Chloride (for Bret)

Chloride would drive Tony into a frenzy. This painting is proof of that. On a dark stormy night, rain gushing down, he got 'restless', 'crazy', 'anxious'. What the feeling was that would grab hold of him at those times. He tore out a piece of boarded fence and painted these Indians, which he gave away the same night to Ken F. Some people he took to immediately, like to you Bret. Talking and listening, joking on the back porch were good and cherished moments. I too learned from you, your voice and turning on the preacher as a demonstration... I hope you are well. If you post a comment with your e-mail, I'll reply to you and then erase the comment to keep your mail private. I hope that works for you.

God feeding the dancer

God feeding the dancer is an installation or as Tony called it an 'environmental'. The red circle in the painting is continued in a red carpet completing the circle on the floor. To the right on the carpet was a nice round fishbowl with two goldfish swimming. To the left on the floor was small a wooden board with a text :dancing a wild wind of chaos. The painting 3 meter high, two meter wide was painted in 1992 and stood in our bedroom. It is one of the paintings Tony used to play his guitar to.

Ascension

This painting has already been posted. I have a good reason though to show it again. Albert Hagenaars was inspired by this painting writing his poem for Black Sun, a tribute to Tony Mafia. Then click' het laatste nieuws ( blog)' and go to 'A tribute to Indian-American artist Tony Mafia'. This will link to Albert's poem in Dutch and English. The poem beautifully captures the multitude of facets which inspired Tony for this painting and the made the feelings and experiences his own so that they are ours when we read it.

By and by the other poems of this beautiful volume will be posted and of course you can order the book at www.lulu.com

The ascension

The ascension of Christ is a real large canvas more than 2 meter by 2 meter. It depicts several scenes of the old and new testament: The opening of the Red Sea, the taking off the cross of Christ, Mary Magdalen bending over with her hair and Mary almost cartoonish. As I have written before Tony struggled with his faith, hoped there would be a god, but not realy count on it. In his worst moments of fear he prayed. He had asked for a catholic funeral and there have been services in Hoboken and in Arizona. He was always sincere when painting, the canvas and the result on it is what mattered most.

The Chapel

It is time for some religion. This drawing (watercolor? oil?) which Tony named the Chaple -remember he was dyslexic- was send by Spooky who found it on the net for sale. Tony regularly did religious drawings, called himself catholic, wanted a catholic funeral but doubted the existence of God as told. But being sick and often near to dying he needed someone to bargain with. This pretty drawing is from 1971 and I am pretty sure that it is in the States. Who knows more about it?

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.

Ortodox Jews

This oil painting is shared by Daffodil. It was painted in Antwerp in 1968. She shares that her mother in law met Tony in Miami and went to his home in North Miami Beach. It was sometime in the late 60's. She paid $500 for the painting. It is 48x36 ". Tony was living with his wife who was pregnant at the time.

All this information is correct. His wife was probably pregnant with their second child at the time. In 1968 he lived in a small apartment in Antwerp in the Jewish quarter of town: Korte or Lange Herentalse Straat, between central Station and the Town Park. In that period he drew and portrayed a lot of the Jewish people around, the majority in that area being orthodox. He and his family left for the States half of January 1969. I am so certain of that because I have a dated good bye drawing for my daughter who just was born on the 1st of January. He told me later he had been teaching at the university in Miami but the students didn't get credits for it since he did not have the right degrees. Well that was Tony.

Religious paintings

The African country I just visited is over 80 % Christian so it seemed appropriate to show a painting of Christ. Tony was catholic believing in the goodness of Christ, not being sure about his godliness. Yet he used the Christian iconography a lot in his paintings. He cared about the suffering of Christ - look at the eyes in this painting and the lines in the face - and the pain and loss of Mary Magdalen. The stories of the old testament and the new, it has all been painted. In this particular painting he combines Christ and a native sun. 'Native' obviously as in Native American, maybe referring to his own name 'Black Sun'. The portrait of Christ was painted in Chloride in 1996 and is now in the caring possession of Ken and Irene Fielder.

Rubbelsoul: please send your testimony and picure of the work you have. Tell us something about it.