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By  Cody  LaVada-  New  York.
With  a  career  that  has  spanned  nearly  six  decades  and  continues  to  stretch  onward  into  the  future  -  and  which  has  certainly  inspired  some  of  the  most  well-known  artists  of  our  time  -  the  Japanese  artist  ,  Yayoi  Kusama  has  been  referenced  multi ple  times  as  ,quite  possibly  ,the  most  influential  living  female  artist  ever.  In  a  arena  typically  dominated  by  men  such  as  Van  Gogh  ,  Warhol  ,  Picasso  and  the  like  ,  Kusama  stands  out  as  an  epic  keystone  –  the  very  foundations  atop  which  so  many  modern  artists  built  their  creations.  Her  successes  spread  across  many  fields  ,  including  film  ,  performance  art  ,  literature  ,  fashion  ,  sculpture  and  installations.  With  such  a  burgeoning  repertoire  ,  she  holds  many  accolades  and  accomplishments  that  also  help  her  to  stand  out  as  a  giant  among  artists.
ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL FEBRUARY 2012
Born  on  March  22  ,  1929  in  Matsumoto  ,  Nagano  ,  Japan  ,  Kusama  was  the  fourth  child  in  a  wealthy  merchant  family  that  made  its  living  selling  seedling  nurseries.  Her  childhood  was  rife  with  complications  ,  including  physical  abuse  at  the  hands  of  her  mother  ,  witnessing  the  infidelities  of  her  father  ,  and  severe  mental  health  complications  ,  such  as  visual  and  aural  hallucinations  ,  severe  obsessive  and  suicidal  thoughts  ,  and  fixations  that  Freud  would  have  a  field  day  with.  In  1948  ,  Kusama  took  up  senior  classes  at  Kyoto  Munici pal  School  of  Arts  &  Crafts  to  hone  her  life-long  love  of  art  and  creating  ,  which  she  claims  helped  her  to  erase  the  misery  of  her  early  years  by  transporting  her  to  a  happier  place.  Despite  having  graduated  the  following  year  ,  she  explains  that  she  felt  great  disdain  toward  the  rigid  structure  of  the  Nihonga  style  of  painting  that  she  was  taught.  The  “master-disci ple�  tradition  by  which  students  develop  their  talents  through  close  work  with  the  sensei  was  not  for  her  ,  and  she  sought  to  expose  the  world  to  her  originality.  When  asked  about  her  time  in  Kyoto  ,  she  claims  that  she  feels  like  vomiting. Cont.  Next  Page.
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Over  time  ,  Kusama  taught  herself  the  arts  of  cubism  ,  abstraction  and  surrealism  ,  incorporating  her  own  unique  spins  on  the  classic  styles  ,  implementing  the  obscuring  polka  dots  that  had  been  an  integral  part  of  her  artistic  works  since  her  childhood  years.  The  oldest  example  of  this  motif  of  Kusama's  is  a  drawing  from  when  the  artist  was  ten  which  depicts  a  Japanese  woman  ,  presumed  to  be  her  own  mother  ,  nearly  obliterated  by  the  enormous  polka  dots.  Even  all  of  these  years  ,  this  particular  style  still  finds  its  way  into  her  pieces  ,  and  has  since  become  her  trademark. Capitalizing  on  both  her  love  of  art  and  her  ability  to  churn  out  fascinating  pieces  with  surprising  speed  ,  Kusama  began  exhibiting  her  works  in  Japan  and  receiving  critical  acclaim  and  interest  from  the  public.  However  ,  her  wanderlust  drew  her  to  the  teeming  metropolis  of  New  York  City;  with  its  bohemian  ideals  and  artistic  freedom  ,  it  seemed  to  be  an  antithesis  to  her  strict  native  Japan.  Following  a  long  correspondence  with  Georgia  O'Keeffe  ,  which  Kusama  had  initiated  after  buying  and  being  inspired  by  a  book  of  O'Keeffe's  artwork  ,  Kusama  set  out  for  the  Big  Apple  to  continue  her  career  ,where  she  would  spend  over  15  years.  At  the  age  of  27  ,  in  1958  ,  she  began  her  American  endeavors.
Photo  by  Š  iStockphoto  LP  2010.  All  rights  reserved.
Due  to  severe  political  stringency  ,  Japanese  travelers  had  many  restrictions  ,  including  the  amount  of  currency  they  were  allowed  to  bring  out  of  the  country  ,  to  dissuade  them  from  leaving.  Always  the  ingenious  opportunist  ,  Kusama  sewed  bills  into  the  lining  of  her  clothes  and  conquered  the  city  ,  convincing  a  small  gallery  to  stage  an  exhibition  of  her  work.  However  ,  she  soon  fell  on  hard  times:  her  meager  apartment  was  unheated  ,  and  she  describes  winters  as  being  brutal  –  “a  living  hell,â€?  though  she  stayed  up  all  night  sometimes  ,  painting  to  keep  warm  and  to  exorcise  the  demons  of  her  mind  and  expel  the  creative  fervor  raging  inside. Kusama  explains  that  she  has  no  individual  favorite  piece  of  her  own  work  –  that  ,  once  created  ,  it  automatically  becomes  a  favorite  and  that  she  loves  them  all.  Her  inspiration  often  comes  from  her  vivid  hallucinations  and  visions  ,  which  flood  her  mind  on  a  daily  basis  and  drown  out  all  other  sensations  until  she  is  swamped  within  the  atmosphere  of  creative  passion.  The  results  of  these  visions  are  her  strikingly  singular  works  ,  with  their  lurid  colors  and  bold  patterns  ,  reminiscent  of  aboriginal  art  with  their  swirls  and  dots  and  delicate  strings  of  web-like  netting. By  1961  ,  she  was  being  regarded  as  an  innovator  in  the  avantgarde  movement  ,  and  she  was  living  in  the  same  building  as  such  notables  as  Donald  Judd  and  Eva  Hesse.  Though  frequently  hospitalized  for  exhaustion  and  fatigue  brought  on  by  overwork  ,  Kusama  continued  to  delve  into  her  art  ,  inspired  by  the  wild  tempest  of  artists  constantly  milling  around  here  ,  such  as  Warhol  ,  Jackson  Pollock  ,  Roy  Lichenstein  and  Willem  de  Kooning.  By  1966  ,  she  was  creating  enormous  free-standing  that  filled  entire  rooms Cont.  Next  Page. Â
Photography  by  Bopuc  Š  CC  License.  Works  by  Yayoi  Kusama  during  the  Kusamatrix  Exhibition  ,Tokyo  2005.
www.arttourinternational.com January 2013 10 Botero, Fernando “CrucifixiĂłnâ€? 2011, Oil on Canvas 206 x 150 cm. Permanent collection of the Museum of Antioquia in Colombia. Photography Museo de Antioquia Š Copyrights. All rights reserved.
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Botero, Fernando “The Judas Ě Kissâ€? 2010, Oil on canvas 138 x 159 cm. Permanent collection of the Museum of Antioquia in Colombia. Photography Museo de Antioquia Š Copyrights. All rights reserved.
FERNANDO BOTERO Great Painter & Sculptor by Juan David Aguilar Botero
AGITA KEIRI
Arttour International Magazine Top Winner Love Cover Contest� “Masquerade in God’s Garden� by Agita Keiri
Agita Keiri was born in Latvia, where she attended J.Rozentala Riga Secondary School of Art (1991-1997) and the Latvian State Academy of Art, Painting department (enrolled 1997, Bachelor's degree 2001, Master's degree in 2003). In 2011 she completed a master class at Angel Art Academy in Florence, Italy. She has participated in exhibitions since 1997 She has shown work at North Carolina’s Andrew's Art Museum, Toronto Art Expo, and Art Expo New York. Her latest paintings were shown in England in the National Portrait Gallery, the Chelsea Art Fair 2011 (Bohemia Galleries), and in Italy at the Chianciano Biennale and Florence Biennale, where she received Jury’s Honorable Mention. Cont Next Page www.arttourinternational.com
February 2012
“FOR ME, PAINTING IS A REAL NECESSITY; SOMETHING THAT, IF KEPT INSIDE, WILL SUFFOCATE ONE - KILL ONE. FOR ME, WHEN I'M WORKING, ONLY THE CANVAS EXISTS AND MY ONLY CONCERN IS TO LET MY IMAGINATION FLOW NATURALLY AND THAT ALL THE SERIES OF IMAGES COME OUT. MY WORKS ARE NOT CARICATURES –THEY ARE DEFORMATION; AND THAT IS THE ART. IN MY CASE, IT'S MY STYLE�
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January 2013
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ATIM’S TOP 60 MASTERS OF CONTEMPORARY ART 2013 CATALOG OPEN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS!
Over 2.1 Million Readers, 140,000 Youtube, 14,000 Facebook Fans An invaluable international opportunity for artists. ArtTour International, covers Europe and the Americas with over 2.1 million readers, we are dedicated to exposing contemporary art by bringing it to the eyes of collectors, art buyers, dealers, art critics, gallerists and art lovers. Arttour International Magazine Reaches over 2.1 million readers and is present on more than 64 countries around the globe. Our selection of TOP 60 MASTERS will be made by art critics from Italy, Canada and USA among which we have also invited Gallery Directors and Interior Designers. AWARDS Our committee will choose two artworks among the 60 artists included in the catalog and the winning art works will be featured on the front cover of the catalog. Three additional artists will be chosen to participate in an individual “Art 2 Heart� Interview for online broadcast at the ATIM TV Channel www.atimtv.com FOR MORE INFORMATION email: info@arttourinternational.com or LOG ON TO WWW.ARTTOURINTERNATIONAL.COM SUBMISSION DEADLINE: APRIL 30TH 2013 CATALOG RELEASE DATE: MAY 20TH 2013
Contributors April 2013 PRESIDENT / ART DIRECTOR: Viviana Puello Viviana Puello is the founder & Art Director of the ATIM and also the creator of the ATIM TV Channel and the "ART 2 HEART" Interviews. She directs the operations together with Executive Director Alan Grimandi and with the help of our fantastic team. Viviana is the person who supervises the content of our magazine to make sure we meet our standards. She also directs all marketing strategies with the help of our publicists, marketing managers, advertisers and social media managers. Contact via email vp@arttourinternational.com. Phone (800) 807-1167 Ext 107
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / VIDEO GRAPHIC DIRECTOR Alan Grimandi - Ferrara - Italy. As our Executive Director, Alan is the person to approve all negotiations with partners and collaborators. Alan makes sure everything looks fantastic and keeps on top of the latest technology for our videos to make sure they look professional and with the best quality. Responsible for ATIM TV Alan travels with our video team to produce our "Art 2 Heart" Interviews to artists and personalities and for all our event coverage. Contact grimandi@arttourinternational.com Phone (800) 807-1167 Ext 108
MARKETING MANAGER Jessel Violago - Los Angeles - USA. Marketing & Advertising Manager. California Girl! Marketing & Advertising. Charming and joyful brings a special energy to her interviews and lights up our events with her smile. Jessel does research on events and marketing strategies for the magazine. This is the person to contact if you want to place and Ad you may contact Jessel via email at: Jessel.violago@arttourinternational.com Phone (800) 807-1167 Ext 110
GRAPHIC DESIGN DEPARTMENT Humberto José Orozco - Colombia. Web Developer, Graphic Designer. Beto as we call him is the brain behind the ATIM website! He makes sure it is up to date, it looks phenomenal and gets lots of exposure. He also does a lot of our fantastic graphic design for the magazine and marketing department. He's being with ATIM from day one. His company Humberto Orozco Publishing handles Web Designs for lots of important clients. You can contact him at orozco@outlook.com
MANAGING EDITOR / WRITER: Cody LaVada - New York - USA. Performance artist, writer & designer from Upstate New York. Inspired by the dark side of life, Cody’s unique creations are often a macabre amalgam of fashion, passion & theatricality, interwoven with intensely-personal experiences, such as body modification & mental illness. Cody's amazing articles include some of our reader's favorites like the "Yayoi Kusama, Between a Dot and an Art Place" and "The Phantom Phenomenon".
CONTRIBUTING WRITER: Nicholas Hess - Pennsylvania - USA. Nicholas Hess is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, where he received his B.A. in English writing and communications, as well as minors in Italian and theatre arts.
PHOTOGRAPHY Marco Zanotti - Ferrara - Italy. Photographer. Marco is the person behind the wonderful images in all of our events! Marco is part of our team and travels with us for important events when we want the best of the best. You can see his portfolio at www.behance.net/marcozanotti and you may contact him at marcozanotti.fe@gmail.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITER: Alessio Santiago Policarpo - Florence, Italy. Alessio Santiago Policarpo graduated in History of Art at University of Florence, with a thesis on Renaissance painter Sodoma, but has an overall interest in history of painting from XVth to XXthe century He is fond of foreign languages, and he speaks French, Spanish and English fluently. Email: alex7985@msn.com. CONTRIBUTING WRITER: Yadi Roman - New York - USA. Yadi Roman is a film maker and writer of highly personal films. Many of her works reflect on her experiences with psychological disorders of spiritual journey and issues related to time and space in cinema.
CAREERS We have the best, and most creative talent in the media industry — a team of young creators who produce our world-class content, design our state of the art magazine and produce amazing videos for our ATIM WEB T.V. using the latest technologies. If you are interested in getting involved with ATIM, working with us or becoming our partner please contact info@arttourinternational.com
Subscribe today! Get a whole year of Arttour International Magazine!
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Sign up to a subscription to Arttour International Magazine, the fastest growing magazine in the international market with 2.1 million readers! State of the Art Design! Published four times a year, ArtTour International Magazine brings articles of exceptional interest on, personalities, trends and events shaping the international art world in a visually stimulating package full of vibrant images in a stunning design. Order from our online store! WWW.ARTTOURINTERNATIONAL.COM Or find us on
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APRIL 2013 US $ 10.50 - € 8.00
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COVER STORY:
CHRIS
DELLORCO
2013 Crossing People
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ART HEART LILOU with
MACE
New Tongariro Zeland’s Alpine Crossin g
Front Cover: “Nocturne” Oil on Canvas by Chris Dellorco © Copyrights, All rights reserved.
Published by Arttour International Publications Inc. 601 W. 174th Street S 4C New York, NY 10033
© Copyright 2012 Arttour International Magazine. All copyrights are reserved by the authors. The copyrights of all published artwork are retained by the artists. Reproduction of any published material without the written permission of the magazine's publisher is prohibited by law.
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“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” Eleanor Roosevelt April 2013
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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013
Hello Readers! My name is Cody La Vada and I am a resident writer, as well as the Managing Editor for this esteemed and inspirational magazine, ArtTour International. My involvement with this magazine first began in the winter of 2011 where, after a series of online discussions and interviews, I was asked by Viviana Puello, the Art Director, to write an article for the very first edition. Having always wanted to have my work published, I jumped at the offer and wrote an article about one of the most influential pieces of art in my life, the Andrew Lloyd Webber production of “The Phantom of the Opera.” While Viviana was full of praise for my writing abilities, I knew that the magazine was merely in its infancy, and did not expect my career with the magazine to extend far beyond that initial publication; I fully expected someone more talented and sought-after to come along and replace me – after all, I knew that the magazine had immense potential and would surely be attracting some big names. What a surprise it was when I was asked to lend my skills and be involved again! I have since been involved in every publication by writing an article or two on various art-related topics, and helping to edit the articles written by others. This has opened me up to numerous avenues of artistic collaboration and has brought me close to several artists that I greatly admire and am inspired by. That is what is most incredible to me about this magazine: the myriad of artists who have gotten involved in a single year is staggering, not the mention the dedication and loyalty of the vast creative team! The summer of 2012 truly was a defining moment for me, both in terms of my career as well as my own personal life, because I was asked to accompany ATIM to Toronto, Canada to help with the “Art 2 Heart” interviews at the “Limitless Expressions” exhibition within the charming Studio Vogue Gallery. This was a spell-binding few days that stands out vividly in my memory; I met a slew of talented artists, managed to network within them, and had a wonderful time just enjoying a few days with fellow artists whose main goals are to create and inspire. It brings a tear to my eye, remembering the wonder that those few days provided me with – not to mention the sense of fulfillment, since a cut of the proceeds were donated to assist the earthquake victims in Ferrara, Italy. That is another reward of this job: the sense of not only inspiring through art, but also through good deeds, since ATIM and Vivid Arts Network are dedicated to helping out when it comes to social issues – a cause that I myself am very fond of, and proud to be involved with. As the magazine nears the entrance into its second year, I am both awed at how far it has come, and curious to see how much farther it will continue to go. We are launching a revamped website shortly, along with private video channels – we are at 2.1 million+ readers online alone, and the numbers only continue to grow! It is an incredible feeling, to be at the forefront of such an amazing journey, surrounded by talented individuals who care for the realm of art as deeply as I do. I am so honored to be involved, and I count it as a blessing on a daily basis. Here is to another mind-blowing year of success, and to my fellow creative team members, whose diligent work and genius makes all of this possible! Thank you! Cody La Vada Resident Writer/Managing Editor 3/15/2013
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April 2013
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s t n e t n o C ril 2013
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Art 2 Heart with Lilou Mace
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Sestolord
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by Viviana Puello Page 6
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Traversing Time for the Sake of Art: the Genius of the Master Sestolord by Cody LaVada Page 16
Cover Story: Chris Dellorco No Finish Line by Viviana Puello
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Florence Design Week by Alessio S. Policarpo Page 30
les! i f o r 47 P Notre Dame de la Garde t s i t 36 “Good Mother of Marseille, France” Ar h 54 c u o d Da a by Natalia Castaldi Page 36 v a o n i n 55 u T y u na D lvarez 56 n A New Zealand A 42 in ci r t 57 a K Tongariro Alpine Crossing i C tte kurov e l o 58 i Nicholas Hess Page 42 V o n i 59 aya V aje M R 65 Contemporary Art in Florence onal Davidov 60 S by Alessio S Policarpo Page 65 na a i t a rs oque 61 e T t n i R W Nina Marc La 62 63 an Contini Published by Arttour International Publications Inc. 601 W. 174th Street New e J York, NY 10033 © Copyright 2012 Arttour International Magazine. All copyrights fer an i n n are reserved by the authors. The copyrights of all published artwork are retained by 64 e J m e i the artists. Reproduction of any published material without the written permission y N of the magazine's publisher is prohibited by law. John l McKinle Danie
“Art 2 Heart” with
Lilou Mace
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Photography Alan Grimandi. Arttour International Magazine January 2013 6 2013 © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013
The Joy of Living from an Open Heart by Viviana Puello - Marseille, France
Photography Alan Grimandi. Arttour International Magazine 2013 © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
Photography Alan Grimandi. Arttour International Magazine 2013 © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
This interview is the result of the great inspiration transmitted by Lilou Mace. Finding the courage to ask her to take the time from her busy schedule for an “Art 2 Heart” interview for our channel took time, but ultimately the desire to share Lilou Mace's message with our readers, artists and friends lead us to Marseille, France to meet Lilou. She kindly agreed to sit down with us for a few minutes to share her story. Lilou Mace is full of light; there is a glow of beautiful energy all around her and her eyes have the sweet expression of someone truly moving through life out of pure love. She has a very strong presence - kind, gentle and she makes you feel comfortable, totally down to earth. She is quite a celebrity and her story is a great inspiration! Lilou Mace is an internet sensation, author, producer and host of the “Juicy Living Tour,” a show that follows Lilou as she travels the globe interviewing New YorkTimes best-selling authors of motivational and spiritual books. She has touched the lives of over 24 million people who follow her Youtube channel. Lilou Mace is considered one of the fastest-growing Web TV hosts globally. Her videos are translated into many languages for viewers around the globe. Her international guests includes Dr. Wayne Dyer, Neal Donald Walsch, Gary Zukav, Don Miguel Ruiz, Dr. Joe Dispenza, Dr. Carl Calleman, James Redfield, Caroline Myss, Barbara Marx Hubbard, John Gray, Sonia Choquette, Mooji, Bill Tiller, Dr. Joan Borysenko, Dr. John Demartini, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Drunvalo Melchiezedek, Gay Hendricks, Amma, Panache Desai, Don Miguel Ruiz, Debbie Ford and many more. Lilou Mace is also the Co-founder of an online community called “Co-Creating Our Reality: 100-Day Reality Challenge,” which is a community with over 7000+ members in 140 countries worldwide. In April 2009, after losing her job on the 16th of February 2009, as an Internet Marketing Director in London, England, Mace self-published I Lost My Job and I Liked It: 30-Day Law-of-Attraction Diary of a Dream Job Seeker. In Fall 2011, Lilou's book I Had No Money and I Liked It was published by her publishing company www.JuicyLivingPublishing. At the end of October 2012, Cont. Next page
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April 2013
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Photography Muriel Despiau 2013 © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
Photography by Nicholas Hess. Arttour International Magazine © Copyright 2012 All Rights Reserved
her book was launched in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Quebec by Tredaniel Editions. The following is a very heartfelt interview. I hope you read from the heart and benefit from it. There is so much inspiration to take and such great energy to share! Enjoy! Q. This “Art 2 Heart” interview has, by far, been the most intimate and personal that we have ever done. Years ago I started following you through your blog and videos; it has been a while, and it has been a wonderful journey. Can you tell us a bit about that journey? A. I'm delighted to spend this moment with you. For so long, I refused to fully open up to myself and now I've really moved forward. It's so good to be free - it's so good to be ourselves and in our essence and expressing what we are daily. www.arttourinternational.com
April 2013
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Photography Muriel Despiau 2013 © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
I think it's what human beings are for; to be their best expression that they can be. Not best as in “superior,” but as in the full expression of the beauty that we have inside. My journey started back in 2000. I was very interested in personal development. After graduating from a business school, not finding job, and having conflict with my parents, I decided to move to the USA. I have dual citizenship because I have French parents who were born in the US. I moved there when I was about 23, but I encountered the same problems there and I thought: “Maybe it's coming from me. Maybe I have to do a little checking in there.” I did my first personal development seminar in January 2001. A lot of things had opened up. I was crying the second day and I realize that I had never wanted to cry in front of another person or be vulnerable and let that show, and that was the first step. I was in this journey of self-discovery and I Cont. Next page
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April 2013
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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013
wanted to discover more. With two other friends, I decided to practice what we had learned in seminars and said we were going to start a 100 Days Reality Challenge and we were going to create a video blog. And so, I started video blogging about my own journey and people start watching on Youtube. I began receiving encouraging comments, so I thought: “We have to open this up for everybody, because, through (video) blogs you can start to express yourself and receive feedback from others.” I thought that we had something really exceptional here, we were transforming our lives. Oprah Winfrey was airing things in the US on The Secret, and people were trying to start to understand the universal laws and the laws of attraction. Eventually it led me to move from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to a more cultural city where my inspiration, Oprah Winfrey, was living. Shortly after moving to Chicago, I had the privilege to meet her through a series of synchronicities. It happened in a very magical way, and on a soul level. It was such a good feeling; there was something in it that really triggered me and I decided to start interviewing people. I began sharing these interviews in my blog. I also started to encounter losing my job and then having no more money to really dive into the journey - the deep journey of the reopening of the heart. I found out through these interviews and through my own journey that this universe is really made of love; love is the fabric and when we reopen our heart, when we start to really be ourselves and be vulnerable and let go off those hard moments and those experiences and the hardship and start to take responsibility in our lives and forgive and move forward - there is the magic. There is the real shift that happens, and the love every day, little by little – shows up in more and more places and miracles begin to happen every day. I am a testimony to that. You can clearly see it in the book, that there is one thing that leads to the next. It doesn't mean it is easy, but it means that there is less and less of a gap between your highest potential and who you are right now. It feels closer and closer each time; it is very fulfilling on a deep level - really nourishing to the soul because our soul wants to love and share and express itself and enjoy those moments. I think artists can relate a lot to that. Q. Something that touches me a lot about your writings is that you are so real. So here is my next question: how do you get out of being stuck? How do you keep it up in the midst of
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Lilou Mace during a conference. Photography Ian Mind © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
Lilou Enjoying a moment at a book signing. Photography Muriel Despiau 2013 © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
difficult moments? Any advice? You made it, but it took time - it was a process. A. It was a process, and it is still a process, but my relationship with money has completely altered; it is like a paradigm shift. It is a change made from suffering; my mood would depend on what I had in my accounts: if I was stressed, I would go shopping. It was this relationship with money that was really difficult and took up a lot of room in my head. I had a very balanced childhood; my parents had a restaurant, so they always worked very hard. We grew up with all those stigmas that surround money; there are so many thoughts around it about what we are if we have money, or what we are if we have no money. So, after losing my job and then finding out one day that I had no more money in my bank accounts, I came to these conclusions. While living in London - a magnificent city, but very expensive city – I knew that I did not want to go back to my old job. I developed a passion; my passion was to upload videos on Youtube. I already had several million viewers, so I knew that I had something - but how do you go about making a passion your living? It
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ARTTOURINTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONALAPRIL APRIL2013 2013 ARTTOUR
Photography Ian Mind © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
created a lot of fears – mainly fears about money - but it came down to, who am I? If I'm not this BMW two-seater - if I'm not this director of marketing - then who am I? I wanted to end this suffering; it was a choice, and it went too far and I decided to dive into the journey to discover what it would take to liberate myself from that limited view of life. I didn't know where it would lead; my strength was in sharing it on the iPhone and sharing the journey as it was happening, so that's why it is very real when we read it. That's why you're really there with the emotion and that's why some people say when they read the book, “We felt the energy and something went through us.” It's beyond the words because it is exactly what happened in those moments. I can only describe it as a reaping of my heart; because there was so much suffering, I noticed I was hiding behind the superficiality, hiding behind the brands, the shopping. I have always being a happy person, but there were these moments of loneliness and this looking for something outside of me that would love me, that would fill that gap inside. I discovered that I
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wasn't giving myself the love; it was still outside, always outside. We look outside for fulfillment. It is really a simple journey of loving ourselves deeply even with those worries coming up - loving ourselves, those guilts that we have, those fears - for every step of the way, relearning to love ourselves because, once we do that, it grows, and once it grows, it becomes an unconditional journey. The more it becomes unconditional, the more gratitude we feel, and it is gratitude that really took me out of this vicious cycle - finding gratitude for very small things. My mom used to tell me: “You're always unsatisfied; you're always looking for more. There's never enough!” And it's true, now, if I look back; I would appreciate it in the moment, but I would quickly move on. It’s fine to move on, because there's another future and there's other things, but there's also this deep appreciation for a cup of coffee, for having a roof over my head. I had to go back to my parents, to be with my mom and to solve the conflict that I had had with her. In the middle of all of this, I was praying and I was asking, “Bring on the guidance!” You go throughout these highs and lows and it is normal when we have the courage to dive into the journey of it. Cont. Next page
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It doesn't have to be long and painful, but there's a certain acceptance of the moment and an end to wanting to fix other things, the way I fixed my problems with going shopping. Here, you fully go into the emotion of it; you can feel in the book, I went into panic attacks. I even have videos on Youtube where I was sharing my journey when this was happening. I could hardly breathe, and I learned not to make decisions from a point of view based on fear because fear is not a good guide. One must wait until one feels better or a little bit relieved before making decisions because sometimes when we are in fear, we are in a state of panic and we go back to our old ways. We continue to reproduce the same situations. This is a healing journey - to be free, to just be who we are. Once the heart and its love begin this process of acceptance - and when the negative thoughts start rising – you may feel like a frightened child because it is really all in the ego. It is this battling that is uncomfortable, because we think that we are going to find out that there is a monster behind all of the negativity, and that it is going to be something really bad about ourselves that we would rather not discover. When I just accepted it as it is and started removing the mask and having those conversations with friends and telling them that I was going through a hard time, I began choosing and finding the friends that supported me. I started to be myself, and something amazing opened up and that was life. Life is not there to get me; life is not there so that I have a hard time - and it is this shift from a place of fear to a place of love that makes all the difference. You either act on fear or you act from a place of love. Once we are doing it from a loving perspective, even if we don't know how it's going to work or end up, that doesn't matter - as long as we
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do it and we inject love into what we do, there is something that is going to be created. People are going to feel this energy; there will be a response. It is quite tempting to think that this change is because of this, that or the other thing - but no, just the state of being in that high vibration - the vibration of joy - in the following of our intuition – this all leads to something quite spectacular. It has a lot to do with letting go. It may be a lot to let go of, but after practicing, it really becomes a habit. Q. One of the things you mentioned in the book is forgiveness; forgiveness of yourself and of others. It is a process, but there are deeper circumstances that are more meaningful. I know you cannot open up the heart without forgiveness. What message can we give those out there that have difficulty with forgiveness due to serious circumstances? A. When we forgive the other person there is liberation. I had to forgive myself and I forgave my parents just by realizing that they are who they are. There are many levels to see forgiveness. We are not hurting them by not forgiving because they are who they are - those persons are continuing their lives. It's all about us; we keep on hurting ourselves, we keep on punishing ourselves. There are some things that happen to us that are so unfair, and that just do not make sense: why would a child be abused, for example? And yet these things happen, and are part of society. I am not about positivism or about closing the eyes to things that go wrong on the planet; I am all about sharing real circumstances of people that went through them. I find that super inspiring for other people. The same is true for Oprah Winfrey; she was raped, and look at where she is at. Of course, it's
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probably still an issue she's working on, for sure - but she has, little by little, opened up and heard and talked to some other people and learned the power of forgiveness. I've interviewed this French author, Jacques Salome, who is very famous in France. He wrote nearly 60 books on love, on the courage to be yourself, on forgiveness. He advised this woman, whose husband was saying that she had no sexuality and that she was frigid. She was feeling very abused mentally so he advised her to write a letter back to him and to find an object that would represent how her husband was treating her. She found a Barbie doll with a cross on the sex that represented the insults of no sexuality. She gave her husband this doll with a letter saying that this belonged to him – that it was his own problem and issue. It takes a big soul; I mean, it takes a lot of courage to do these things, especially the more hurt you are. But you do what you must to free yourself and your soul - give back to that certain person with compassion, humility and love. It demands a lot, but it will free you up. The other person is not going to change because you're making them wrong. You're reducing and limiting your life. I think that behind every single challenge there is actually something on the other side that is as bright as it was hard. It is hard to see but there's this equivalent - you know this universe is in harmony, so there is something as beautiful and magnificent behind it. But until we are stuck in the challenge of losing our job, of not having enough money, of having a disease, of having been raped or abused – we are stuck in that, and we become victims and we lose our power. So behind those challenges, there is something huge – that is why I said that I liked it. It was a hard moment, but I liked the lesson - the joy of everything that seems so small. If I didn't have that, I wouldn't be that free and happy and living really on purpose and getting a real kick out of life every day. I have suffered; I had moments of total despair. I am 36 now and I feel as though from 15 until 32 I was behaving like an adolescent, being really tough on my parents, making them wrong. It is incredible, all this anger - all these things that we can carry, but that is why I am moved now to be able to just let go and be free to speak and to feel and to love. There are some huge gifts behind just being willing to open up and discover how juicy and amazing life can be. Just this shift of perception and this questioning is a step toward being continuously open to miracles that happen and to discovering new things. The moment
learn this, we stop. So why not find out something different and do something different? Q. Being, doing, having? How did you open up your eyes to that? A. I'm all about being now so it's kind of hard to go back three years and to remember, but I can recall that I was into the doing, doing, doing. There was a lot of masculine energy. We all have masculine and feminine energy, and I had a lot. I'm a power house I have so much energy, I could move mountains, I could move walls, I could conquer, I could bring sales. I've been raised independent and street smart: you put me on the street and I will make it… and I don't need you! I can make it on my own! (laughs) But I found out that I was actually trying to open closed doors, and I was getting a kick out of that. At one point, I discovered that I might as well open those doors that are presented to me; the ones that are opened already and just simply waiting for me to walk through. The state of beingness, to me, is inspired by the beautiful dolphins in Hawaii. When I did some interviews in Hawaii, they were the ones that showed me that the state of beingness is the most important thing, and that by following our intuition - by going to a meeting, or responding to an email, or meeting that person, or driving six hours to do this interview – that there is something magic that happens. We don't exactly even know why most of the time, but we just do it. Sometimes I don't even know why I am supposed to do an interview, and then I discovered once I do the interviews just by showing up! The dolphins taught me to just be there, and from the moment we are there, then something happens and is not a question of doing at all. Although I am a hard worker, I am not one for a “to do” list. I work long hours; I mean, I put two thousand videos online it is a lot of work since I am without a big team. It is a lot of work, but I do it from a place of love and of wanting to discover, to inspire, to assist. The doing is there but it comes from me being in love with life, from being happy and joyful and empowered and inspired. I set an intention this morning, before our meeting, that I would like to have this joyful conversation that really inspired people - as we did and this creates a context. In my book, I share the declaration I created in 2003; each time I would read a book, I would add a quote and it created a document. I was reading it every day. And it was like Cont. Next page
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positive brain washing. And when I read it now, it's all there. I mean, my life is like that. At the begging, I was reading it and I'm getting the true feel of it, and that vibration brought so many things. Impatience or wanting to know how it will come about is also a form of doubt that needs to be eliminated. So then the journey is not back and forth, up and down - but it's more of a straight line - and not a boring straight line, but, as Sonia Choquette puts it: “Traveling at the speed of love. It's like traveling first class, because it's not with the detours of the doubts. If we follow our intuition, life has ups and downs anyway. If things are not moving forward, there's a good reason for that too.” For those six months that I had to go back to my parents, things would not move forward for me. It was because I needed to heal all this; I needed to have this time to just relax and to learn about myself. Sometimes, when I am out traveling, life forces me to just stop for a few days. Now I listen to those cycles and I find this perfect balance and harmony. Q. What's coming up next for Lilou? A. After this challenge with money, I started healing those aspects and loving and enjoying and being grateful even for the small things. I started to real live that journey of the heart and I decided to start the “Juicy Living Tour.” It was a 12 month tour in 2011 between Mexico, Canada and the USA interviewing people in their natural environment - in their power place. This tour was made possible through the donations of viewers, because it didn't feel right to find advertisers and sponsors and all that. This was a TV show that I had proposed to the Oprah Winfrey Network because my desire was to create a show for Oprah Winfrey and to work with her. I went through this audition and had actually moved to the US for five months because I had to be a resident to take part in this. Thousands and thousands of people all around the US participated in this event. I ended up going all the way to Atlanta. There were 15 people in my group; we had 15 seconds each to share our dreams – a very brief time. In that moment, I was in tears; I really felt so strongly about my dreams that I couldn't even find words. That was how deep my love was and how clear I was on this; it was not so much the clarity but the finding out that this is really what I want to do in life – travel and interview people. I felt so strongly that I couldn't fit it all into a mere 15 seconds. When I realized there were no cameras and that it was not so much an audition as a
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Lilou Mace being interviewed by ATIM Art Director Viviana Puello Photography Alan Grimandi. Arttour International Magazine 2013 © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
means to share ideas, I almost gave up, because I had fears about public speaking. But I went through with it, and thanks to those five months there was a huge quantum leap because that's when I discovered the concept for the “Juicy Living Tour” and decided that I was going to do it anyway because of how dedicated I was to the idea. When I began accepting donations, I had only 3 thousand dollars and I didn't even know how I would begin the interviews that I wanted to have. I bought a computer with one-third of my money – with one thousand dollars, I bought this Mac on the 10th of January (I remember because I started on January 11th - I love the number 11!) and boom! A donation of the same amount that very night was given, without doing a video blog or anything! I found out from that moment that I was really living my dream. Originally, I began doing interviews on Skype, but once I worked up the courage to do the interviews in person - which is far more intimate - it was on a whole new level. So the “Juicy Living Tour” was a full miracle for 12 months! Meeting Wayne Dyer, Neil Donald Walsch, Don Miguel Ruiz and other really amazing authors - people that are not known that really helped to make the shift as things fell into place. The “Juicy Living Tour” became the “Juicy Living Tour, Europe,” last year in 2012. I've done 14 countries; Italy and Spain are next and so are many more. Eastern Europe, too; there's no limit. I also have a goal to provide the videos in as many languages as possible. The book is in Japan and India. It has been like living a dream, but a dream that is very real – that is as good as I can describe it.
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I have begun doing conferences and meeting people, sharing and connecting, and that's what's unfolding. I'm letting it unfold; I do it from this pure intention of wanting to help and be there and have fun in the process. There is always room for more healing; the journey is never through. There is always something we are working on. We will see where this leads, but I can see that, in the future, is something fun, bright and even more beautiful, that will bring even more joy for me and for others; it is a cocreation! Q. Any last message: A. Have the courage now to do this job; it is many steps, but each is important: the steps of really wanting to live in this unity and paradigm, of going from a world of fear, competition, separation, feeling alone - to one of collaborating, sharing, working all together - these are nice words but it's for our own benefit too, it helps the world, it helps humanity, but it helps us to live a better life. When we love
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ourselves, we create a better world. It is not an egoistic love at all - it is really the feeling of being content, happy, grateful, loving, kind. It's really this gentleness that arises if you have those doubts, if you catch yourself saying, “No that's not for me, that's for somebody else, that's because it's her‌â€? - all of those are separation. If I did it, you can do it. It's time to see in others the greatness that we have in ourselves and to stop comparing and just open the heart. Start to view life - the sunset, the people, our friends, our loved ones - not with critical or judgmental separation, but with gentleness and with openness and without a barrier. Turning out the mental and listening and there you benefit fully from the other person and what they're bringing. Whatever you do, do it from a place of love - do it with passion, and things will really take place on their own. It is a magnificent journey.
http://www.liloumace.com/
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Sestolord
Photography by Marco Zanotti for Arttour International Magazine 2013 Š Copyrights. All rights reserved.
For the Sake of Art: the Genius of the Master Sestolord by Cody LaVada - New York, USA
Certainly one of the most enigmatic artists of the modern era, whose creative masterpieces have only recently become accessible to the public at his own behest, would have to be the mysterious Sestolord. Over time, as his name becomes more widely-recognized, his influence continues to grow and interest in his artwork blossoms. Cont. Next page
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April 2013
Photography by Marco Zanotti for Arttour International Magazine 2013 © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
Photography by Marco Zanotti for Arttour International Magazine 2013 © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
“Albrizzi Palace is the Venetian Center of Italian-German Association and they proposed to the Gallery to participate in a complete connection between Lord Byron and Goethe through the literary and artistic role of Master Sestolord. The result is a great success, as a cultural bridge that combines faraway countries, different point of views, distant ages. It was really gorgeous to have the opportunity to present Master Sestolord book and paintings within the same walls that long time ago heard the voice of Lord Byron creating, discussing and reading his masterpieces!” Giulia Spagnesi, Curator Exhibition “Ricordi dalle Lettere e Pensieri di Lord Byron Reivocati da Sestolord in Grafite”
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Already, in but a few brief years, the wonderful artist has managed to amass a following of fans and admirers that dote over his works and are inspired by his creations. There is no doubt that his name, in this incarnation anyway, will live on – persist in the way that the artists he so admired have also endured. Sestolord’s career has been shrouded in mystery, and as the layers are unveiled, this promising artist’s elusive life greatly intrigues his audience. Sestolord makes no public appearances, and even his identity remains a mystery. Anonymity seems to be vital to him, so that his essence remains alive purely through the works that he has created. His most recent alias, Sestolord, was adopted in 2010, in honor of his beloved writer, Lord Byron. Indeed, he owes much to Byron, since it is the late poet who inspired Sestolord to create his most recent book, which spawned the acclaimed exhibition that shot Sestolord into the public eye. The 27graphite art works in many galleries throughout Arma di Taggia, Turin and Florence. What is known is that the artist was born in Paris in the 1960s to a family with Italian ancestry. After numerous courses that honed his love for the arts, literature, culture and Cont. Next page
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“Palazzo Albrizzi Carnevale” Extract
from
the
l e t t e r:
TO
MR.
MOORE. Rome, May 12th 2013.
“...Of Rome I say nothing; It is quite indescribable, and the Guide-Book is as good as any other . . . “
“I went some days ago to the top of the
Alban Mount, which is superb ...”
“Simply marvelous and inspiring, A great literary research and accomplishment! Sestolord transports us to the past and takes us to experience moments in time lived by Lord Byron during his travels in Italy. Every drawing, every word, evokes feelings and emotions that transcend the intellect and embrace the ways of spirit and touches our souls. He will indeed be a recognized name among the master artists of this era” Viviana Puello, Art Director. Arttour International Magazine
anthropology – at universities that spanned through France, Italy, Switzerland and Southeast Asia – Sestolord earned a Master’s Degree in Humanities, validating his talents and the skills that his courses instilled within him. He is a member of the “Societe des Gens de Lettres de France,” and also the founder of “Identite Unique” – a group that combats discrimination around the world, such as gender inequality. One of Sestolord’s most enduring loves within the world of art has been with the poet, Lord Byron. For over 20 years, Sestolord has been meticulously studying the travels, works and life of Byron, nearly dedicating his life and art to the memory of the English poet. Sestolord pays particular interest to the travels and correspondence of Byron, as evinced by his most recent art exhibition: “Memories from Letters & Thoughts of Lord Byron Evoked by Sestolord with Graphite.” This exhibition was motivated by a series of Byroninspired drawings by Sestolord which chronicle the poet’s Italian travels and the liaisons that took place during the intervening months of his stay in Italy. www.arttourinternational.com
Rather than adhering to strict biographical content, Sestolord ignores the canonic and concentrates his artistic energies on recreating the social and interpersonal relationships that Byron created while in Italy during his stay at such magnificent places as Milan, Bologna, Rome, Este, Bagnacavallo, Pisa, Livorno, Albaro and, of course, beautiful Venice. Sestolord makes it possible for those who view his art to be transported back into the past and travel side by side with Byron as he ventures through Europe on his creative pursuits! Despite focusing on the social atmosphere of Byron’s life, such as his involvement with many literary notables like Percy and Mary Shelley, Lady Blessington and Goethe, Sestolord very rarely depicts the human form in his artwork. Indeed, Byron himself is never once represented in any of Sestlord’s works – rather, his essence is hinted at and created on the canvas by suggestion – a frequent motif o. Instead of deliberately rendering his human subjects, Sestolord fills his canvases with objects and places that they inhabited or were involved with – theaters, buildings, writing desks, carriages – tangible objects that linger through time long after those who enjoyed them have died, much like works of art. Indeed, Sestolord’s works of art do certainly seem to allow us to step through the page and back into the 1700-1800s; you can almost hear Byron expounding his poetry. In 2011, after several years of intense research on the works and travels of Byron, Sestolord completed a book compiling 27 of his Byron-inspired works. It was a deeply personal and introspective journey that brought Sestolord April 2013
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“The carriage leaves Switzerland Illuminated by the Torrent” Extract
from
the
l e t t e r:
TO
MR.
MURRAY, Martingny, October 9th 1816
“Thus far on my way to Italy. We have just
passed the ‘Pisse-Vache’ (one of the first torrents in Switzerland) in time to view the iris with the sun flings along it before noon.
“Palazzo Albrizzi Carnevale”
Extract from the letter: TO MR. MOORE. Rome, May 12th 2013.
“...Of Rome I say nothing; It is quite indescribable, and the Guide-Book is as good as any other . . .
“I went some days ago to the top of the Alban Mount, which is superb ...”
incredibly close to his muse. He engaged in the same travels as Lord Byron, visiting the same countries and dabbling in the same experiences as Byron. In this was, the book serves not only as a testament to the enduring power of friendship, emotion and travel – but also serves as a biographical work that links Sestolord to Byron forever. This book was later was expanded to become the exhibition in Venice. Venice was always a very special place for Lord Byron, and Sestolord dedicated six entire canvases to the poet’s stay in his beloved city. In fact, the city proved to be so integral to the continuation of this artistic collaboration between the living and the dead that it was within Venice that this acclaimed exhibition was held. The Venetian Center of ItalianGerman Association with headquarters at Palazzo Albrizzi has created an intimate and gorgeous exhibit that exemplifies the beautiful union between three brilliant artists: Sestolord, Byron and Goethe. The exhibition itself has been titled “Goethe and Byron: European Travelers in Search of the Classic Myth” and is running until mid-April. It houses two simultaneous exhibits, both free of charge, which www.arttourinternational.com 19
showcase the wonders of Byron and Goethe within the majestic palazzo that Byron once was so fond of; if one listens, one can almost hear his voice reverberating through the walls. The “Drawing Around the Clock – Italian Drawings of Goethe” exhibit was made possible thanks to various contributors and the Goethe House of Rome. Running parallel is Sestolord’s own exhibition which venerates the genius of Byron, rendered in Sestolord’s graphite scrawling art pieces. His canvases are small in size, but great in their scope and important, for they not only convey images, but also ideas, personalities, spirits and histories. Their size demands that you acknowledge their presence: you must get up close to them, peer at the scratchy line-work that at first resemble mere sketches – but upon inspection blossom into much more detailed works of brilliance that chronicle the epistles and adventures of Sestolord’s idol. You are able to get near his work and examine it deeply, reading the geography of the lines and interpreting it as you so desire. Cont. Next page
April 2013
ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013 Moments of Admiration from the public during the opening reception of the exhibition and presentation of the book “Ricordi dalle lettere e pensieri di Lord Byron Rievocati da Sestolord in Grafite”
Francy Petriccione, Director Galerie Sestolord Memorie Blu Oltremare
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The exhibition was intimate and personal, displaying the 27 works of art from Sestolord’s book, with lush music being played live as you strode through the palazzo; it truly created an elegant mood that brought the spirit of Byron and Goethe alive, resurgent from their past. ArtTour International representatives were on the scene for the beautiful exhibit, basking in the wonders that were laid out for a trip into the past. The themes that the artworks touched on varied from travel to knowledge of the arts and literature. It was a variegated show that effortlessly introduced the public to the virtuosity of Sestolord, while simultaneously forming a union between the intervening years of the past and present, creating a seamless marriage that allowed artists from different eras to be together in a way never believed to be possible. The result was a magical journey through the past that was sustained thanks to the ethereal world of art. Sestolord is represented by Galerie Sestolord, Memorie Blu Oltremare, which is located in Paris. The Director, Francy Petriccione, helped to make Sestolord’s most recent exhibition possible. The name of his gallery has many elusive meanings – as mysterious as the artist himself. The Italian word “memorie” is used to refer to bygone times and the ties Sestolord feels to the past, especially the Classical and Romantic eras. “Blu” represents both the artist’s favorite color, and the color that is supposed to represent purity, the soul and water. Then “oltremare” refers to the ocean and Sestolord’s love of travel it also it is the word that signifies the importance of crossing physical and mental limits. It is a detailed and specific name for a company indeed, with as many riddles as Sestolord’s identity. Sestolord’s brilliance, however, is not confined to the realm of art. No, in 2011 the brand “SESTOLORD” was established, which specializes in high fashion clothing and jewelry inspired by his artwork. Each piece comes complete with the brand’s logo – a vast looping signature of the master himself emblazoned upon the fabric. Viewings are incredibly exclusive and often available by invite-only or through appointments, for the products are highly prized, sought after and desired. It seems difficult to believe that a few years ago the name Sestolord was cloaked by obscurity when it is now garnering so much attention and acclaim – everything from art work to books to high fashion apparel. While so much about this master artist remains hidden behind mystery, one thing seems certain: his genius will continue to shine far into the future and endure indelibly like the names of his idols. April 2013
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CHRIS DELLORCO No Finish Line
by Viviana Puello - Florence, Italy
Originally from Los Angeles, California, Chris Dellorco is known for his notable work in film, children's’ products and books. He is most particularly recognized for his work with Disney, including, among many others, the covers for "The Lion King" and “Lilo and Stitch.” He has also illustrated many award-winning movie posters, including “Conan the Barbarian,” “Revenge of the Nerds,” and “Coming to America.” Cont. Next page
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“Contemplation” Oil on Canvas by Chris Dellorco © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
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actors and rock musicians, to writers, artists and film directors. Journalists have actually likened this particular time in Laurel Canyon to being similar to Paris in the 20s, with so many artists of different mediums all connecting at the same time and influencing each other; there have even been several books written on the subject. I think that this unusual surrounding allowed me to view a career as a creative person as something that was viable. It was not an imaginary dream but, instead, something that I saw as a normal way to earn a living. In fact, it was more unusual to find a more conventional job among my friends’ parents than a creative one.
I have long been a huge fan of Dellorco's work. This year we have the opportunity to enjoy an exhibition of his works in Florence during the "In the Mids" International Exhibition organized by Vivid Arts Network and hosted at the Auditorium al Duomo from March 23rd to April 4th, 2013 – the wonderful “Art of Innovation” Exhibition. He is an amazing artist, entirely self-taught and I came away very inspired after having learned so much during this interview. Dellorco's work "Ode to Joy" was published on the back cover of our February 2012 issue, it being one of the top two winners of ATIM’s art contest in 2012. Since then, we have had many requests from our readers to bring him back, so here he is! We present to you "Grace," published on the cover of ArtTour International Magazine's April issue, coinciding with Dellorco's exhibition in Florence. In this interview, Dellorco shares his trajectory as a painter. Read on to know more about him in our exclusive interview. Q. Where are you from? Can you tell me about your background as a child, and what it was like growing up? A. I grew up in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, in an area called Laurel Canyon. Laurel Canyon was a very unique environment. Most of its residents were creative people, ranging from famous www.arttourinternational.com
Q.You graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in Developmental Economy and then went on to establish a very successful career as a commercial artist. Can you tell us a bit about that development? A. I’ve always had two sides to me: a very intellectual academic side, and a very artistic creative side. I’m definitely equal parts right and left brain (unlike most artists, who tend to be mostly right brain). Despite my youth in the creative center of Laurel Canyon, initially the left side of the brain had influenced my direction. I loved learning and U.C. Berkeley was the top university on the West Coast of America. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Berkeley and couldn’t be happier that it expanded my knowledge of the complex way that the world functions (particularly in the area of economics). However, after I received my Bachelor’s Degree, I longed to return to my creative side. While I attended U.C. Berkeley, I had been doing posters for the oncampus concerts, some of which had major rock bands, like Santana. I used these pieces as my first portfolio and returned to Los Angeles to pursue an advertising art career. Unfortunately, most art directors were not impressed by my early samples. Some even suggested that I attend art school to develop my skills. However, I was stubborn and determined. At that time, airbrush was the most popular medium for advertising, so I focused my energies on developing my skills with the airbrush. While working full-time at an art store, I would create samples on weekends until, eventually, I had a portfolio that could generate work. After several years, I had established myself in the film industry, doing posters for many major films. An illustrator friend of mine had been doing some work Cont. Next page
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“Protection” Oil on Canvas by Chris Dellorco © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
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“You must be the harshest judge of your own work because, if you are difficult to please, then when a piece pleases you, it is likely that it will please others. There isn’t a piece of art that I’ve done that I haven’t aggressively criticized and tried to improve upon. To me, that is what makes art exciting; there is no finish line.” Chris Dellorco
“Hope” Oil on Canvas by Chris Dellorco © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
for Disney and recommended me to them. My first piece for Disney was a disaster. I painted it with the dramatic lighting and shadows that I used for my movie posters. Fortunately, the art directors at Disney let me try again and I began to understand the fun, playful style of the “Disney look”, instead of the dark, dramatic look that I had originally done for them. Disney began to use me so much that I hired three assistants and created a studio just for the Disney work. My studio was responsible for almost all of Disney’s video covers for many years.
Q. You are completely self-taught, and as a commercial artist you have specialized in motion pictures and children's products. You have worked with renown companies like Disney, Coca Cola, Universal Studios and Mattel, to name a few. In the entertainment field, you have illustrated numerous movie posters which include “The Marrying Man,” “Coming to America,” and “The Firm.” You received the Silver Medal Award at The Hollywood Reporter Key Art Awards for the Cont. Next page
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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013 “Grace” Oil on Canvas by Chris Delllorco © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013 “Nocturne” Oil on Canvas by Chris Dellorco © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
poster “Eating Raoul,” First Place for your work on “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” Second Place for “Snow White,” and Finalist for “Aladdin - Prince of Thieves.” You also were a finalist for the prestigious Belding Award. How does this all blend in with your final art work which is just as amazing as your commercial work? A. The demands of being a successful advertising illustrator are very high. It is a very competitive field and you are forced to have your art reviewed by very obsessive professional art directors. To succeed, you must constantly raise the level of your art to please these very demanding art directors, or they will find an artist who can. Having maintained the high level of quality that is expected in the commercial art field for many years has created the same desire in me to display that discipline in my fine art. I think that I, unconsciously, treat each painting that I create in fine art as if the collector of that piece is the obsessive art director, looking for mistakes. I think that this attention to detail is one of the aspects of my work that distinguishes it. I often meet a collector who has purchased my work several years later. One of the sentiments that I often hear from www.arttourinternational.com
them is that they constantly see new aspects of the work as they have lived with it and viewed it over time. I feel that the detailed aspect of my work is what allows the viewer to find new elements to understand and connect with. Q. Do you think that your education had an influence on the diversity of media you work with today? A. I would say that my education and my wider understanding of the world (from having a more academic background in college) have created an interest in the historical aspects of the architecture that I paint. I don’t only see the buildings as attractive landmarks, but rather as living historical elements with their own individual stories. I think that this interest in history and economics brings a greater depth to how I use the architecture and which buildings I choose for each painting. Their stories become part of the meaning of the painting. Q. What bridges the works that you have created in differing media? A. There are certain aspects of advertising art and fine art that are similar; however, the goals of April 2013
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each are very different. Both styles require a strong sense of color, well defined composition, structure and attention to a high level of detail. There are many techniques that are present in movie posters that create a strong visual impact that I have used in my fine art oil paintings; for example, a strong central element to draw the viewer into the image, and then the use of secondary images to allow the viewer’s gaze to wander around the art. Also, the use of dramatic lighting to create emotion and drama in an image are techniques that I employ in both mediums. However, there is also a huge difference in the goals of each medium. In advertising art, the goal of the artist is to tell the entire story to the viewer in order to attract the viewer to the product or film. For example, if I did a movie poster, I want the poster to clearly tell the audience exactly what the movie is about, so that they will want to see the film. There is no ambiguity in the art; it needs to be very clear what the message is. But, when doing fine art, the opposite is true; while you want to excite the viewer’s imagination, you want to leave room for them to create their perceptions of the art. It is ambiguity that is paramount to the success of the image. Allowing a viewer to interpret the story that is being told is the goal of fine art. This is the most exciting aspect of truly great fine art: the stimulation of the audience’s imagination so that the audience can create its own understanding of the art’s significance. Commercial art decides what the questions are and supplies the answers. Fine art should provoke questions but not provide answers. Q. How did your early work differ from what you are doing now? A. I have to consider my early work to be work that I did about 9 years ago, since that is when I started my fine art career. I won’t include my commercial art, because it is completely different than my fine art. My early work was similar to my current work, but the elements were different. I had an idea to paint very average looking tourists at spectacular European landmarks, done in a classical painting style. I wanted to juxtapose the common with the uncommon. However, when I showed these to galleries and an audience, the art was not understood and, unfortunately, received little response. I wanted to stay true to the images that I wanted to paint, but I felt that if the audience did not understand my images, then I was not succeeding in properly communicating. So I decided to juxtapose figurative nudes against the backdrops of powerful architecture. I felt that I could
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still show the frailty of the human body in contrast to the monumental architecture, but with an image that the audience could comprehend more easily, which is the nude or semi-nude female form. Recently, I’ve expanded my style to explore more simplified backgrounds. Instead of using architecture, I am examining the contrast between a smooth, minimally-textured realistic figure, and a highly textured (almost three dimensional) abstract background. This puts the focus to an even greater degree on the figure, by allowing the background to be much less literal. Thus, it allows the viewer even more latitude in imagining the relationship of the figure to the background. I’m certain that I will continue to paint architectural backdrops, but this adds another dimension to my work, by taking the emphasis off of the literal structures. Q. How did you begin working with commercial galleries? A. I began showing my work at outdoor art shows in Los Angeles. Los Angeles is a wonderful city because it allows you occasional access to celebrities. At these shows, I was able to meet collectors and create fans. At the Beverly Hills Art Show, Michael Jackson came to my booth and purchased art. At the Malibu Art Show, I was able to meet film director, James Cameron, who directed “Titanic” and “Avatar.” He purchased a large number of prints. These shows gave me confidence and some notoriety, which I was then able to use to interest art galleries. However, it is important to find the right gallery to match your art. It wouldn’t make sense for me to show in a gallery that only carried abstracts, for example. An artist needs to find a gallery that appeals to the same buyers that would normally be interested in their art. Q. What works did you have in your first solo show? A. I had both the images of tourists and architecture and the art with the female figure. The first image that I did of the female figure was entitled “Isolation.” It immediately sold at my first show, and still continues to be one of my most popular limited editions. It was at this show that I was able to see how much stronger the reaction was to the paintings of the female figure. This was an important opportunity to observe the response of my audience to the art to help me determine my direction. I still find shows very useful in gauging responses to my art from viewers, which then can help me move into new directions. Cont. Next page
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Q. How have your expectations changed over the years? A. I don’t think that my expectations have changed very much. My goals have always been the same - to produce art that I am proud of and to enjoy the actual act of painting; both of which I feel I have succeeded at. While it is important to make a good living as an artist, this is more a result of being an artist and not my actual goal. As long as I enjoy sitting every day, putting a brush on canvas and producing a piece of work that I am proud to sign my name to, I feel fulfilled. The goal of making money from art is to allow an artist to produce more art. The goal of making art should never be to allow an artist to produce more money. Of course, I always try to push the art to a higher level and explore some new aspects of expression, but each day I find myself very content with the opportunity to have a career as an artist. Q. What do you consider to be the key factors to a successful career as an artist? A. Work, work and more work. I don’t think that there is any substitution for work and discipline. There is no other way to perfect and progress your skill than hard work. A lot of creative people dream of
being able to have a career in the arts, but that is something that doesn’t happen on its own or through luck. It is the result of many years of hard work and marketing. I wish that there was a shortcut, but, at least for me, every aspect of my career has been a result of discipline and focus. I think that another aspect of success as an artist is the ability to criticize your art. There is nothing wrong with being proud of the work that you are doing, but it is equally important to be able to understand what is working in a piece and what isn’t. You need the ability to disengage from your art and view it as if it weren’t yours. From that vantage point you have to be willing to see what needs improving, or if it just isn’t working at all. You must be the harshest judge of your own work because, if you are difficult to please, then when a piece pleases you, it is likely that it will please others. There isn’t a piece of art that I’ve done that I haven’t aggressively criticized and tried to improve upon. To me, that is what makes art exciting; there is no finish line. You can always improve, always explore new avenues. That is why I’m still excited every morning when I wake up to start a new piece, because I know that there will be a new challenge to conquer. What could be more exciting than that?
Morton Lancaster Nature inspired creations! Fine Craftsmanship, Beautiful Woods. Every sculpture is made from a single peace of wood. Publications: International Contemporary Masters Vol.6 by World Wide Art Books, 2012 Rocking Horse, Cherry Wood, 11” Height
WWW.MORTONLANCASTERJR.COM www.artavita.com ContactEmail: mlancasterjr@gmail.com
ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013 ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013 Photography courtesy of Florence Design Week 2013 © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
FLORENCE DESIGN WEEK Florence design week is a display of show cases designed to further develop and save the historical, cultural heritage of the city through Botero, Fernando “Ex - of hundreds international, unique exhibitions. voto” 1970, Oil on canvas 240 x 192 cm. The showcase takes in the historical center of the city of Florence, and in the area of Le Murate, a fifteenth century walled-in complex, that also served as a prison for a century, until recovered by well known architect Renzo Piano.
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Photography courtesy of Florence Design Week 2013 Š Copyrights. All rights reserved.
Captivating & Intriguing By Alessio Santiago Policarpo - Florence, Italy One of the most captivating and intriguing events in the Florentine cultural scene is no doubt Florence Design Week, that closed its third edition last year with an excellent increase in presence (+15%), amounting to 30,152 visitors. This year the fourth edition will take place from May 22nd to 26th, when an even greater success is expected. This event is dedicated to exhibiting items and works by the most brilliant interior designers, artists, architects, graphics and stylists from all around the world. All their creations are characterized by a very high quality, due to an authentic
artistic inspiration aimed at c o m b i n i n g f u n c t i o n a l i t y, modernity and elegance. Besides being the right occasion to discover refined and esthetically attractive items and inventions, this festival holds its status as a springboard to young talents always in the front line with cutting edge, innovative and original solutions. As the uncontested capital of beauty and history, Florence provides the best international tendencies in contemporary art, design and fashion with the ideal background to meet and interact with each other, giving life to superb exhibitions.
On this occasion we met Marta Mandolini, an expert specializing in art and design p s ych o l o g y, c o - fo u n d e r o f Florence Design Week and event curator for this festival. She accepted to answer our questions. Q. The last edition’s t h e m e wa s C o n n e c t i n g Time, implying the idea of a l i n k b e t we e n p a s t a n d future. What will the 2013 edition be about? On which criteria did you base your selection? In which way will the underlying theme find reflection in the works being shown to the audience? Cont. Next page
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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL APRIL APRIL 2013 2013 ARTTOUR Photography courtesy of Florence Design Week 2013 © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
Photography courtesy of Florence Design Week 2013 © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
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A. This year the theme is Crossing People. People come together and get in touch with each other’s experiences and wishes through a twine of events where different styles intermingle to shape a new design culture. That is more or less what accounts for the “peak” of this edition. The theme was picked up quite spontaneously. Or rather, it was the natural evolution of the experience from last year, when visitors gathered with the protagonists of Florence Design Week 2012. They scattered during the day and met again at night, even for a happy hour, sharing their experiences and doing network. Along with new collaborations and contacts – some of which of international bearing the event produced a fruitful style contamination. Florence offers a magnificent setting in May, which gives its distinctive character to a Festival that, far from being impersonal and cold, is perceived as a 360 experience: a mix of business, culture and entertainment. The involved designers and artists are
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Q. Which prestigious locations in Florence will be the framework of this Festival? Which kind of relation and interplay do you want to create between historic places and works on exhibition? A. Among the illustrious and culturally relevant locations where the Festival will take place a special mention is deserved for National Central Library, Bardini Museum, Bombicci Guicciardini Strozzi Palace, Murate Compound, the National Archive, Minerva Grand Hotel, Borghese Palace, Oblate Library and Palagio di Parte Guelfa, where the Florence Design Week inauguration will occur. Spot by spot, the effect at stake will be determined both by the content of each intervention and the theme on display in each location. Design is aimed at expressing the national culture of each designer and artist. Art proves therefore to be a vehicle of awareness, in the extreme thirst for contemporary culture shown by a town which, beyond its past, is bound to yield day after day a significant contribution to contemporaneity.
Photography courtesy of Florence Design Week 2013 Š Copyrights. All rights reserved.
invited to freely interpret the relevant theme transposing it into outfits and works while taking part to related activities as far as it goes: exhibitions, conferences, workshops, happy hours, buffets and etc.
Q. We know that Palazzo Borghese as well as Hotel Minerva will host interesting exhibitions. Do you feel like quenching our curiosity with some previews? A. Well, that will be a surprise! I just can say that is not without reason that we have chosen these locations: Palazzo Borghese is an ancient aristocratic residence, dating back to the XVth century. In the XIXth century it became the first casino in Florence, Cont. Next page
Information: www.florencedesignweek.com/
Photography courtesy of Florence Design Week 2013 Š Copyrights. All rights reserved.
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Photography courtesy of Florence Design Week 2013 © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
and thereafter an elegant private club, which is still there. Competing with a historical context of such a rank is both a challenge and It’s really a competition and honor for contemporary artists to compete with a historical context like that. The second location, Grand Hotel Minerva, overlooks Santa Maria Novella Square, and it is a concrete example of marriage of art and design. In fact inside the hotel it’s possible to discover interventions of reorganization due to famous architects Scarpa and Detti. It’s possible to enjoy one sculpture and some lithographs by Emilio Scarpa too. Q. Marta, as a Cofounder of the Florence Design Week, can you list for us the strong points of this event, and, looking at the future, can you tell us what your plans are about? A. Thanks to an event entirely dedicated to design and contemporary art, our strongest point is the capability of livening up the town with a twist of contemporaneity, attracting lots of international hosts and stimulating the creative scene in Florence. First of all, I wish to highlight how far this festival, with the help of its supporters, contributes in building up a reliable and concrete network in constant expansion,
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which is gaining in strength and innovation for each year that goes by. This event didn’t proceed from a hierarchical schema: its development went from bottom up, fulfilling the genuine wish to give rise to a contemporary Florence – a town likely to become unmistakable to everyone all over the world because of a living profile which is expected to last far beyond the limits of the festival. In short, Marta described us her vision on art and design, which she explains as an intertwining of styles, customs, innovations, generations, speeches and cultures. She further maintains that exhibiting in the background of Florence Design Week is synonymous with being involved in an international event with the right numbers to generate a dialogue between subjects from different sectors: artists, architects, artistic directors, buyers, designers, managers and business men. These are all good reasons to take part in this wonderful event.
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FLORENCE DESIGN WEEK 2013, MAY 20th to 26th in a selection of prestigious and active locations in Florence. Professionals from all over the world, companies, universities, buyers, art directors, enthusiasts, artists will gather in Florence. In the heart of the city, in the most beautiful days of the year, for an all-around experience of Life Style, Pleasure, Art de Vivre in the name of the business and conviviality.
Crossing People, the them of the Festival, will be expressed through meetings, open to the large international audience. The creations of designers and artists will be involved.
People Cross an unusual Florence, aware of its historical heritage and the value of its present, to be immersed in a route where in the National Central Library and then Bombicci Palazzo Guicciardini Strozzi Design combines the special value of places.
People Cross through new scenarios of sustainability and innovation, in a series of interactive experiences at the Complesso della Murate, where workshops, speed dinners, cultural shows and entertainment will alternate between sustainable business, and digital culture in collaboration with FabLab and ToscanaIN.
People Cross during the meeting
People Cross the distances between, Italy, Brazil, Russia (Lungarno Collection), the United States, Taiwan, Spain, England, Denmark, China, to gather in the various areas of the Festival where Design reveals itself as an expression of deep culture in to fertilize new meaningful collaborations. People Cross the concept of design to meet the large landscapes of International Contemporary Art at the elegant Palazzo Borghese and Grand Hotel Minerva, in strong collaboration with the partner magazine Arttour International, in collaboration with Vivid Arts Network. People Cross in Art.Co Contemporary Craft, in collaboration with CNA Florence for a second experience of reflection and action on “Made in Italy” handcraft, for “Made Deluxe”, the encounter between the art of light and contemporary jewelry”
“Florence Design Week 2013 Crossing People” will be this and much more! Contact Info: www.florencedesignweek.com
“Chromo Sapiens, the Evolution of Color in Architecture and Design” at the Archivio di Stato, which in addition to conference will host an exhibition of the original models of architecture from the collection of the ‘900’s and innovative work of young international designers, from May 21st to May 25th.
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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013 Photography by Alan Grimandi for Arttour International Magazine 2013 Š Copyrights. All rightswww.arttourinternational.com reserved.
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A view of Marseille from the Hill of the Garde. Photography by Alan Grimandi for Arttour International Magazine 2013 © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
Notre Dame de la Garde “Good Mother” of Marseille, France By Natalia Castaldi - Marseille, France Notre Damme della Garde (154 m.) Has always been a place of observation. Traditionally is said that there is a lookout prehistoric times and most certainly since Roman times. In the fifteenth century order of Charles II of Anjou enters the hill Garde in the list of guard stations. This system is improving lookout over the centuries and its function will persist on the hill until 1978. To protect Marseille by the armies of Charles V by the Constable of Bourbon, François I built a fort in 1524 on top of the hill, which is at the Château d'If at the port, a maritime defense of which the city was without . Nowadays you can still see the presence of the fort that served as the basis of the basilica and to find above the north portico of the "signature" of the King: a salamander. But the hill of the Garde has now acquired a wider meaning: that of a sacred symbol and symbol of a city, with the construction of the basilica in 1853. Today the outline of the building is inseparable from the image of Marseille. Yet many churches have preceded its construction. The first in 1214, when a hermit,
Master Pierre, received permission to build on this land belonging to the Abbey of Saint Victor, from the sixteenth century the church was gradually transformed into a center of devotion of the sailors. Dating from quest 'the first time ex-voto that the sailors are in place here. So the hill of the Garde preserves since a triple vocation: lookout, a military fortification, and place of worship and pilgrimage. In the middle of the nineteenth century, the sanctuary became too small for the many pilgrims who visit him and Bishop Mazenod decided to build a large cathedral. The first stone was laid on 11 September 1853, the work entrusted to the architect Espérandieu and consecration takes place June 5, 1864. Of Romanesque - Byzantine domes, polychrome stones, gold, mosaics, basilica perfectly responds to the large construction program undertaken in Marseille under Napoleon III. The building consists of two parts: a lower church, a crypt, with arched vault, which contains among other things a polychrome crucifix dating back to the church of the sixteenth century, a Cont. Next page
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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013 Interior of the basilica. Photography by Alan Grimandi for Arttour International Magazine 2013 Š Copyrights. All rights reserved.
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Interior of the basilica. Photography by Alan Grimandi for Arttour International Magazine 2013 Š Copyrights. All rights reserved.
"mater dolorosa" marble of Carpeaux, a high church, the sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin (Feast and pilgrimage August 15) which abounds in gold background mosaics and marbles polychromatic which give it the appearance of a reliquary. Of note: the bronze doors and the main altar designed by Revoil, co - architect of the basilica, a silver Chanuel Virgin, an Annunciation in low relief polychrome majolica, Florentine work of the sixteenth century. The presence of numerous votive offerings displayed on the walls, suspended between the pillars of the nave, is a veritable collection of Naive Art, a kind of moving chronicle of society Marseille, eloquent testimony to the faith of the people: ex voto dedicated to her all that Marseille from all denominations designate as the "good mother." The tower supports a monumental statue of the Virgin, it was entrusted to the sculptor
Lequesne, executed in gilded bronze gold leaf by Christofle atelier and settled in September 1870. From the square in front of the shrine, you can see the most spectacular views of Marseille and its landscape. Built by architect Henry-Jacques EspĂŠrandieu between 1853 and 1870 in Romanesque-Byzantine style on the foundations of an ancient fort located at the highest natural point in Marseille, a 149m (490 feet) limestone outcrop on the south side of the Old Port. Notre Dame de la Garde Basilica, is a major local landmark and the site of a popular annual pilgrimage every year on Assumption Day, August 15th. A place of worship and a symbol for all of Marseille. The basilica was consecrated on June 5, 1864 and replaced a church of the same name built in 1214 and restored in the 15th century. It was built on Cont. Next page
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Sculpture of the Passion of Chris in front of the basilica. Photography by Alan Grimandi for Arttour International Magazine 2013 Š Copyrights. All rights reserved.
the foundations of a 16th-century fort built by Francis I of France to resist the 1536 siege of Marseilles by the Emperor Charles V. The basilica consists of a lower church, or crypt, in the Romanesque style carved from the rock, as well as an upper church of Neo-Byzantine style decorated with mosaics. A square bell tower of 41m (135 feet) topped by a belfry of 12.5m (42 feet) supports a monumental 11.2m (27 feet) statue of the Madonna and Child, made of copper gilded with gold leaf. The north face bears the marks of battle for the liberation of Marseilles in August 1944. The Basilica has numerous votive offerings and is covered with polychrome marbles, mosaics and frescoes of the school of Dusseldorf. In the crypt a suggestive mater dolorosa, sculpted by Carpeaux. One of the attractions of NotreDame-de-la-Garde is the beautiful view of the city that can be enjoyed from its churchyard. It can be reached from the Vieux Port by bus, or on foot with a half-hour walk. People from Marseilles traditionally see Notre-Dame de la Garde as the guardian and the protector of the city. Local inhabitants commonly refer to it as la bonne mère ("the good mother").
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The people of Marseille attributes thousands of miracles and healing to Notre Dame de la Garde, ("the good mother"), they show their gratitude by placing commemorative plaques on the walls of the church. From the top you can enjoy the fresh air, the sea breeze and a beautiful view of the city, its port, the industrial area and the old town, as well as the near by islands. It differs on style from the typical French Catholic church, it seems more Russian or Greek.
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By  Cody  LaVada-  New  York.
With  a  career  that  has  spanned  nearly  six  decades  and  continues  to  stretch  onward  into  the  future  -  and  which  has  certainly  inspired  some  of  the  most  well-known  artists  of  our  time  -  the  Japanese  artist  ,  Yayoi  Kusama  has  been  referenced  multi ple  times  as  ,quite  possibly  ,the  most  influential  living  female  artist  ever.  In  a  arena  typically  dominated  by  men  such  as  Van  Gogh  ,  Warhol  ,  Picasso  and  the  like  ,  Kusama  stands  out  as  an  epic  keystone  –  the  very  foundations  atop  which  so  many  modern  artists  built  their  creations.  Her  successes  spread  across  many  fields  ,  including  film  ,  performance  art  ,  literature  ,  fashion  ,  sculpture  and  installations.  With  such  a  burgeoning  repertoire  ,  she  holds  many  accolades  and  accomplishments  that  also  help  her  to  stand  out  as  a  giant  among  artists.
ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL FEBRUARY 2012
Born  on  March  22  ,  1929  in  Matsumoto  ,  Nagano  ,  Japan  ,  Kusama  was  the  fourth  child  in  a  wealthy  merchant  family  that  made  its  living  selling  seedling  nurseries.  Her  childhood  was  rife  with  complications  ,  including  physical  abuse  at  the  hands  of  her  mother  ,  witnessing  the  infidelities  of  her  father  ,  and  severe  mental  health  complications  ,  such  as  visual  and  aural  hallucinations  ,  severe  obsessive  and  suicidal  thoughts  ,  and  fixations  that  Freud  would  have  a  field  day  with.  In  1948  ,  Kusama  took  up  senior  classes  at  Kyoto  Munici pal  School  of  Arts  &  Crafts  to  hone  her  life-long  love  of  art  and  creating  ,  which  she  claims  helped  her  to  erase  the  misery  of  her  early  years  by  transporting  her  to  a  happier  place.  Despite  having  graduated  the  following  year  ,  she  explains  that  she  felt  great  disdain  toward  the  rigid  structure  of  the  Nihonga  style  of  painting  that  she  was  taught.  The  “master-disci ple�  tradition  by  which  students  develop  their  talents  through  close  work  with  the  sensei  was  not  for  her  ,  and  she  sought  to  expose  the  world  to  her  originality.  When  asked  about  her  time  in  Kyoto  ,  she  claims  that  she  feels  like  vomiting. Cont.  Next  Page.
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Over  time  ,  Kusama  taught  herself  the  arts  of  cubism  ,  abstraction  and  surrealism  ,  incorporating  her  own  unique  spins  on  the  classic  styles  ,  implementing  the  obscuring  polka  dots  that  had  been  an  integral  part  of  her  artistic  works  since  her  childhood  years.  The  oldest  example  of  this  motif  of  Kusama's  is  a  drawing  from  when  the  artist  was  ten  which  depicts  a  Japanese  woman  ,  presumed  to  be  her  own  mother  ,  nearly  obliterated  by  the  enormous  polka  dots.  Even  all  of  these  years  ,  this  particular  style  still  finds  its  way  into  her  pieces  ,  and  has  since  become  her  trademark. Capitalizing  on  both  her  love  of  art  and  her  ability  to  churn  out  fascinating  pieces  with  surprising  speed  ,  Kusama  began  exhibiting  her  works  in  Japan  and  receiving  critical  acclaim  and  interest  from  the  public.  However  ,  her  wanderlust  drew  her  to  the  teeming  metropolis  of  New  York  City;  with  its  bohemian  ideals  and  artistic  freedom  ,  it  seemed  to  be  an  antithesis  to  her  strict  native  Japan.  Following  a  long  correspondence  with  Georgia  O'Keeffe  ,  which  Kusama  had  initiated  after  buying  and  being  inspired  by  a  book  of  O'Keeffe's  artwork  ,  Kusama  set  out  for  the  Big  Apple  to  continue  her  career  ,where  she  would  spend  over  15  years.  At  the  age  of  27  ,  in  1958  ,  she  began  her  American  endeavors.
Photo  by  Š  iStockphoto  LP  2010.  All  rights  reserved.
Due  to  severe  political  stringency  ,  Japanese  travelers  had  many  restrictions  ,  including  the  amount  of  currency  they  were  allowed  to  bring  out  of  the  country  ,  to  dissuade  them  from  leaving.  Always  the  ingenious  opportunist  ,  Kusama  sewed  bills  into  the  lining  of  her  clothes  and  conquered  the  city  ,  convincing  a  small  gallery  to  stage  an  exhibition  of  her  work.  However  ,  she  soon  fell  on  hard  times:  her  meager  apartment  was  unheated  ,  and  she  describes  winters  as  being  brutal  –  “a  living  hell,â€?  though  she  stayed  up  all  night  sometimes  ,  painting  to  keep  warm  and  to  exorcise  the  demons  of  her  mind  and  expel  the  creative  fervor  raging  inside. Kusama  explains  that  she  has  no  individual  favorite  piece  of  her  own  work  –  that  ,  once  created  ,  it  automatically  becomes  a  favorite  and  that  she  loves  them  all.  Her  inspiration  often  comes  from  her  vivid  hallucinations  and  visions  ,  which  flood  her  mind  on  a  daily  basis  and  drown  out  all  other  sensations  until  she  is  swamped  within  the  atmosphere  of  creative  passion.  The  results  of  these  visions  are  her  strikingly  singular  works  ,  with  their  lurid  colors  and  bold  patterns  ,  reminiscent  of  aboriginal  art  with  their  swirls  and  dots  and  delicate  strings  of  web-like  netting. By  1961  ,  she  was  being  regarded  as  an  innovator  in  the  avantgarde  movement  ,  and  she  was  living  in  the  same  building  as  such  notables  as  Donald  Judd  and  Eva  Hesse.  Though  frequently  hospitalized  for  exhaustion  and  fatigue  brought  on  by  overwork  ,  Kusama  continued  to  delve  into  her  art  ,  inspired  by  the  wild  tempest  of  artists  constantly  milling  around  here  ,  such  as  Warhol  ,  Jackson  Pollock  ,  Roy  Lichenstein  and  Willem  de  Kooning.  By  1966  ,  she  was  creating  enormous  free-standing  that  filled  entire  rooms Cont.  Next  Page. Â
Photography  by  Bopuc  Š  CC  License.  Works  by  Yayoi  Kusama  during  the  Kusamatrix  Exhibition  ,Tokyo  2005.
www.arttourinternational.com January 2013 10 Botero, Fernando “CrucifixiĂłnâ€? 2011, Oil on Canvas 206 x 150 cm. Permanent collection of the Museum of Antioquia in Colombia. Photography Museo de Antioquia Š Copyrights. All rights reserved.
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Botero, Fernando “The Judas Ě Kissâ€? 2010, Oil on canvas 138 x 159 cm. Permanent collection of the Museum of Antioquia in Colombia. Photography Museo de Antioquia Š Copyrights. All rights reserved.
FERNANDO BOTERO Great Painter & Sculptor by Juan David Aguilar Botero
AGITA KEIRI
Arttour International Magazine Top Winner Love Cover Contest� “Masquerade in God’s Garden� by Agita Keiri
Agita Keiri was born in Latvia, where she attended J.Rozentala Riga Secondary School of Art (1991-1997) and the Latvian State Academy of Art, Painting department (enrolled 1997, Bachelor's degree 2001, Master's degree in 2003). In 2011 she completed a master class at Angel Art Academy in Florence, Italy. She has participated in exhibitions since 1997 She has shown work at North Carolina’s Andrew's Art Museum, Toronto Art Expo, and Art Expo New York. Her latest paintings were shown in England in the National Portrait Gallery, the Chelsea Art Fair 2011 (Bohemia Galleries), and in Italy at the Chianciano Biennale and Florence Biennale, where she received Jury’s Honorable Mention. Cont Next Page www.arttourinternational.com
February 2012
“FOR ME, PAINTING IS A REAL NECESSITY; SOMETHING THAT, IF KEPT INSIDE, WILL SUFFOCATE ONE - KILL ONE. FOR ME, WHEN I'M WORKING, ONLY THE CANVAS EXISTS AND MY ONLY CONCERN IS TO LET MY IMAGINATION FLOW NATURALLY AND THAT ALL THE SERIES OF IMAGES COME OUT. MY WORKS ARE NOT CARICATURES –THEY ARE DEFORMATION; AND THAT IS THE ART. IN MY CASE, IT'S MY STYLE�
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ATIM’S TOP 60 MASTERS OF CONTEMPORARY ART 2013 CATALOG OPEN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS!
Over 2.1 Million Readers, 140,000 Youtube, 14,000 Facebook Fans An invaluable international opportunity for artists. ArtTour International, covers Europe and the Americas with over 2.1 million readers, we are dedicated to exposing contemporary art by bringing it to the eyes of collectors, art buyers, dealers, art critics, gallerists and art lovers. Arttour International Magazine Reaches over 2.1 million readers and is present on more than 64 countries around the globe. Our selection of TOP 60 MASTERS will be made by art critics from Italy, Canada and USA among which we have also invited Gallery Directors and Interior Designers. AWARDS Our committee will choose two artworks among the 60 artists included in the catalog and the winning art works will be featured on the front cover of the catalog. Three additional artists will be chosen to participate in an individual “Art 2 Heart� Interview for online broadcast at the ATIM TV Channel www.atimtv.com FOR MORE INFORMATION email: info@arttourinternational.com or LOG ON TO WWW.ARTTOURINTERNATIONAL.COM SUBMISSION DEADLINE: APRIL 30TH 2013 CATALOG RELEASE DATE: MAY 20TH 2013
ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013
NEW ZEALAND’S TONGARIRO ALPINE CROSSING “Mother Nature’s Splatter Canvas” By Nicholas Hess - New Zealand The place is dry and absent of color. Aside from the stretches of heather and pockets of stark white flowers sneaking up through jagged crooks in rock, the only signs of life are brittle grasses swaying, not bending, in a stiff, but gentle, breeze. Painted in business-type beige, the aforementioned floras’ only variation comes when a relentless sun throws down arms of shining, burning light. Tufts of more cropped vegetation in the same hues — akin to the bowl cut bob of an unnaturally blonde flapper girl — dot the landscape like moles stuck to an aging face. A three-dimensional painting whose horizon only grows further distant with each advancing step, New Zealand’s Tongariro Alpine Crossing sets the stage for a magnificent trek into mother nature’s splattered canvas of an approaching autumn. The subject, a very active and smoking volcano, plays the lead in ‘object of my affection,’ as every passing hour brings the mammoth beast more appropriately into scale. No creature dares step past the invisible line into barren wasteland though, aside from those gear- laden tourists out to place their country’s metaphorical flag on the distant summit. Cont. Next page Photography by Nicholas Hess. Arttour International Magazine 2013 © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
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Photography by Nicholas Hess. Arttour International Magazine 2013 © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
A seven-hour hike on a fair-weather day, this area of molded landscape in the central North Island has been known to be both dust bowl and sopping lagoon, cranked up inferno and icy tundra all in one fail swoop. Braving the elements, though, is one more reason so many flock to witness the grandeur of such a remote place. Nestled within the Tongariro National Park, guests of the mountain are able to traverse lava flows, climb alongside active geothermal areas and in some cases scale the cinder cone of Mount Ngauruhoe. A terra firma of polar opposites, one need only look at the juxtaposition of ground and sky to see the trickery provided by this clever setting. What’s above is drenched in such an oh-so-perfect shade of powder blue, that the color would make any grandmother’s collection of Wedgwood jasper-ware blush from embarrassment. Whereas underfoot is an unstable world of stones, some pulverized, others whole, but all aching for a single drop of water from some unseen force who’s seemingly out to lunch. The sea hovering just out of reach and the sandy bottom right below, the land of contradictions bares its crooked smile again. The crossing, void of public interference save a few awkwardly spaced toilets and several monogrammed markers — set only to delineate car park from natural wonder — is unrelenting. Framed on either side by Cont. Next page
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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013
Photography by Nicholas Hess. Arttour International Magazine 2013 © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
Photography by Nicholas Hess. Arttour International Magazine 2013 © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013
Photography by Nicholas Hess. Arttour International Magazine 2013 © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
dusted white peaks and green serpentine hills, the track fights back with each pounding foot forward. Angled inclines refuse an easy ascent, while long hauls of solid earth remind ankles what it’s like to work for the more beautiful things in life. Finding balance in predetermined footpaths of those who have come before, taking the road less traveled has never felt quite so predicted. Yet the moments where one’s own breathing and screaming calves have seemingly outrun the masses, leaving floating heads of others festooned along paths in the distance, is where reflection may once again rise anew. Sucking down water at a vicious rate, the only sounds heard, besides heavy panting and noshing liquids, are those that come peeking out of dark corners deep from within. Unable to hide in a place devoid of trees, what’s left is smoldering rock and the blushing apex of your long awaited Daphne. Rising to the painting’s pinnacle, apart of it all and still not really part of anything, a view of what’s past is afforded to each glistening face that mounts the final precipice. Looking out at the assemblages still crawling forward, as if in a caravan of camels fighting the wavy lines of a mid-afternoon’s scorching heat, there is hope.
Brigitte Wolf www.brigittewolf.com
“An Ocean Between Us”
“Jacob’s Dream”
Inviting Curiosity, Stimulating Pleasure “Eternal”
“I am exhilarated by the challenge of evoking ideas in the viewer from the forms that escape from my paintbrush.” Brigitte Wolf
ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013
“Old women Waiting on a Tuscan Hill” Acrylic on canvas by Tina Dadouch © Copyright 2012 All Rights Reserved
TINA DADOUCH “I believe painting should serve an intellectual purpose as well as emotional. I use my thoughts to calculate spatial and abstract reasoning, allowing form to emerge and continuity to flow. I push the boundaries to gain the final production. I don’t think about colour it’s more of innate spontaneous judgment” T ina Dadouch Cont. Next page
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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013
Professional artist Tina Dadouch fills her canvases with vibrant imagery and reminds us that the world itself is joyful and useful. Her works explore her particular unique style and gives an abstract look into the mind of the artist. In Tina’s paintings, figurative objects and daily life elements, are manipulated to create patterns of abstraction. Tina was born and raised in Toronto. Ontario. She grew up in an artistic family, which instilled the love of art in early childhood. From an early age Tina painted and drew in a sophisticated manner. From that point on her painting evolved and strengthened as time went on. We had the chance to talk to her and discover the artist behind the works Q. What inspired you to become an artist? A. “It’s just something that I had, naturally, I always drew and painted-Art runs in my family. I was always surrounded by art. Someone was always sketching something on paper.” Q. What draws you to abstract art? A.“I paint many subject matters-however with my abstract pieces-are with forms and shapes, I enjoy taking objects manipulating and challenging idea’s see what I can do – it doesn’t come from any specific place, it’s more of a challenge, that I find interesting, shape objects.” Q. What are some of your favorite personal works? A. “Sleeping cat on mosaic Blanket”, “I enjoy painting the figure and form-Although passionate about all animals-I find cats to be, comforting, graceful and elegant …… The painting also has patterns in it, that’s interesting-I fully enjoyed painting the piece.” Q.When did you graduate at Parsons? A.”1997- Advertising and design.” Q.What was the best advice given to you as an artist? A. “Over the years I had many comments not so much direct advice, one thing that remained, I viewed as complement “Leave school and paint-, you must always continue”. A Teacher in painting class said this; I thought it was funny, and ironic. www.arttourinternational.com
"In the Deep Blue Sea Flowers and Banana's Grow" Acrylic on canvas by Tina Dadouch © Copyright 2012 All Rights Reserved
Not Really Sure Where Color Comes From, I Try To Take A Painting To Its Full Production, I Believe Color, Is Just Part Of The Process. I Always Say I Never Think About Color., I Am Drawn To Color In Everything... Tina Dadouch
Q. What is you’re process like? A. It goes through many stages. I don’t draw or plan anything before hand; there aren’t any sketches of any type-I work straight from the canvas... I am constantly, Correcting and visually measuring until the final production I always ask myself questions, on how to get from one step to the next, in order to reach the end result- it’s not always a controlled process. I flow freely on the canvas, with my abstract. I play with it conceptually in order to make it work on canvas. Q. Does being Toronto-based influence your art? Toronto is a great city; the city gives me the ability to concentrate. The serenity of the city maybe of some influence, I seemed to have produced some of my more notable works in this city… Q.When looking at your work I notice that the majority of it is full of bright color and life. April 2013
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changed, I became very aware of the changes…in the leap to an adult artist however my paintings have seemed to remain pretty consistent as whole onwards. Although when I compare to earlier adult works I do find a differencing in depth, and accuracy. My paintings tend to grow along with me..
”Blue cups” Acrylic on canvas by Tina Dadouch © Copyright 2012 All Rights Reserved
”Abstractions of Complication” Acrylic on canvas by Tina Dadouch © Copyright 2012 All Rights Reserved
So what exactly inspires you to create such vivid designs? A. Not really sure where color comes from, I try to take a painting to its full production, I believe color, is just part of the process. I always say I never think about color., I am drawn to color in everything... The designs originally, came from being frustrated with painting-mostly with subject matters-so, I. Started creating pattern, I thought up images out of sheer imagination, it kept my interest going. Q. How has your style changed over the years? A. Compare to when I was quite young – my work was naturally weaker... As a teenager I painted on and off. When I went back to it as an adult. I notice my work changed drastically, they seemed to be stronger more accurate...my whole approach to painting also www.arttourinternational.com
Q. What marketing tools have you found most helpful to launching your career and why? A. Galleries And Artist Networks have always been the rite route and still an essential part to an Artist Development. However, when thinking of a tool, that is accessible, in front of you, is technology, with the internet being what is today, the use of Social Networks is one of the best “gift” artist could have to Market and share works. I post many of my new work on https:// www.facebook.com/Artist.TinaDadouch/info - it’s an amazing way to get your work out there, the support and response is astonishing, people can be truly incredible, the Networking on these sites can be extremely positive. I Networked with a number of artist, that I might not have had any access otherwise, they shared their experiences in the art world which helped greatly. You also begin to realize how many people are open to the visual arts. In times van-Gogh artist had an impossible time finding arenas, were to exhibit, to gain recognition-as a result people may not have known their own Artistic value, a lot was lost. The internet today gives artist many choices in gaining exposure… Q. What are you currently working on? I always working on something-After my group show in Florence Italy, I took interest in the people and things I saw there, so for now, something of that nature… Q. What would you like our readers to know? A. What I would consider, True fine art, to create it, takes commitment. Much discipline, it is a lengthy difficult process to produce; even one piece. I feel most Artists’ with a career in the arts are pursuing either for a purpose or some personal need, you really half to care for the art……….. Viewers should continue to take interest, support more visual artist. Art is a rare contribution, it is important to Society that it is flexible. It can open a new world, it captures moments, brings thoughts that elicits empathy, creates surprise, razes all different ideas in people, and resolves conflicts and Inspire. It has the force to create powerful impact in one’s life to change perspectives.
http://www.dadouchstudio.com April 2013
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State of the Art Design! Published four times a year, ArtTour International Magazine brings articles of exceptional interest on, personalities, trends and events shaping the international art world in a visually stimulating package full of vibrant images in a stunning design.
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Lucy Walsh Abstract Expressionist Inspired Paintings Rich Colors and Emotions!
“Despair, Joy, Fear, Desire and truth most ardently carry me through the painting process and the endless search for order and grace� Lucy Walsh
www.lucywalsh.net
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We are dedicated to promoting international artists by providing original fine art to established and emerging collectors. Thanks to our exclusive selection of artists we offer a very comprehensive collection of contemporary fine art for sale. We invite you to browse our striking online gallery specially designed to showcase each artist’s individual body of works along with their profile.
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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013
“L'apparenza” Lambda Print 120x80 cm
“Vanessa-Mae, Power of Music” Acrylic on Canvas
ANNA DUYUNOVA Through my works I want to get the audience excited about Art, evoke feelings and new thoughts, bring old memories and dreams, and show my passion. My passion is to draw with pen and ink. I found the philosophy of life in this black and while unity. Sometimes I feel a need for color, and I add to my black and while compositions some burst of colours. It brings a lot of new and fresh themes, and gives me the new opportunities to express my feelings and thoughts. I like to play with lines, watch them to float and create the new images. My other passion is painting with acrylic. Regardless of the motive, acrylic paint portrays a symphony of color - it is a real treat and celebration of colours! My Art comes from the heart. It is my personal experience and dream world, my escape from triviality, and power to speak about lyric and dramatic poetry of life. I create works with combination of reality and wonderland, painting landscapes and portraits with mystery realism. I draw fantasy and allegory compositions, showing the enhancement of nature. I get inspired by the music, nature, travel impressions, and some memories and
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“Alice Legend” Acrylic on Canvas
observations. My art works can be found in many, mostly private collections around the world, and many online galleries. For more info visit www.vividartsnetwork.net
April 2013
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ALEX SLINGENBERG
“Windows of Silent” Fired Oils on Porcelain
“Goddess of Vengeance” OIL on Canvas
KATRIN ALVAREZ
Statement
I see myself as a journalist, describing life in colors instead of words. More and more I feel fascinated by the fusion of the new virtual dimensions and good old reality: The huge influence of the cyberworld on each and every area of our thoughts and our feelings. Katrin Alvarez For more info visit www.vividartsnetwork.net
“Blaupause” OIL on Canvas
“Object” Oil on Canvas
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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013
“L'apparenza” Lambda Print 120x80 cm “Emoticon Goes Blue” Giclee Print
VIOLETTE CICI My concept of work: Capturing the present with love. For me, Its like a moment of magic happens in my eyes. At the core level, when that pleases me and makes me very happy I consider the piece complete. I like to work by instinct.The transformation has to be quick like when you take a photo. Clic! And its done. Philosophy is a big influence in my visual art. For example, we say there is one world and one universe. I believe each animal species has their own reality and for me each reality is true. Imagine if the whole fabric of our science was informed from the point of view of another animal or plant life! The reality would be very different from our human perspective. What if it was seen from a bees point of view? What if the multiple facets of the bees eyes correspond to multiple worlds, multiple realities? If we consider reality from say a flowers point of view, we might be able to open up and be more accepting of life and the world just as nature is so accepting of us ; we could be accepting of other realities that exist while our own is existing. The more we can open to these ideas, the faster we can accept new realities.
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“Emoticons Crazy Party” Giclee Print
To stay open to others realities and not be sure about anything that we've been taught to always leave a question mark. VioletteCici
For more info visit www.vividartsnetwork.net
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Left: “Unity - Unita” OIL on Canvas Below: “Face” OIL on Canvas
MAYA VINOKUROV
My interest in drawing, painting and designing began at a very early age. My paintings convey a feeling of harmony between nature and humanity, featuring a dab of art deco... a dash of the surreal... and a touch of aboriginal charm. I’m pleased to know that art—lovers find my work thought-provoking, meaningful, and worthy of frequent visits. My objective is to continue working in my own contemporary style, combined with techniques of the old masters — in an expression of optimism, joy and serenity.
For more info visit www.vividartsnetwork.net “Object” Oil on Canvas
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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013
“L'apparenza” Lambda Print 120x80 cm
“Blue Forest” Acrylic on Canvas
SONAL RAJE
In my artistic practice, I create paintings that express emotions through the use of colour, form and texture. I strive to depict the complex mood of a moment, drawing inspiration from nature and life experiences. My goal is to create paintings that inspire a dialogue with the viewer, and create a space or moment for reflection.
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“Golden Grass” Acrylic on Canvas
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April 2013
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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013
“Windows of Silent” Fired Oils on Porcelain
TATIANA DAVIDOV
Tatiana obtained Fine Art Degree in Moldova, now residing in Canada expressing her artistic vision. Her intention in creating Art is to evoke emotion in the observer. The works employ raised textures with 3D effects, layered backgrounds of her pieces show signature method of blending organic medium and acrylic. For more info visit www.vividartsnetwork.net
For more info visit www.vividartsnetwork.net
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April 2013
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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013 “Angel de la Vida” Sculpture by Nina Winters
NINA WINTERS I have a reverence for art as a communication tool. I feel that art, when it’s at its best, speaks from the deepest part of us with a language that has no words. I work with a strong abstract line but I go beyond pure design to make statements about human nature. The details of my work are both specific and universal. An open hand polished to a shining clarity speaks of truth. A strong stance signifies strength and permanence. Wings of parachute material symbolize freedom. My sculptures are statements of my belief that we are capable of far more than we are led to believe. I want my art to inspire you to dream, to reach, to fly. For more info visit www.vividartsnetwork.net “Above it All” Sculpture by Nina Winters
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April 2013
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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013
“Stick Shed” Photography
“Salt Series 02” Photography
JEAN MARC LA ROQUE Born in Cherbourg, a seaport in Normandy in North West France on January 10, 1953. For 34 years, I have lived in Melbourne Australia. I have worked as a professional photographer for the last 30 years. Award winning photographer, specializing in large scale industrial, commercial, shipping, architectural and executive photography. Extensive experience across Asia-Pacific region. My work involves: landscapes with a graphic, almost abstract quality, large-scale industrial elements within these landscapes, and studies of industrial structures. - My aim is to express the feeling of the natural world, to show the visual harmony that can exist between human and natural components and to find beauty in industrial subjects. Occasionally, I include a fragile, human presence to emphasize scale and power. For more info visit www.vividartsnetwork.net “Object” Oil on Canvas
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April 2013
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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013
“L'apparenza” Lambda Print 120x80 cm
JENNIFER CONTINI
“Le Ragazze Italiane Baciano Meglio” Acrylic on Canvas
Jennifer's inspiration comes from the streets of New York City, the vibes of everyday life in this amazing place. Jen was born in a small town in Ohio, and has had a special relationship with NYC ever since she moved to Manhattan, nearly twenty years ago. Love for city is an integral part of her life, and her art. Jen use acrylics, metals, resins, plastics, keys, marbles, maps and signs that she salvages from the streets to enrich her paintings and sculptures. She expresses herself best through the diverse materials and objects that she interacts with every day. Urban living is full of fast paced movement. It’s a beat that one either loves or loathes. Jen loves the rhythm of New York City – and it defines and inspires her work, beating to the same drum that she moves to. This space is where her artistic impulses find higher meaning. The city drives Jen to create and then to appreciate the quiet and stillness with God even more.. Jennifer has exhibited internationally in Rome, Germany and Paris, France.Her collectors are from all over the world! She believes that supporting charities that she cares about, is a big part of her inspiration, feeding into and motivating her art! Jen has a BA in Art History from SUNY Purchase, NY
For more info visit www.vividartsnetwork.net
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April 2013
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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013
“Secrets” Watercolor
JOHN NIEMAN I like to create art that has immediate impact, and a residual mental tickle. My current obsession is with a series I call “Visual Riddles.” It’s a tribute to pop culture, and incorporates a list of relevant personalities or phrases, anchored by an oversized painting of everyday objects. I paint with watercolor for translucency and sometimes finish with pastel touches to help bring the image forward. Some have called it “art with a sense of humor.” I am complimented by that, since I believe that for any twodimensional piece to bring layers of pleasure is a worthy goal. For more info visit www.vividartsnetwork.net “LOOKS 10” Watercolor
For more info visit www.vividartsnetwork.net
“Object” Oil on Canvas
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April 2013
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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013
“This Place I Find Myself” Oil on Canvas
DANIEL MCKINLEY In my art, I am in search of freedom. I have always been the person who looks out the window and wishes that they were in another world. Close your eyes, and prepare to take a journey that only your imagination can take you. The world is what you make of it, and I chose to put my world on canvas. I am Daniel McKinley, Dreamer. Artist For more info visit www.vividartsnetwork.net
“Continue Onward” Oil on Canvas
For more info visit www.vividartsnetwork.net
“Object” Oil on Canvas
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April 2013
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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013 Francis Bacon, Seated Figure, 1974. Florence, Strozzina, Palazzo Strozzi. Alessio Santiago Policarpo © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
Contemporary Art in Florence By Alessio Santiago Policarpo - Florence, Italy Florence is not just the birthplace of the Renaissance. It is also a city hosting interesting contemporary art events, which are being more and more patronized by public and private, cultural and municipal institutions. Nevertheless many visitors, fascinated by the beauty of a great past, are still unaware that Florence as a place is a catalyst for the art of our time, both in Italy and on an international level. Every year, millions of people visit Florence to admire the marvelous works by Giotto, Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci at the Uffizi Gallery, to enjoy the wonderful David by Michelangelo at Galleria dell’Accademia, to contemplate with their own eyes the original masters of Western art. www.arttourinternational.com
Even in the cradle of the Renaissance there’s a considerable presence of places where it is possible to discover contemporary art expressions. An intriguing example is a location probably still little known to foreign visitors: the Museum Marino Marini – which, erected inside the deconsecrated church of San Pancrazio by architects Bruno Sacchi and Lorenzo Papini, was inaugurated in 1988. In this museum are preserved works by one of the most important XX century artists in Italy: Marino Marini. Born in 1901 in Pistoia (Tuscany) and died in 1980, he worked in Florence and Milan. At the beginning of the Twenties, Marini stayed in Paris, where he met leading figures from the Avant-garde such as Picasso, Kandinsky and De Chirico. He taught in fine art schools in Turin and April 2013
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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013 Mimmo Paladino's installation, “The Star Dodecahedron” Florence, Santa Croce Square. Alessio S. P.© Copyrights. All rights reserved.
Milan, exposing in several cities. In 1949 one of his sculptures, L’angelo della città (The Angel of the City), was bought by famous American art collector Peggy Guggenheim, who loved this work so much that she placed it in front of her palace in Venice, where her collection is hosted. Entering Marino Marini’s museum means penetrating a in dreamy and poetical world of embodied in fascinating sculptures, among which a special place is held by his Horsemen – with archaic features inspired by ancient civilizations – and the Pomone – full-bodied female nude sculptures whose meditative and suspended expressions recall, with a hint of melancholy, Cézanne’s Bathers. The visual and emotional peak of the museum itinerary is to be experienced in the downstairs area, hosting an enormous horseman who stands out towards the dome, where one can discern a ruined Baroque fresco with saints and angels. In this work horse and man are violently mingled, as if their fusion had turned into a hybrid: they seem to symbolize the men of our time and their wish to fulfill a destiny of elevation and everlonged-for beauty. The paintings by Marini are located upstairs. Beyond the perceivable influences from Picasso and Matisse, the expressive synthesis of his works reveals, on the one hand, a stronger elegiacal undertone, on the other, a lesser degree of cerebral abstraction – a combination which gives a more “human” effect. The paint spots on some of his canvas could betray the influence of Action Painting’s dripping technique, recalling for instance Pollock’s style. Marini was indeed aware of the artistic researches of his time, but www.arttourinternational.com
he assimilated them to create an own original style, based on a vitalistic world vision. He painted a transfigured reality anchored in his love for life, far from the gloomy vision of some avant-garde and imbued with a highly lyrical sensitiveness reflecting in a manifold coloristic intensity. Although his sculptures and paintings are closed in a world of archaic and essential forms, their communicative touch proves enchanting and sometimes touching. Accordingly, visiting this Florentine museum means getting through a suggestive and unique experience which turns into an enriching journey even for those who wish to discover Italian XX century sculpture. Within a stone’s throw from Marino Marini’s Museum, visitors can admire Palazzo Strozzi. This elegant Renaissance palace is currently host for interesting contemporary art exhibitions, which are to be seen at the Strozzina CCC (Contemporary Culture’s Centre) under the courtyard of the same building. An exhibition dedicated to the famous artist Francis Bacon has taken place from October 2012 to January 2013. In addition to his disquieting paintings, the focus was on some of the most outstanding present-day artists, showing videos, photographs, and installations. Weirdly impressive were three videos by Swedish artist Nathalie Djurberg, of which one consisted in a clay animation showing a rotting woman’s body. I guess this work could be related to Post Human Art, a phenomenon dating back to the last decades of the past century. One theme of this tendency concerns the vulnerability and suffering of body, conceived as a metaphor of present-day existential crisis. Before the shock generated by such a vision, one could be asking why, after many centuries where art’s goal has been set in spiritual elevation and getting free from contingency, an artist feels like showing us the macabre rendition of an event we are inclined to dismiss from our lives. At the end of this video the skeleton comes back from death, entering into symbiosis with two animals which have taken possession of the woman’s corpse. On the symbolic level, we are led to argue that the message conveyed by the Swedish artist makes reference to the circle of life, to a new life rising from ashes, alluding to a yearning for regeneration in both society and art. In Djurberg’s hands, such a rebirth is depicted with highly expressive incisiveness. Seen from this perspective, Bacon’s paintings, dating from the 1970s and showing disfigured faces and bodies, could be regarded as a fundamental turning point for some themes in contemporary art. At the upper floors of the same building – Palazzo Strozzi – an exhibition has recently taken place, focusing on Cont. Next page April 2013
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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2013 Mimmo Paladino's installation, The Great Ring _ Florence, Santa Croce Square Alessio S. P. © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
Italian art from the Thirties, the age of Fascism. Over the last years, masterpieces by De Chirico, Picasso, surrealists Miró and Dalí, as well as by the American Impressionists, have been displayed in the same location. A new and meaningful event in town is Florens, the International Biennial of Cultural and Landscape Heritage, an initiative which began in 2010 under the patronage of a private foundation with the declared purpose of furthering economic development in the field of cultural heritage. From 3rd to 11th November, on occasion of Florens 2012, a colossal installation has been realized in Santa Croce Square by Mimmo Paladino, one of the leading figures of the Transavantgarde movement in the late Seventies and Eighties. The Italian artist arranged there large marble blocks, so as to form a huge cross where some bronze sculptures were implanted. In the shape of a shredded human body recalling, on the other hand, a geometric solid (a star dodecahedron), the resulting vast ring has been compared by someone to the Star-gate. This estranging installation attracted a lot of attention and definitely broke the limits of perceptual habits by creating a surreal location in an ancient square of medieval origin. Contemporary art has entered even a historical place like Galleria dell’Accademia, famous for
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Marini's painting, Florence, Museo Marino Marini. Alessio Santiago Policarpo © Copyrights. All rights reserved.
hosting the David by Michelangelo. It was in fact here that an exhibition entitled Arte torna arte (Art Turns Back Into Art) took place, showcasing works by renown personalities such as Yves Klein, Fabro, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Louise Bourgeois, Duchamp, and Andy Warhol. Despite their diverging creative orientations, these artists share amongst other aspects a certain interest in Renaissance art, which they have to some extent revisited and reinterpreted each in his own way. Not to forget the ongoing exhibitions at Palazzo Medici Riccardi, hosting Dalí’s sculptures, rare graphics, glass objects and original colleges, and the Cindy Sherman’s pictures solo show at Museo Gucci. Notwithstanding the success of these events, Florence has still a long way to go to compete in contemporary art, the most embarrassing burden being the comparison with an immense heritage from its past. Art has now become a universal phenomenon, whose principal protagonists are the USA, Europe and emergent Asian countries, among which China. Anyhow, Italy has still a lot to say in this field. This country should indeed recover a significant role, given the primacy it has maintained for centuries in shaping and feeding the critical debate on visual arts.
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