Morocco… Spain… and Glass Paint

The presence and recognition of Diego Voci (1920-85) is expanding each day in the world of art.

Here is a recent discovery of a Diego Voci collector Ann Birkhimer whose daughter Karen shares with us their family’s Diego collection.

The beginning…..”During 1972-74 at one of the officers clubs (not sure but may have been Rhein Main) near Wiesbaden, Germany the paintings were purchased.  My father was stationed there on three separate occasions, the last being 1972-1976.” 

“My mother (Ann) bought them because she just loved them all.  One of them is in the cubist style and quite large (my brother has that one) and it was quite unusual that she (Ann) would purchase something so “modern” as she has always tended to be rather traditional in her tastes. The painting is called “Masks”.  But, for some reason the painting “spoke” to her and she bought it along with the three other more traditional paintings. Those three all look sort of Spanish or Moroccan.”

The “Masques en blue et rouge” is done in “glass paint” which is unique method of material to use for painting.  Here are some other examples of “glass paint” paintings by Diego https://www.pinterest.com/diegovoci/glass-paint-diegovocitm/

The inspiration for the Spanish “Une Village en Espagna” and Moroccan paintings came from Diego’s love of the people and warmer climates.  Here is an historical excerpt from Helga’s (widow of Diego Voci) biography of her and Diego:

“The weather was very bad in London and Diego wanted to go south to the sun. So we decided to go to Spain in October 1961. We took the car and went southward, stopped in several cities and after about 1 month we arrived in the Andalusia region in a very beautiful little fishing village called Almunecar. This was an artist`s colony, all kind of artists from different countries. 

We stayed until January 1962. We had a beautiful and very interesting time with long discussions, Diego also made paintings and drawings but he never kept anything, when the painting was finished he was not interested anymore and made presents to friends. He was very popular among the Spanish people also the higher class and he felt wonderful.

In February 1962 we left Spain and went to Morocco, first to Casablanca and Tangier and then he was supposed to go to Marrakech to do some work in an American Officers’ Club. I had to go to Germany for personal reasons, so I flew to Munich while Diego stayed in Marrakech.”

Visit www.diegovociproject.com to view and learn more about Diego Voci.

 

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

HELGA IN A PARIS BISTRO

“HELGA and DIEGO” by Helga Voci

Helga (here in the image) enjoying the moment in a Paris Bistro. 

CHAPTER 3 Paris Summer 1960 to February 1962

“In Paris summer 1960… I got very sick and I was in the Hospital for 3 months. I was very weak when I came out and had lost a lot of weight, so in order to get strong again Diego went with me to South France. We stayed in very good hotels; he made me eat a lot of very good food, a very calm life.  At that time he did very beautiful drawings, but he did not keep them, he gave them to people in Hotels or to friends. We stayed there until November 1960.

From there I flew to Munich and stayed some weeks over Christmas in Bavaria with my family while Diego went to London. He rented a beautiful furnished apartment in SoHo. In January 1961, I followed him to London. I studied English and Diego made some paintings and drawings. From time to time he made caricatures in American Officer’s clubs. He did not look for Galleries to make exhibits. When I asked him, he always said: “I`m not ready yet, I have to study more.”

The weather was very bad in London and Diego wanted to go south to the sun. So we decided to go to Spain in October 1961. We took the car and went southward, stopped in several cities and after about 1 month we arrived in the Andalusia region in a very beautiful little fishing village called Almunecar. This was an artist`s colony, all kind of artists from different countries. We stayed until January 1962. We had a beautiful and very interesting time with long discussions, Diego also made paintings and drawings but he never kept anything, when the painting was finished he was not interested anymore and made presents to friends. He was very popular among the Spanish people also the higher class and he felt wonderful.

In February 1962 we left Spain and went to Morocco, first to Casablanca and Tangier and then he was supposed to go to Marrakech to do some work in an American Officers’ Club. I had to go to Germany for personal reasons, so I flew to Munich while Diego stayed in Marrakech.”

AC DV History 6/10/2010 Post #36