Nello's dream

So many years later Tony's work still unleashes emotions in Hoboken. Claude, here in the picture of the newspaper which picked up the story, alerted me to the fact that Tony's painting 'Nello's Dream' was in storage in a cellar since the closure of the information center. Not living in Hoboken  anymore, I hadn't caught up on the fact.  So I wrote a kind letter- in the press they wrote a disgruntled letter- made a phone call and behold the district secretary personally hung the painting again against the wishes of those who thought the colors clashed with the wall... Well All is good that ends good and I do wish to thank all who made it happen.

Nello and Patrache

The old story which played out in Hoboken near Antwerp, was dear to Tony's heart. he identified with Nello, who was also a good painter. After some reshuffling in the district the painting had vanished and people who care alerted the blog. A few telephone conversations further and one letter, I am glad to announce that the paiting: Nello's dream will be displayed again in the districts house of Hoboken. Good news!

Bullfights

This bullfight scene in an arena reminded me of something Tony told me. I am not sure when but the story goes that he painted the whole bullring of Tijuana. In Tony's rendering it seemed to be in the fifties maybe later. He had several colors of oils on his pallet, a few buckets of paint which he threw on the stuccoed wall of the bullring. The Major got angry till the moment Tony with his brushes pulled out the figures and brought the painting to live. The Major is quoted as shouting: 'Viva el maestro pintor!' I have never seen it, since when I was in Tijuana a long time ago the bullring was closed. It is probably lost by now.

Flyer

Tony's work keeps touching people's hearts. This is the flyer for an upcoming music and poetry event, which is the end of year of a series of house concerts. And loving his work so much, a small house exhibition is also planned by the enthusiastic organizer. The improvising musicians are awesome, if you're not too far away come and join the festivities. Five instruments, one voice and a poet reading while Tony's work is projected on the wall.

The press

For those who read Danish, an article from 1970. You'll find some of the names of famous owners of Tony's work and some information about his life and work. Tony had a dual relationship with the press: he enjoyed the attention but felt they should not write about the man -although he was flattered and needed to be liked- but the articles should be about the work. As you can tell in full Vietnam war, he did drawings about peace and never soft on his words his message still is: Fuck Hate!

Nello's dream

When Tony was eight years old at Lawrence Hall Indian Home for Boys, he was tested and turned out to be gifted as a painter. It had been forever his dream to be exactly that. Nello, the sad hero of The Dog of Flanders, spoke to his imagination. This painting is almost an illustration of the story but expresses more than that, warmth and loyalty, the dream of beauty... Actually love and death is its real theme. If you happen to be in Antwerp, take tram 4 or 2 to Hoboken and check out the City Info center in Kapellestraat, office hours only, they have brochures to hand out to you.

The bather

The Bather, an oil on canvas from 1998, is hanging since 2004 in the seat of the district of Hoboken in the office of the district's president. This compares to a mayor's office in a 30.000 people town. It is a strange, kind, a bit otherworldly painting. Tony loved Hoboken. He had his routine there and his friends. He knew where to get breakfast and lunch and good second hand stuff... He also loved this particular painting with the subtle hues of blues and purples broken up by tenter pinks and sensuous red. The standing figure seem to be given a blessing or accepting an offering. If you ask in Broydengorgh Castle, they'll let you in the office, although you can see The Bather from the hall. They may still have a few catalogs... ask for them.

Black Sun Town

Tony's Indian name was Black Sun, so Black Sun Town is Chloride. He loved the town dearly and it drove him to despair. He saw the beauty and harshness of life there. The little book of which this pen and ink drawing is the cover describes in XII cycles what Chloride is about. Tony loved his small pen and ink drawings and he often scribbled a text with it. This one reads: For you I will bring the sun to the highest heaven and dance in happiness with you.

The tearful eye of God

The Tearful Eye of God is the name Tony gave this large painting. God crying because of the state of the world, the state humanity is in. It hangs on the third floor in a public area of the European Parliament. it is large and even a bit larger than what I could get on the picture. it is the only painting by a non European in the collection of the European Parliament. I love how Tony painted his own red boots...

Two lovers

Still from the same big painting: Two lovers. Holding and being held, is probably something we all long for. Here the lover looks a lot like one of the icons Tony used to portray 'the vet'. Tony was, by his own account, influenced by El Greco. In some other paintings you can tell by the length of the legs and such, here it are the elongated faces and noses that could refer to El Greco's influence.

Detail II

The red stallion is all about masculinity, horses in general represented the hidden warrior in Tony. He is known for his horses, they are always alive, in movement, lifting off the canvas or the page. Here I singled out one, running with a group. Look at the soul of a horse just above.

Details

Now, don't hold the quality of the picture against the poor creatures shown. Tony loved pigeons and they feature often in his work. In this case they are the symbol of love and tender togetherness. The cock-pigeon seems to be offering an olive branch to his mate. War and peace might have been on his mind. I am fond of the purples and how the paint is applied right beneath them. In Belgium pigeon racing is a popular sport and big sums are involved in winning. In the town of Lier, one Sunday a month, the pigeon lovers gather to exchange birds and to sell offspring of big champions. Tony would go there once in awhile and mingle and seem to be anything as knowledgeable as the sportsmen. They would even let him handle a champion after watching him a while. The detail is of the same big canvas as yesterday's flamenco player.

Music

Spain and flamenco were returning subjects in Tony's work. This is a detail from a larger painting which you can view in full at the third floor in the Altiero Spinelli building of the European Parliament. Note the crying guitar player. He is just as god crying about the state of the world. Note the figure leaning in to the guitar, caressing, cradling it with body and soul. That is was music can do. In 1995 he got a very delicate guitar in Montellano, near Seville. When we heard some gypsies play near the church of the Crying Madonna the evening we brought her back, he decided to call the guitar just that. I believe he honored the delicate crying Madonna guitar in this flamenco player. The canvas was one to which he would return often, changing it sometimes drastically. He started it in 1995, worked on it in 1998 and May 1999. The last paint Tony spread was red on a tiny brush on this canvas.

Antelope Mask

This delicate watercolor/Chinese ink drawing from 1997 was used for the cover of an anthology of Native American Poetry in Dutch translation Met rode Ink, which was published in 2006 by publisher Ampersand & Tilde. The drawing's name is Antelope Mask. Tony made the drawing after a trip to Hopi, not to imitate the real mask, that would be disrespectful, but honoring the traditions and intentions of the Hopi. He cared deeply about all things Indian.

Mohave Museum of History and Arts

The Rainbow of the Kachina was painted in Chloride in 1998. A few years later I donated it to the Mohave Museum of History and Arts.
Admittedly the museum is more about the early aboriginal inhabitants of the area, the ranchers and miners and the railroad than about art. Yet it has two paintings of Tony Mafia: one loose sketch and the painting hanging in the directors office. Shannon Rossiter always had his door open and has the brochures and information about Tony, so visitors are welcome to sit down and listen and talk about Tony's art. I felt it was important for Tony's work to be somewhere in his chosen region, seen in the public domain.

Murals

One of the reasons Tony Mafia was a bit disenchanted with Chloride is that a large mural hab been painted over in the 'Tennessee Social Club and Saloon" in 1990. Many have spoken to me about the loss they still feel about this. Luckily a few other murals are still around. If you take a room at the Shep's Miners Inn (part of the Yesterdays Restaurant) then you can can ask for one of the two Tony Mafia rooms, mentioned in 'dessert currents' issue of June 2007 in an interview. Somewhere around 1988 he stayed a couple of days there when 'Linda' still had the place. He took his paint and left his mark. He liked Chloride because it was the West, a real old Wild West town. When I arrived here first in 1991 there were still many artist living in the small community: 307, they said, when you two are home. There were some other painters, potters and two writers beside myself. Tony despaired about the people taking classes and all doing the same old pot and the same quail... There were a lot of musicians around too but since he played according to his own inner rhythms, he seldom jammed with them.