In June 1963, the painting by Diego Voci was presented to President John F. Kennedy at the General Von Steuben Hotel (in Germany)

Diego Voci was known as the Artist of a Thousand Faces and would capture the faces of time and everyday life; see for yourself; https://www.pinterest.com/diegovoci/faces-diegovocitm/

“Oh By Gosh By Golly, their name is really “JOLLY”….

In February of 1972, Jack Jolly and his wife Gwen were living in #Wiesbaden, Germany. They’d been there since 1968. While in Wiesbaden, Jack and his wife went to what was then called the General #VonSteuben Hotel, where Diego Voci was hosting an art exhibition with the assistance of Christine Khan. Shown here is the #DIEGO that Jack and Gwen still own today:

“Two Girls with Pottery”, 32″x26″, oil on canvas.

An interesting point about the Von Steuben Hotel – it was visited by John F. #Kennedy on June 26, 1963, just before #JFK‘s trip to #Berlin to give his famous historical “Ich Bin ein Berliner” speech. The story goes that Kennedy even received a DIEGO painting as a gift that night signed “Voci”. Read more:  http://www.artifactcollectors.com/diego-voci-antonio-diego-voci-3984818/Page11.html#66975

Jack and Gwen bought the above featured “Two girls with pottery” #639, 32” x 26” oil on canvas, from Diego and Christine. Like many other young families wanting to own at least one of the master’s artworks, Diego offered “Lay-Away” or as Jack writes, “I was 30 years old, had no money, so we purchased it on a time basis. We paid $350 for it and have enjoyed it for over 40 yrs. Amazing!”

Currently Jack and his wife Gwen live in New Orleans to be near Gwen’s family. Jack states, “I’ve been retired for almost 3 yrs. Life is good.” 

Shown  here is Gwen back in the day, where you can barely see the “Two Girls with Pottery” above her head, but you’ll no doubt recognize the 70’s furniture colors!

Last, check out Stephen Max’ latest video featuring “#BEAUTIFUL FACES” by Diego, to include the DIEGO featured here owned by Jack and Gwen Jolly!

By Stephen Max, 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dECP7O3ftUo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dECP7O3ftUo

Search for Diego Voci on GOOGLE

Schlossgalerie in #Zurich, #Switzerland confirmed Antonio (#Diego) Voci’s Talents as an #Artist!

“HELGA and DIEGO” by Helga Voci

CHAPTER 4   Schloßgalerie and Switzerland

“Diego had to stay in Marrakech until August, so I decided to take a job in a travel agency in Lugano, Switzerland. This gave me the possibility to work and also to improve my Italian. I was already able to speak, but I didn’t know the grammar, so I took private lessons. Finally in August 1962 Diego joined me in Lugano.

In Switzerland it was for the first time, where Diego was seriously looking for galleries. He went to Geneva, Bern, and also to Zurich. In Zurich he found the Schloßgalerie where the owner was very interested in showing his work. So Diego decided to stay for some time in Switzerland. We rented a boathouse at the lake of Constance close to Zurich and Diego painted. The gallery owner sold quite many paintings; but unfortunately I don`t know the names of the customers and which paintings were sold.

Antonio (Diego) Voci

1963 Studio provided by Schlossgalerie, Zurich Switzerland, owner R. Buri  

At that time we never took pictures of the paintings, which is a pity. I feel very sorry, but I was young.

I had no experience and Diego did not care. If I could go back 50 years, I would do many things completely different. We stayed in Zurich until June 1963. 

During this period Diego went also several times to Aviano, Italy, the American base. He would do caricatures there. At that time a painting was sold and brought to President John F. Kennedy, who was visiting Wiesbaden. (I don`t remember what it looked like).

In Italy, we stayed for some time in Milan, Florence, and Rome. Finally we came to a small medieval town in northern Italy, called Asolo with only 1000 inhabitants. We rented an apartment in a very old house in the middle of the town with a big terrace and Diego made his first real Studio. He mostly sold in Zurich in the Schloßgalerie. But he also worked with a gallery in Milan “Globart Kunstgalerie.””

Courtesy of the Diego Voci Project. Visit www.diegovociproject.com 

Diego Voci on YouTube and Google

AC DV History #37 6/15/2010

AC P of W #207 6/9/2014

SOLD $500 “FISHER PEOPLE” BY DIEGO VOCI

Helga Voci, widow of internationally collected artist Diego Voci said:

“Diego played cards with the Fishermen”

Diego specialized in portraying the common people.  Diego with Helga at his side would seek out places to purposely live among them.

Fisher People, #1591-9, 41” x 30” oil on canvas

This painting is one of the very first when the signature “Diego” was applied to his canvas.  How do we know?

1. Joy Gibson was a Canadian art dealer based in Zweibrucken, Germany. Her stamp is on the back of the canvas.
2. Joy was the one who influenced the artist to start signing “Diego” the nickname he was known by (formerly he signed some form of Voci as on the painting given to JFK in 1963 in Wiesbaden).
3. This was before Joy married Dr. Jawdat Naffouj and added his last name to hers. Naffouj Gallery remains to this day in Landstuhl, Germany.

Stay alert.  A Diego Voci painting may appear anywhere.  This one was donated to Goodwill and just auctioned at $500.

Visit www.diegovociproject.com

AC P of W #274 5/27/2015

HOW DIEGO BECAME DIEGO

Diego Voci, who was known as Diego to his friends, was not known as Diego on his works of art until 1965-66 when Canadian art dealer, Joy Naffouj discovered the essence of who Diego was.  Joy encouraged him to start signing his art “DIEGO”, formerly signed some form of Voci.  For example, the gift to JFK in June 1963 was signed D. Voci.

“Light” is an example of the earliest of that Naffouj / Diego relationship when Joy and Dr. Jawdat Naffouj in Germany became Diego’s exclusive agent.  Dr. Naffouj operates a gallery in Landstuhl, Germany to this day.

“Light” 33 ¾” X 23 ¾” oil canvas

Joy Naffouj liked this painting “Light” so well it was put aside for Joy’s own private collection.  See the inscription in her hand upon the back coarse canvas.

Courtesy of the Diego Voci Project.

AC P of W #272 5/20/2015