photograph by manfredi bellati
As Labor Day approaches, which "officially" marks the end of the holidays. Pixel and Jay peg would like to thank Nora and Alex for all the fun and games they had in their pool this summer.
photograph by manfredi bellati
CISON DI VALMARINO - Treviso
Artigianato Vivo. When Monica Buscone and Giacomo Martucci Ventura decided to change lifestyle, they moved to a small old farmhouse in the middle of the woods, near Piacenza. They looked around the house and noticed that of all the pieces they had collected at flea markets there prevailed a vast quantity of objects made in iron wire. Monica told me that "Before we decided to work with iron wire, we went to France to research the origins of this antique peasant culture. It was there that I fell in love with Camargue and the art of the nomads. In France in the Eighteenth Century, gypsys toured the country to mend pottery and china in the courts. Wire, was like glue, a material that held together other materials." Their company Fil di Ferro is a "two man" operation. Not only do they remake antique pieces and styles, but also invent new pieces, as well as, designing special installations for parties. Above is a pretty tiny basket made to hold garlic. They will be present at the show Frutti Antichi at the Castello di Paderna 7/8th October.
www.artigianatovivo.it Monica Busconi and Giacomo Martucci Ventura:fildiferro.pc@libero.it or +39 338 4801750
Thursday, August 24, 2006
CISON di VALMARINO - Treviso
Artigianato Vivo. Mid August brings us to the 26th annual village fair, Artigianato Vivo, in Cison, where artisans take over all the rustic hamlets, courtyards and streets of this charming village at the feet of the Dolomite mountains. It is a pleasure to walk around and discover almost "forgotten", and in some cases, extinct crafts. This year I found a couple of very interesting artisans. Above, is the work of a charismatic Tuscan, Romano Cheli who makes beautiful spinning tops. He has always had a passion for wood, and as a hobby, for the past five years, he has been making spinning tops because" They are complete, beautiful, aesthetic and they move as well." Each piece is different and made out of precious, compact and hard woods, so that they can guarantee the energy needed for the initial throw. Besides the classic model he makes many styles, shapes, sizes and types and it is really difficult to choose one. Maybe, the most unusual is the traveling top, Romano explains "When you go away from home you must take something from home with you, to ward off the evil eye, as well as, to remind you, of home by it's shape and it's scent."
www.artigianatovivo.it Romano Cheli: Via Roma 73 - Livorno - Cell +39 335 5434722 or romche@tin.it - his next Fair will be in Milan - Artigiani in Fiera - 2/10 December, 2006. www.unioneartigiani.it
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
SAINT PAUL DE VENCE
Fondation Maeght. The fortified village of Saint Paul de Vence is home to yet another artistic treat: the remarkable Fondation Maeght created in the 1950s by Aime and Marguerite Maeght, art collectors and dealers who knew all the great artists who worked in Provence. This Summers exhibition is called Black is a Color, curated by Dominique Paini (until November 5th, 2006), it is a tribute to Aime Maeght, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth. Maeght was the first to put on an exhibition in Paris in 1946 with the theme "Black is a Color." But, it was Matisse who originally coined the phrase at the beginning of the 20th Century. Paini has designed an exhibition that encompasses six steps of blackness, he says that " The whole experience is more sensual than intellectual. I wanted to promote new experiences and to stimulate visually. I am showing works that are not often seen here." The show brings together different artists of all styles and eras and aims to illustrate Jean Dubuffet's words: "Black is an abstraction. There is no black, only black materials." Shown above, Barnett Newman's Yellow Edge, acrylic on canvas, 1968.
SAINT PAUL DE VENCE
La Colombe d'Or. You certainly don't come to eat at La Colombe d'Or for the food, but for the celebrity spotting and the atmosphere where the provencal art of living is associated with one of the most astonishing private collections of modern art. While we were there for lunch, billionaire, Saudi arms-dealer and businessman Adnan Khashoggi walked in with French philosopher, intellectual and writer, Bernard-Henri Levy. Now, the only thing I can possibly imagine these two VIPs have in common is that they always dress in the same way. Their "uniforms" consists of, for Khashoggi; a safari style, pale blue "polyester" suit, with short sleeves, white T shirt, socks and moccasins and for Bernard-Henri Levy, a white shirt and black trousers, though in Summer, the shirt is mostly unbuttoned. Both were with their respective wives, Lamia and French actress, Arielle Dombasle. They had a very healthy and abundant basket of crudite as a first course. The same evening saw rock star Keith Richards there for an early dinner. He was in Nice for The Rolling Stones - A Bigger Bang World Tour. He was wearing a Burgundy scarf on his head, tied "a la Johnny Depp" in Pirates of the Caribbean, his shirt was also unbuttoned, way down and he was wearing two silver necklaces, one with a gothic cross and the compulsory dark shades associated with celebrities. Dining with him were is wife Patti Hansen and their two girls Alexandra and Theodora. Did you know that the Rolling Stones free concert on Copacabana beach in Rio was attended by 2 Million fans?
Monday, August 21, 2006
photograph by manfredi bellati
SAINT PAUL DE VENCE
La Colombe d'Or. "Provence has a treasure; it's La Colombe d'Or. It has the precious scent of thyme and nostalgia and the golden colour of olive oil and happy days. The Colombe is part of my life. For me it's a place that's full of promise as of magnificent memories. The Colombe is indefinable, inimitable. I'm happy that today a book brings back the atmosphere of the place which is like no other in the world." wrote Cesar in the preface to the book La Colombe d'Or, Saint Paul de Vence (Assouline 1993). And, like his sculpture, which stands to greet you in the entrance to the terrace restaurant, Cesar gives the "thumbs up" to this idyllic retreat. La Colombe d'Or is the best spot for art-lovers, it is better than a museum, the walls are covered in art, you can dine under a Bonnard, Dufy, Braque, Leger, Miro, Chagall, Villon, Picabia, Matisse Picasso, Arman, Tinguely, Delaunay and Calder, just to name a few. Or you can easily dine next to Dukes, Countesses, millionaires, famous artists, film stars, intellectuals and authors. And, like Collette, who took up her pen one day to write in the visitors' book these words "Wait for me, Colombe, I'm coming back." So will I, for a long weekend next year.
NICE - Cote d'Azur
Marche a la Brocante. Anne Neree specializes in antique fabrics and among her treasures I found these exquisite white and blue striped, jacquard, hand woven pieces of fabric from the 1880's. They are typical of the Basque region of France. When a young woman was betrothed in the 19th Century, weavers would come to the house with their looms and weave the hemp and linen grown in the backyard for her trousseau. The smaller and finer pieces in linen, would be used as napkins or towels, whereas the longer and heavier pieces in hemp, would be used as runners down the table. These runners not only served as "tablecloths" but also as napkins, especially during the wine picking season when the pickers would clean and dry their hands on them. Should you ever come across a white with red stripes, grab it as the red ones is very rare.
Anne Neree +33 (0) 493530699 - Marche a la Brocante; Cours Saleya - every Monday from 6am to 6pm.
NICE - Cote d'Azur
Marche a la Brocante. This funny little "mutt" is very happy to follow his master every Monday to the flea market in the Cours Saleya. Not only does he guard the stall, but he also loves to play "hide and seek" in the empty crates, defying my camera. The Marche a la Brocante is held every Monday from 6 am to 6 pm, near the port and just off the Quai des Etats-Unis. It is so much fun, though August isn't the best month for antiques, the dealers cater more to tourist than to serious shoppers. Up and down the Cours Saleya there are fabulous gift shops, these are open everyday, selling beautiful baskets and many local products from Provence. It is certainly worth a visit.