Christie’s shares “A good portrait offers so much more than the depiction of another person — it can offer a glimpse into their soul.”
Both #Gauguin and #Diego expressed their ideas and self reflections on life in the faces and portraits they painted.
Gauguin exhibition going on now at the National Gallery in London. https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/the-credit-suisse-exhibition-gauguin-portraits#content
Diego Voci: “Indianer” 17″x14″, Pastel and Tempera on Paper.
Gabrielle Sillas and Family
Keep your eyes open for artwork by Antonio DIEGO Voci (1920-1985) and tell us about your find: diegovociproject@gmail.com
Get an idea of Diego’s versatility – one of his greatest strengths. Diego was driven to every genre while remaining distinctly “DIEGO”: https://www.pinterest.com/diegovoci/
“The #Artist of a Thousand Faces” Antonio Diego #Voci (1920-1985) internationally collected artist is mostly referred to as “Diego”. Although Diego’s versatility covered many #mediums, subject matters and #genres, the focus here in Part Three is in Diego’s mastery and #superior talent with #faces.
#FACES SERIES PART THREE – faded #photos and #polaroids inventoried by Helga
Diego #aficionados know from their own collections that #Diego 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. See more at #Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/diegovoci/
#Clowns were a sure seller for #Diego and #Helga (Diego’s widow). He thrived into #cultures in Zurich and Paris. Anywhere actually See some of the Clowns we’ve have uncovered. Above one of such clowns was sold to Mr. Beckett on 5 October 1975 in Heidelberg, #Germany. Where is it now?
Contact us with your #Faces by Antonio Diego #Voci – and read more about Diego at our DVP #Wikipedia #Biography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Diego_Voci
“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:
Content below is from page 7 of the 8 page #1974 Diego Catalog by Coop Cooprider, #DiegoVoci™#Historian.
Commentary John Krueger Writer for #Stars & #Stripes Part I:
“Antonio DIEGO Voci considers the human face to be the most direct an effective way to illustrate and to express his intimate #poetical #world. DIEGO’S deep concern for people reveals the painter’s #humanism, his #gift for perception, his #warmth, #equilibrium and #serenity of vision which are very characteristic of the #Italian temperament.
DIEGO’s oil #portraits of young #women – with #dark melancholy eyes, sensuous lips without a smile – convey a message of noble #beauty that transcends the physical portrait and becomes the revelation of a #soul, bringing to mind the sorrowful mysticism of the Italian painters of the XVth Century.
DIEGO’s great reverence and admiration for the Italian painters of the XVth and XVIth centuries, above all #Michelangelo and #Botticelli, can be sensed in his works, which are far from being a mere imitation of the classics and could be better described as a modern interpretation of the immortal ideals which have, through the centuries, uplifted the spirit of humanity through beauty artistically expressed.
Besides oils, #DIEGO works in #charcoal, #watercolors, #ink, #tempera, and #pastels. Sometimes he combines ink and water color in a way reminiscent of #Japanese #art. The dark outlines enhanced by splashes of flowing color given an impression of form in movement which is exceedingly decorative.
DIEGO is a painter of uncommon versatility and prolificacy, an intellectual devoid of all intellectualisms, an intelligent interpreter of #modern art movements who possesses the moral courage to remain faithful to his own personal dreams, inflexibly rejecting all influences alien to a nature nurtured under the glorious Italian skies, by the examples of the greatest artists of all times.”
Courtesy of the Diego Voci Project www.diegovociproject.com
AC DV History #18 5/7/2010
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!
In a previous blog (PART 1) we sent you to “Da Sandro’s” in Weingarten (near #Karlsruhe): https://diegovociproject.wordpress.com/2015/06/12/dining-with-diego-in-germany/
In another area of #Germany, a logistic triangle of delightful Italian eateries in Germany, each about 25 minutes apart, received regular visits by internationally collected artist, Antonio Diego Voci (1920-1985).
In #Kaiserslautern, is“Firenze” filled with Diego artwork which will be featured in a later blog.
In #Ramstein, “La Gondola” (now closed with the passing of Diego’s close friend “Gigi”. More later.)
In #Pirmasens, this blog features“Da Mario’s” (formerly “Ciccio’s”). Enjoy a dining experience where Diego savored fine cuisine with red wine and a finale of an espresso or two and his ever present cigarette (Diego passed of Lung Cancer in 1985).
You can sit today with one of the friendly creations of our super star Diego:
Perhaps you know of another restaurants #Diego visited?
Let us know: diegovociproject@gmail.com
More on Diego at www.diegovociproject.com
AC DV History #202 6/19/2015
diegovociproject 