HAPPY #KWANZAA 2017 – TO ALL RELIGIONS

Today, is the first day of KWANZAA, a week-long holiday honoring African culture and traditions. Antonio #DIEGO Voci was fascinated with all cultures. #Traveling he embraced traditions of many nations. Shown here is an African Mother and Child resembling Diego’s Madonna and Child genre which we posted just 6 of  last week.

“Young Mother With Child” 80cm x 40cm ,Oil on Canvas, #1061-569. Sold December 1976 by “La #Gondola” risttorante in Germany where DIEGO loved to dine!

Kwanzaa is celebrated in the United States, as well as other countries with populations of African descendants. It is a holiday which celebrates and honors #African culture in not only the #African-American community but also in the World African community.

This cultural festival from the 26th of December to the 1st of January that climaxes in feasts and gift giving, was initially established to unite African-Americans with their African roots and heritage.  Kwanzaa is celebrated by lighting a candle daily, beginning today, 26 December 2017, through January 1, 2018 when it ends. #Happy Kwanzaa all!

For more on Diego’s travels see our “Antonio Diego Voci” – History Thread on Artifact Collectors, where the Diego Voci Project has posted numerous stories shared with us by Diego #Collectors”. Here is one you’ll get a kick out of Helga Voci’s story about Diego the “perfect Indian“:   https://www.artifactcollectors.com/diego-history-4330818/Page4.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

THE #WARMTH OF #SPAIN

#Max and #DiegoVoci™ PART FOUR 

DiegoVoci

“Scene Espagnole” was purchased through Diego’s home in June of 1976.

“During our tour in #Europe we spent many wonderful #vacations and traveled throughout #Spain. It was during these vacation trips we came to appreciate the vibrant #culture and #beauty of the #Spanish people. When we saw the painting “Scene Espagnole” we understood immediately that it reflected our own feelings of the beauty of #Spain.

 Diego’s ability to articulate the #life of people through his #art is unparalleled.

We not only have our own memories of Spain, we appreciate a constant visual reminder of these memories through this #painting and Diego’s art. It was 1976 during our final visit to #Diego’s home in #Schwetzingen we instantly developed a deep appreciation for “Scene Espagnole”. We had by this time, in preparation for our repatriation, converted all of our funds to #Canadian #Dollars and transferred our finances to #Edmonton. Diego’s extraordinary insight and sensitivity focused like a laser beam on our situation and our attraction to this painting. Understanding this, Diego gave us the painting without deposit, simply on our promise we would pay for it on our return to #Canada.

When a few years later I had the opportunity to discuss his trust in me with this painting, I asked Diego what he would do if I hadn’t paid him as I promised, to which he immediately replied, in his playful good natured way  “I would have come to Canada and killed you”.

 

To view quotes by Helga and more information on this painting, visit this link

http://www.artifactcollectors.com/diego-voci-painting-of-the-week-5154118/Page3.html#58927