FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN with AFRO


A series for Badelaire's famous book.....

1968
Afro Basaldella, (1912-1973) called Afro, was a new artist for me. Italian and from the little I saw of his work in Beaux Arts magazine, this was an Italian I would enjoy. As the exhibition was in a gallery off I went on a very hot steamy day. How is it though that whenever I go to that part of the Marais, I end up about three kilometres in the opposite direction. The Pont Neuf and the Pont Marie (bridges) for some reason or another get reversed when I am walking. By the time I did get to the gallery I was very hot. Fortunately the small space was air conditioned and I stopped gasping like a fish


Les Fleurs du Mal - 1975

1973

Martello e Tenaglie 1 - 1947 - so different

1969

1957

1968


It was worth it. Afro’s works for those on view were a pleasure to my eye. Vibrant colours, energy bursting though, glorious light and sparkle. His family was artistically oriented with brothers who were famous sculptors. When he travelled to Paris for the first time in 1937 the influence of Braque and Picasso made him turn to abstraction. This was a decisive moment in his career. His stay in American had a profound and lasting effect on his work as he discovered Arshile Gorky, Action Painting, Franz Kline, Cy Twomboly and Willem de Kooning. All artists which of course have influenced me over the years - or perhaps my appreciation of abstract art. Slowly he moved from a «cubitistic» approach and his work becomes more fluid.


In 1958, Afro was invited to participate in an exhibition with Pablo Picasso, Hans Arp, Alexander Calder and Joan Miro for the wall decoration at UNESCO in Paris. It is enormous and yet I am ashamed to say that despite visits to UNESCO for business reasons, I never took note. Will go back now, just to see that. 


The Garden of Hope at UNESCO -1958

Of course he has exhibited in the Biennale in Venise, in Paris at Orsay and other museums or in galleries. It’s difficult to believe - I had not discovered his work before. My period, the artists I love and now Afro is joining them.  

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Lo a dit…
Definitely not my "tasse de thé", sorry Maggie...

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