The attached picture sets the clock back with 27 years and takes us to – probably- the most favorite place in the world of any 5-year-old; the city fair.
Seated in Tony Maffia’s neck, I stare at yellow, plastic ducklings which are swimming in a water bassin of one of Antwerp’s “finest” carnival stands.
The prices, which we can gain by catching as many ducklings as possible, are extremely big and colorful , almost disproportional to what we are asked to do in exchange for receiving such a trophee.
The ducklings have challenged us. We both feel the adrenaline rushing through our vains and, as we take a deep breath, we know which adventure lies ahead of us.
I guess this best gives words to what I thought of Tony. In my eyes he was never the person I see on the picture today; a white-haired man at least fifty years older than I was.
Rather, I saw him as a contemporary and an accomplice who was ready to discover the world with me. At the time, I was too young to relate my fellow adventurer Tony to ‘Tony Mafia’, the painter. He was extremely young at heart and always ready to share both my happiness and sorrow.
As I grew older, I realized that Tony had captured our mutual spirit for discovery in his paintings.
To this day, every painting of Tony remains a discovery to me; in color, in pattern and story. Every time I look at one of Tony’s works, I notice something different. Every time I stare at his paintings, I see something new.
And, like the picture attached, such a painting takes me back 27 years in time. Back to being that 5-year-old boy, ready to catch as many fair ducklings as he can.
Aldo de Pape
Thank you so much Aldo!
2 comments:
my father was a close friend of Tony's. They painted and lived together for many years. They even painted works jointly.
You can see some of my Dad's work at www.maxshertz.com.
Tony painted a portait of my dad that hangs in my living room, I will post the image here soon.
I loved watching them paint, and argue together,when I was a boy. Dana Shertz, Del Mar, Ca
To whom it may concern,
I am writing because I have been encharged by Omniarte to catalogue the work of Italian artists in the European Parliamet's collection.
It would be very helful if you could help me collect informations about the work and life of Tony Mafia (biography, CV, bibliography), anything you could consider relevant.
Do you have any idea of which galleries deal with Mafia's works and how I could consider an evaluation of the painting Tearful eye of God (1996)?
I hope of hearing from you very soon.
Yours faithfully,
Maria Martinelli
maria.martinelli@hotmail.it
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