Mimmo Paladino Alligators Sculpture

Dear Art Lover,

     In the underground portion of the Museo Marino Marini in Florence, Italy, is the place for contemporary [living now] guest artists.  When I was there recently, Mimmo Paladino’s work was on exhibit with another artist.  I have written about his work before and am “accidentally discovering” him as a sensitive and inspired conceptual and interesting artist.

     Giovanna, the docent and a friend of my friend Kumiko, explained to us that the people are sleeping here, while the alligators pause at the edges.  The repeated patterns of obviously one mold brought cohesion to the work, even when the artist created slightly different compositions with each one.  The figures reminded me of the frozen corpses of Pompeii that I had seen in my mother’s slides back in the 70s.  Together with the beautiful dark lighting, I felt a bit at home here.

     You may see the dark passages that Kumi and I explored after skipping over a little rope intended to keep us out.  We found another exhibition room, although much smaller, and we could have gone another way… the museum’s intended way.  Hahah.. but I liked the dark passages and seeing more of the building itself.

Helpful related links:

http://museomarinomarini.it/

https://www.visitflorence.com/florence-museums/museum-marino-marini.html

https://www.visittuscany.com/en/ideas/ancient-modern-and-contemporary-the-marino-marini-museum/

     Past posts on sculptor Mimmo Paladino:

http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2012/11/the-kindness-of-strangers-and-angry-nun.html

http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2015/10/florence-italy-mimmo-paladino-sculpture.html

http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2012/11/florence-italy-firenze-italia.html

     Past posts on other aspects of this space:

Rucellai Chapel and Sepulcre:

http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2017/10/alberti-rucellai-sepulchre-chapel.html

The sculptures by Marino Marini in Florence, Italy:

http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2017/10/marino-marini-sculptures.html

The drawings by Marino Marini:

http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2017/10/marino-marini-drawings.html

The architecture:

http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2017/10/architecture-san-pancrazio-marino.html

Rucellai Chapel:

http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2017/10/alberti-rucellai-sepulchre-chapel.html

Peace,

Kelly Borsheim, artist

http://BorsheimArts.com

P.S. IF original art, while affordable, is STILL a bit out of your budget, or the piece you adored has sold?  Or do you like arty things in different formats, to surround yourself with art?  Looking for a gift?  See my store online for pillow, phone cases, shower curtains, towels, tote bags, and yes, even prints on metal, wood, canvas, and so much more:

https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-kelly-borsheim.html

Alberti Rucellai Sepulchre Chapel

Dear Art Lover,

     Inside of the Museo Marino Marini, featuring the sculptures and drawings of the Tuscan artist who lived from 1901 to 1980, lies the Rucellai Chapel and Sepulchre.  It is an unusual sacred space in that one may only see it by paying admission to enter the museum [or in my friend Kumiko’s and my case, enjoying a free museum day, as we did on Sunday, October 1, 2017].

     Leon Battista Alberti (1404-1472), who designed the upper façade of Santa Maria Novella church in Florence, was commissioned by Giovanni di Paolo Rucellai to build him a tomb in the family chapel in the Church of San Pancrazio, the current and renovated location of the Museo Marino Marini.  The Rucellai Chapel is a room off to the left as you enter the museum. 

     Inside is an altar, which one would expect, but also there is the small scale copy of the Holy Sepulchre of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem.  It is mostly made of white marble and very well crafted with inlaid green marble, as well as well-carved letters and architectural decorative details.  There is a short, wooden door with bars, allowing you to look inside.  During my visit, there were small bronze birds on top on the tomb.  They are all from the same mold and just placed in differing angles for effect.  I do not think they are there all of the time since you will see them absent in the gorgeous pictures in the links below.

     There is something about blue skies and golden stars . . . that combination seems quite popular in Italy, perhaps gold because of its value.  I would have put blue with silver, but … whatever works!  I also enjoyed other details inside of the chapel, included the inlayed marble disc in front of the altar. 
Enjoy these images, but please click on the links below to get the more official stories… you know that I often give the “Kelly tour” and not so much the technical information or history of a place that so many people enjoy hearing about.  Thank you for following along.

Blue Skies and Gold Stars

Helpful related links:

http://www.arttrav.com/florence/rucellai-chapel/

Great photos by Alexandra Korey.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Pancrazio,_Florence

Good pics of the circular designs carved in stone:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rucellai_Sepulchre

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Battista_Alberti

http://museomarinomarini.it/

https://www.visitflorence.com/florence-museums/museum-marino-marini.html

https://www.visittuscany.com/en/ideas/ancient-modern-and-contemporary-the-marino-marini-museum/

 

     Past posts on other aspects of this space:

The sculptures by Marino Marini in Florence, Italy:

http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2017/10/marino-marini-sculptures.html

The drawings by Marino Marini:

http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2017/10/marino-marini-drawings.html

The architecture:

http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2017/10/architecture-san-pancrazio-marino.html

Peace,

Kelly Borsheim, artist

http://BorsheimArts.com

P.S. IF original art, while affordable, is STILL a bit out of your budget, or the piece you adored has sold?  Or do you like arty things in different formats, to surround yourself with art?  Looking for a gift?  See my store online for pillow, phone cases, shower curtains, towels, tote bags, and yes, even prints on metal, wood, canvas, and so much more:

https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-kelly-borsheim.html

Architecture San Pancrazio Marino Marini Museum

Dear Art Lover,

Entrance designed to enhance sculpture

     This post about the Museo Marino Marini of the sculptures and drawings of the late Tuscan artist Marino Marini (1901-1980) will focus on the architecture of the building in central Florence, Italy.  The space was once the church of San Pancrazio [a saint that I have never heard of, but to be fair, that is not unusual for me] and it is located in a piazza [open square] of the same name. 

     The Romanesque church dates back to the 9th-11th century AD.  It was reconstructed in the seventeenth and early nineteenth centuries.  At some point, probably in the late 1900s, it was deconsecrated, and redesigned for public use, especially cultural activity.  It was donated to the City of Florence in 1980.  Marino Marini was from Pistoia, a Tuscan city [this year it was awarded the City of Culture in Italy and many events were happening in this jewel of a town that I have yet to visit].  In any case, Marino Marini spent enough time working in Florence that the Florentines decided to honor him with a museum permanently showcasing his works, while the underground floor hosts guest artists.  There is another Marino Marini museum in Pistoia.

      The restoration work of the ancient church, reconstructed in the seventeenth and early nineteenth centuries, devoted to civilian purposes, which had profoundly changed its appearance, were initiated in 1982 and concluded in 1986.

Angled catwalks to different levels.

     Architects Lorenzo Papi and Bruno Sacchi were responsible for the re-design of the space.  I understand their changes started in 1982 [the year that I graduated high school and one of my sisters was born while I started at university].  It ended in 1986.  If you did not know this had been a church, you might not think of it.  Although I believe that the high ceiling dome [over where the altar would have been], with its half-decayed fresco, is perhaps your biggest clue.  Read more on the Wikipedia page link below if you are interested in their description of how the architecture was changed and what the architects wanted to emphasize about the work of the Italian sculptor.


    The wooden “catwalks” and angular balconies and overall design are a contrast to the graceful curves in the former place of worship, but perhaps are a transition between what I found to be the harsh straight lines and angles in many of Marini’s compositions.  I think the teak-colored wood and rusty/burgundy accent colors are peaceful and a good compliment to the whitewashed walls and some grey stone [pietra serena] of the building.  Nice to see sculpture from many viewpoints. I hope that you enjoy some of my snapshots during my recent visit.

I could live here or at least work ;-) 

Curves and angles make the world a more interesting place!

I like it that they kept some of the history of the place.

. . . and tried to hide the "modernization," although this looks about from 1980s.

The top catwalk shows drawings and a hint of the dome fresco.

I love these steep stairs that go to the windows.

Past posts on the same subject:

The sculptures by Marino Marini in Florence, Italy:

http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2017/10/marino-marini-sculptures.html

The drawings by Marino Marini:

http://artbyborsheim.blogspot.it/2017/10/marino-marini-drawings.html

Helpful related links:

http://museomarinomarini.it/

https://www.visitflorence.com/florence-museums/museum-marino-marini.html

https://www.visittuscany.com/en/ideas/ancient-modern-and-contemporary-the-marino-marini-museum/

Happy birthday to my charming and dancing niece, Elyse!

Peace,

Kelly Borsheim, artist

http://BorsheimArts.com

P.S. IF original art, while affordable, is STILL a bit out of your budget, or the piece you adored has sold?  Or do you like arty things in different formats, to surround yourself with art?  Looking for a gift?  See my store online for pillow, phone cases, shower curtains, towels, tote bags, and yes, even prints on metal, wood, canvas, and so much more:

https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-kelly-borsheim.html