Silver and Gold Florence Italy

Dear Art Lover,

     Rudolph is one of my favorite Christmas programs on TV.  When I was at university, I even bought the videotape and sang along loudly [alone, since my flatmates thought that I was nuts].  The arrangement and soothing voice of Burl Ives singing “Silver and Gold” always made me cry, as I inevitably thought of loves lost and the sweetness of loves retained over the years.  Here it is if you wanna listen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY-XDQN6ipE

    Artwise, I am still in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo in Florence, Italy.  To be honest, most of the time, I can out-museum most of my friends.  However, in this period in which I have not been very productive in my own art creating, I find my mind wandering no matter how interesting the museum contents and presentation.  This next work of art at first got the “Boh!” response from me, as I peeked around the corner to gaze upon it.  However, the Italian tour guide caught my attention.  He was very expressive and enthusiastic about this piece, so I meandered over and started to photograph him as his whole body told stories.

    So much of this art is TOO silver and gold . . . it just seems “over the top” and one sees the shine or glare, if you will, more than the forms.  However, upon closer look, it is amazing the sheer skill and ideas put into this altar that was created in the years from 1367 to 1483.  It features twelve scenes from the life of John the Baptist.

     Again, I must quote the museum display:

      “This room contains an altar front and a monumental cross of pure silver, restored between 2006 and 2012, with a combined weight of 250 kilograms in metal parts alone.  Commissioned by the Arte di Calimala – the cloth merchants’ guild – and realised beginning in 1367 by artists spanning several generations, these intricate assemblages of thousand of components were at the center of the principal religious celebration of the Florentine Republic, the feast of the city’s patron saint, John the Baptist, on June 24, when altar and cross were installed in the church dedicated to Saint John, the Baptistery.”

     On a side note, I am touched that my new community is already involving me in the life here.  I have been asked to dress the part of a medieval sculptor [they provide the clothes] for the town’s “Living Nativity” on Christmas Eve.  It will feel great to have a hammer in my hand again, even if I am unlikely to be using it on this occasion.  Also, yesterday, I was asked to speak to the local mayor’s assistant [in Italian he is called the Assessore, which looks like two funny English words put together for a public servant’s title].  My local friends seem to think that my new-to-the-community voice, especially as a sculptor, will help them give some life to a seemingly forgotten decade-old project.

     

Peace,

Kelly

~ Kelly Borsheim, sculptor, painter, writer, teacher

To the right is a video on the far wall that tells more of the story.

Crucified Christ on a Pulley Chiesa di Sant’Agata nel Carmine Bergamo

Dear Art-loving friend,

      My first ten years of life aside, I do believe that I have never spent so much time inside a church as I do while living in Italy.  But hey, there is a LOT of art in churches here!   Each church or even basilica has its own personality, and yet, there are so many similarities.  My friend Susan and I meandered into the Chiesa di Sant’Agata nel Carmine in the Città Alta of Bergamo earlier this month.  It originated in 1391, was renovated in 1730, and contains works from the years in-between.  I must say that it feels odd to no longer be surprised when one enters a church containing such splendor.  In fact, sometimes I think it lessens the impact of the architecture of spaces in other countries.  

     However, I enjoyed the floor, reminding me of the harlequin’s pattern.  The skull and other relics were prominently displayed in one of the side chapels on the left.  Usually relics are not so easily accessible, or as impressive a collection in one space.  Things like this always leave me with more questions than answers.  If these are things of the spirit, are the spirits still connected with those of the physical or is it just that WE need to have this connection?  That sort of thing I ponder.

And, this may be the only church in which I found a crucified Christ on a pulley system.  Um, is that for some fun on Halloween (or better, All Saints’ Day)? 

     Well, I am still writing, so I suppose that lightning has missed me again.  It has always perplexed me that the Christian religion speaks freely and demonstrates in her temples most aspects of humanity, such as violence and death, and yes, reverence and faith too.  But rarely do we ever see images or artworks of sex, our most physical way of expressing love.  How often do we even see hand-holding or hugs?  Or is it just that the love of parent [or authority figure] without much physical expression, outside of the suckling from a feeding breast, is so much more important than physical love between consenting adults or even open affection?  I am not suggesting really that churches become filled with images of sexual playfulness or adventures [although I am certainly not opposed to it if beautifully done], but I do grow weary of the prevalent violent images.

      Now, on some lighter notes.  We saw fried and sugared polenta cakes in a bakery [with marzipan below them].  I have not tried this, but I imagine it is decadently delicious.  Grease and sugar, mainstays the world over. Traffic and dogs… Dogs in bakeries… Love it all.  And yes, by all means, encourage them to use the urinals… Men, too, please.


Happy birthday, dear Lei! This is a big one, no? I feel it too.  We still have much to accomplish!

     This is another one of those “lost in translation” situations.  “non pretendiamo tanto . . . ma almeno nei giardini”  Google translates this sign as “do not claim as much. . . but at least in the gardens”  I can think of lots of ways to interpret, but you decide.  I must study more Italian language!

Sansepolcro Italy Marble Tomb

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Continuing my post about the Cattedrale di San Giovanni Evangelista [11-14th century] in Sansepolcro, Italy, here is a look at more of the art inside.

The funeral monument and marble tomb of Abbot Simone Graziani (begun in the 16th century) is carved from marble and is situated on the wall next to a large painting. Not generally a fan of sculptures of horizontal bodies at rest, I nonetheless found the details in the frame surrounding the figure to be quite creative and beautiful. Specifically, I enjoy the combination of bas relief (“flat” sculpture, such as what you see on coins) and high relief sculpture (more in the round but still on a wall).

I also enjoy the combination of animals, human faces, and foliage and other organic elements. I chuckle at the intelligent and somewhat whimsical shape that appears at first glance to be a mathematical symbol or letter in an ancient alphabet only to discover that it is in fact a depiction of the hind legs of an animal. This work is highly decorative and beautiful in its symmetry.

To the right of the altar is a more complicated composition than the main altar itself shows off. With the rows of candles in front, this composition struck me as very well balanced. The painting in the center has a lot of negative space that not only gives the eye a place to rest a bit, but the upward glance of the figure and surrounding circle of faces all lead the eye up to the top. There is an incredible marble carving here of multiple figures ascending up through a domed window.

Seriously, how on Earth did these people LIFT such heavy and lovely pieces to such heights and without damage? These were the days before electricity and all the technology that came from after that time. Incredible what people have accomplished.

I also apologize for my inability to get the light meter to read what I wanted with this zoom lens. Still the art is inspiring, as intended in the church. All of the geometry is perfectly designed to lead your eyes to heaven. Wonderful!

Now, because I am a yin and yang kind of person, I must show something that is not so beautiful, although I wonder if it is a strange sign of love. This next and last image is of a painting that is in disrepair. I find destruction fascinating, perhaps the same way that small critters are confused into inactivity by the hunter for easier catching or a the lure of vampire’s hypnotic stare.

The light brown vertical lines you see are cracked areas in which the paint has fallen off… they connect up with the larger brown areas at the bottom. I suspect that the cracks have more to do with places in which either the canvas or the wood has been joined or folded or warped. (I forgot to look at this closely enough to get the details of this painting. Oops!)

But I just wonder if the bottom edge is gone for the same reason that many sculptures have details worn off or sport a bright bronze patina on some toes: people reach up to touch a beloved artwork and over many years, the oils from their fingers and the actual touching or rubbing of thousands of hands destroys the work. It is like polishing the worry stone in your pocket, if you will. This was what I meant when I said an act of love earlier. As an artist, I feel complimented that people loved my work enough to touch it out of affection or adoration.

As a side note, it is interesting how the color has faded on the shadow side of the leg in green… and ONLY in the green. Ah, so much to learn!

Today I have earned 48 years old. I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, I know that I am in the right place and moving in a good direxion. On another, I worry about lost time and late starts (regarding my art mostly). Still, one foot in front of the other and if not now, when? The year just keeps on zipping past. I am on my way to Serbia tomorrow to accompany a friend. It may be a while before I post again. Happy summer to you and thank you for reading my little posts.

Sansepolcro Italy

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

I recently attended a wedding party in eastern Tuscany. I was actually the photographer for the groom, who is more serious about photography than I am. But, hey, a guy cannot always take his own photos, especially when he wants to enjoy the more important moments in his life! Thankfully, his camera has more juice and capability than mine does.

The photo shoot was scheduled for later in the afternoon when we got into a Bentley and rode south into Umbria for the photo shoot. Our driver Giorgio said in Italian, “No limits” when asked how fast this car would go … that just sounds cool, does it not? In the meantime, however, I decided to explore a bit of the town of Sansepolcro.

I wanted to share with you today images I took (with my own camera) of the Cattedrale di San Giovanni Evangelista [11-14th century]. It is a fairly modest cathedral, built on a slight incline, which one only really notices when viewing the outside steps.

The main altar is much more simply organized than most that I have seen in Italia, but I rather enjoyed all the empty white space above the main art piece at the back of the altar, as well as the echoing arched windows.

The paintings on the wall were pretty typical but some I thought were quite good compositionally speaking, and even technically. I am beginning to appreciate more and more how much thought goes into a multi-figure composition. Still, this church seemed to have more paintings about the actual crucifixion of Christ (I mean large main paintings) on the side walls than I have noticed before. I would have guessed that St. John the Evangelist would have been the primarily subject or perhaps more prominent in the artworks. All paintings here were well done.

Looking back towards the door one can see the lovely play of light and shadows as the afternoon sun peers into the cathedral through the round window and square doors. I hope that you can see it in this detail shot I took of just the window, but it appears to be made from large slices of an agate, with rich brown striations or patterns in the stone. Lovely, really.

More tomorrow . . .

Religious Art Santa Trinita Church

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

I hope you do not mind this short entry – I really want to paint today. Here are more images of some of the religious art inside of the Church of Santa Trinita in Florence, Italy. These first two shots are in an altar area that lies to the right of the central (main) altar inside the church. One must put a coin into a machine in order to view the art with a light.