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Entries Tagged as 'Art Exhibitions'

Orpheus never turned up for tea

May 18th, 2011 · Comments Off on Orpheus never turned up for tea · Art Exhibitions, PEOPLE, quotations

Our painter is called Janet Cree. Born in London in 1910, she is an artist of early promise as the Tate Gallery acquires one of her works when she is only 23 years of age. From then on we know little about her artistic fortunes and true to herself Janet carries on quietly with her craft, sending regularly her pictures to the RA exhibitions, without making waves. Soon the war takes its toll as the art aficionados go silent as the bottom falls out of the art market.
In spite of it all Janet Cree takes her due place in the dictionaries of contemporary British painters. Doubtless her family, as she sets up a home, makes demands on her time too, for she is now married to a mercurial lawyer whose physical and social stature is larger than life: this is John Platts-Mills, the six-foot New Zealand-born athlete and Oxford-educated student. He comes to Britain as a Rhodes scholar to Balliol College.
By this time, the trauma of the First War takes its toll on the mood of the young people, who are disaffected with the society and over-enthusiastic about the social and economic ‘paradise’ promised by Joseph Stalin.

Platts-Mills is no exception. At first he hopes that luck may strike closer to the British Isles as he gives his support to the Republican cause in the Spanish Civil War. That was not to be. For a moment it seems that his political sympathies go astride the main flow of the British establishment, as he is not considered good material to enroll as a RAF pilot during the war. Earlier on, in 1932 he is called to the Inner Temple, but will not become a King’s Council for a long time, because of his political sympathies.
However, at the beginning of the war the Allied troops suffer many set backs, which cause Platts-Mills’ fortunes to change for the better, as Churchill calls on him and urge him to be a go-between with Stalin’s Russia. This is the time when Platts-Mills throws himself arduously into Soviet-British PR, forging endless Soviet-British friendship societies all over Britain. Yet, on the political board of snakes and ladders fortunes change quickly and with the advent of the cold war the maverick barrister looses his political clout: in the process he also looses his Finsbury seat in Parliament, as he is expelled from the Labour Party. But hard luck turns to good fortune as his reputation precedes him. He becomes a much sought-after lawyer in some of the most controversial legal cases, defending the Kray brothers, the Great Train Robbers, the Shrewsbury two. He also acts as a secret adviser of Trade Union leader Arthur Scargill in the miners’ strike of the 1970s, which caused the fall of Edward Heath’s government. He appears on the Grunwick picket line and acted on the Bloody Sunday inquiry in Londonderry.

But before he becomes involved in these high-profile cases Platts-Mills takes care to pay his last respects to “Uncle Joe”, as he dies in the Kremlin, in 1953.

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Miracolul Bisericii de la Drăgănescu şi o profeţie a Părintelui Arsenie Boca

March 3rd, 2011 · 6 Comments · Art Exhibitions, OPINION, PEOPLE, quotations, Reviews

“Pictura sacră e istoria în imagini a vieţii Mântuitorului şi a celor transfiguraţi de El. Adică imaginea raiului. Sfinţia Ta [pr. Arsenie Boca] ai înţeles să faci o pictură transfigurată în nuanţe clare şi deschise, paradisiace, pentru a sugera lumea feerică de dincolo. Biserica de la Drăgănescu iradiază lumina raiului” (Nichifor Crainic).
„Ceea ce am admirat la Sfinţia Ta e că nu te-ai lăsat. Din zugrav de suflete, fericite să se modeleze după Domnul tuturor, iată-te zugrav de biserici, adică al celor ce poartă pe chipurile cuvioase reflexul desăvârşirii Fiului lui Dumnezeu. E o mare mângâiere, acum când nu mai ai prilejul să desăvârşeşti pe aspiranţi, să poţi mângâia cu penelul pe cei desăvârşiţi pentru a-i da pildă pe zidurile sacre. Mica biserică de la Drăgănescu are norocul să simtă pe zidurile ei zugrăvite predicile fierbinţi, pe care miile de oameni le ascultau la Sâmbăta de Sus. E o pictură nouă ca şi predica de atunci. Nimic întunecat în această primăvară care îmbracă cu plai înflorit bolţile bisericii. E o lumină de tonuri deschise către lume, ca spiritul şi chipul Mântuitorului coborât să ne aducă lumina de sus, ce iradiază din pictura Sfinţiei Tale. E un stil nou, e o pictură nouă, după viziunea nouă pe care o porţi în suflet” (Nichifor Crainic, 1971).

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Zoe Constance RICCI, (Bucureşti 10 mai 1909 – Paris 25 mai 1992)

February 23rd, 2011 · 4 Comments · Art Exhibitions, Diaspora, OPINION, PEOPLE, Reviews

La moartea artistei Ionel Jianu scrie în „Lupta” nr. 184 din mai 1992:
Zoe Constance Ricci, Bucuresti 10 mai 1909 – Paris 25 mai 1992
Sora cu arhitectii Mihail si Tiberiu Ricci.
Studiaza pictura cu Jean Steriadi si Camil Ressu la Academia de arte frumoase din Bucuresti, devine apoi asistenta lui Steriadi.
La 8 aprilie 1962 paraseste tara si se stabileste la Paris unde continua sa picteze.
„Zoe Ricci avea o personalitate bine definita, intransigenta, voluntara, care nu admitea nici un compromis. Pictura ei nu era bazata pa armonii de soc, ci pe acorduri fine, nuantate, palide, care reflectau propria ei realitate. Zoe Ricci a fost o artista adevarata, care nu s-a bucurat de rasunetul si succesul meritat, pentru ca n-a înteles cerintele de publicitate ale societatii de consum, ci a trait în singuratate, în tacere si s-a stins ca o soapta în amurg”

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Retrospectiva Mario RICCI (Italy) Retrospective

February 17th, 2011 · 2 Comments · Art Exhibitions, Diaspora, OPINION, PEOPLE, Reviews

Retrospectiva de peisajii – Mario Ricci, Italy Retrospective of Lazio Landscapes.
Romanian-born Mario Ricci comes from a dprominent family of architects, painters and leaders of the intellectual and cultural set of the 20th century Romania.
He distinguished himself in his career as a Civil Engineer with outstanding projects in Germany and the Middle East. His works as an amateur painter is part of a family tradition which includes his late paternal aunt, Zoe Ricci and step grandfather Dimitrie STIUBEI (1901-1986), both of whom died in exile.
Early in his artistic career Mario Ricci worked in the atelier of his grandfather on large official commissions in Tulcea and elsewhere, After his move to Germany Ricci had made made many copies after great masters as a means of acquiring different artistic skills (see his copies after Monet and van Gogh, above.

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Commentaires sur un “Diskos” Orthodoxe

February 17th, 2011 · 2 Comments · Art Exhibitions, OPINION, PEOPLE, Reviews

Jésus parlait en paraboles, utilisait donc des symboles ; les premiers chrétiens les utilisaient pour communiquer en se cachant : cependant, la symbolique chrétienne n’a pas l’importance des autres, puisque le christianisme n’est pas une religion ésotérique, mais bien au contraire, exotérique. Il n’y pas d’initiation secrète réservée à une caste. Sur votre diskos j’ai observé des choses que vous avez sans doute devinées sans difficulté et en dirais quelques mots sans trop m’étaler.

Il y a d’abord la séparation des trois enceintes, *[i] l’enceinte centrale représentant une église, symbole de la Jérusalem Céleste. Le mot Iérusalim en slavon y est d’ailleurs ajouté, et ce n’est pas pour indiquer que le diskos appartenait à une église se trouvant géographiquement à Jérusalem. Puis, l’enceinte qui l’entoure, l’Église terrestre où poussent les arbres de la sainteté et se trouve aussi l’emblème du pouvoir royal terrestre (l’aigle bicéphale). Un anneau les sépare, et sur cet anneau il y a des oiseaux, oies ou cygnes. Le tout est entouré par un autre anneau, des eaux peuplées de poissons contenus dans un genre de branches, de palmes, ou la représentation de l’eau courante. C’est possible, car ce sont les flots de l’eau de vie.
In the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches, the Paten is called a diskos. The diskos is usually more ornate than its Latin-Rite counterpart, and must always be made of gold or at least be gold-plated. The diskos may be engraved with an icon of Jesus Christ, the Nativity of Christ, a cross, or more frequently, an icon of the Theotokos. For Christians of the East the diskos symbolises the Virgin Mary, who received Christ into her womb, and gave him birth; and also the Tomb of Christ which received his body after the Crucifixion, and from which he resurrected. During the Divine Liturgy it is not only the Lamb (Host) that is placed on the diskos, but also particles to commemorate the Theotokos, the Saints, the living and the departed. Thus, on the diskos is represented the entire Church: the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant, arrayed around Christ. During the Consecration of a Church, a diskos is used to hold the relics of the saints which will be sealed in the Holy Table and antimension by the bishop.

In the usage of the Coptic Orthodox Church, the diskos usually has a flat bottom with no foot. Additionally, it has a raised edge, forming a relatively high rim, preventing particles of the offered elements from falling to the floor.

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Great Romanians: Dimitrie STIUBEI (1901-1986)

December 10th, 2010 · 4 Comments · Art Exhibitions, Diaspora, PEOPLE

An ex naval officer Stiubei spent almost his entire life at sea. He did not become a painter by chance neither was he self-taught. He studied painting first from his mentor Jean Steriadi (1880-1986) and then as a student of the Munich Academy of Painting under Ernst Liebermann (1869-1960) and Peter Trumm (1888-1966).

Peter Trumm described him as follows:
… blessed with an extraordinary talent with essence of painting, vivid intelligence, a true feeling of essence of painting, and went beyond expectation through his military education. He developed his artistic capacity in an amazing manner in a very short time. The sum total of his paintings without any doubt is very strong, especially in portrait and painting of the sea.

Dimitrie Stiubei exhibited extensively in Paris, Athens, Geneva, Basel, Lugano and New York. He also exhibited at the Royal Society of Marine Artists in London.
The artist was honoured with the French Légion d’honneur and in the seventies he was decorated with the Vermeille medal from the Society of Arts, Sciences and Letters.

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Romania photography by Joseph Koudelka – Paris Exhibition

November 18th, 2010 · Comments Off on Romania photography by Joseph Koudelka – Paris Exhibition · Art Exhibitions, Diaspora, PEOPLE

Romania photography by Joseph Koudelka – Paris Exhibition, Caroussel du Louvre, courtesy of Eric Franck Fine Arts, London EC1,
JOSEF KOUDELKA

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After a degree in engineering from the Technical University in Prague, Josef Koudelka (b. 1938, Boskovice, Maravia) obtained a Rolleiflex camera and began photographing stage productions for theatre magazines. After leaving the theatre, he began documenting gypsy life in Romania, Slovakia and Western Europe. In 1968, Koudelka photographed the Soviet invasion of Prague and the Czech resistance efforts. In 1969 he was anonymously awarded the Overseas Press Club’s Robert Capa Gold Medal for these photographs, only publicly acknowledging authorship following the death of his father in 1985.

Koudleka gained political asylum in England in 1970, joining Magnum Photos Agency in 1971 and continuing to travel around Europe and photograph its landscape.

For a full selection of available photographs by Josef Koudelka, please contact Eric Franck Fine Art.

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Hungarian ‘Savoir-faire’ and Romanian Navel-gazing

November 1st, 2010 · 1 Comment · Art Exhibitions, OPINION, Reviews

The Hungarian savoir-faire and Romanian narcissism:

Footnote to the Hungarian Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, Piccadilly on: “Treasures from Budapest – European Masterpieces from Leonardo to Schiele”

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Can’t find the Word for Democracy!

October 25th, 2010 · Comments Off on Can’t find the Word for Democracy! · Art Exhibitions, International Media, quotations

Calman cartoon in the Times of London – alluding to the mob-rule by Romanian miners called by President Iliescu and Prime Minister Petre Roman to quell the fledgling Democracy movement in Bucharest.
Under the title “Fear of mob-rule grips Romania (June 1990) the caption says:
“Can’t find the word for Democracy in Romanian Phrase book” – caption

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The Art of Nicolae GROZA

October 3rd, 2010 · 2 Comments · Art Exhibitions, Diaspora, PEOPLE

NICOLAE GROZA a Romanian artist now living in Belgium, near Liege, follows the tradition of Transylvanian icon painters on glass and his themes often borrow symbols, motifs and the graphism from the old icons. However Groza gets his inspiration from non-religious subjects – from folk legends and historical characters.
Nicoale has an extraordinary sense of humour, imagination and a high artistry which sets him apart from his contemporaries. He has held many individual and group exhibitions of these works which are in private collections in England, Belgium, Romania, Germany, France.
Nicolae Groza’s main form of expression are huge murals, mosaics, decorative panels in ceramics.
His oil paintings are to be found in Musems and private collections in Europe.Nicolae Groza’s main form of expression are huge murals, mosaics, decorative panels in ceramics.
His oil paintings are to be found in museums and private collections in Europe.

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