Jester and clown

I am showing these two clowns from the DL collection. Tony liked clowns and harlequins and jesters because it gave him space to invent costumes and colors. He did many for DL who worked in one of the biggest circuses in the world. Why do I show this? Well look at the different way of handling the material, the different 'style'... once you understand it is all Tony Mafia you'll understand why it would be hard to imitate him. Yet it would be easy to fool people because Tony could do almost anything in painting.

Real?

Someone who recently fell in love with Tony's work (through the blog!) bought this oil and seems to worry if it is the real thing. That is a fair question because I know of two instances, one in Antwerp and one in LA where another painter copied Tony's work. In Antwerp the guy (Frank) would pick up discarded drawings and then color them in. The US the painter was more subtle. As far as I can tell by the photograph it would be an oil painting and there are enough points of recognition in his way of handling the paint to think it is a genuine Mafia. Tony would do strange things, but the signature, the mask on the top right hand corner and the way the ladder is done would reassure me. If anybody knows more about the painting, please tell us.

Recurent themes

Having lived in Amsterdam and Antwerp where there is a large Hasidim population, Tony was captured by their traditional way of dressing. In Antwerp they are very visible and have a large influence in the diamond trade and yes, Tony loved his diamonds. Here you see two drawings from the early 70's: one in stylized lines and the other in delicate colors, probably from the same period as the drawings in the last post... Just showing how different he would use several techniques.

balloons

Doing these easy, romantic, saccharine drawings came easy to Tony. These are prints: the signature is also in ink which he would never do. These little drawings kept him afloat in hard times selling them for a couple of dollars and selling enough to pay the rent. He would go from bar to bar in the red light district in Antwerp, Paris, Amsterdam... His folder would be filled with real drawings and these prints and he would hope that the real good work could find a loving home. People loved these sweet nothings, yet good drawings as he himself considered them. Later, as a mature painter, often when he did something too easy he would change it going from the slick to the rough and real feelings.

Vote!

If you had any doubts of where Tony stood: he was a registered democrat, sending some money once in while out of his often meager income. He would want you all to get involved and be active in the present election campaign. He would make fun of 'stupid' politicians and their Wienerschnitzel actions. He marched in the first civil rights march in Selma and didn't like to be chased by vicious police dogs... Yes I guess Tony would want the troops home now. He was not a draft dodger and has been in the Air Force.

Casares Spain

Doug, our collecting fiend, had the foresights years ago to take a lot of pictures. He send 13 cd-roms on which he had transfered the negatives of those times. You'll get a lot of young Tony's work. I start out with a fine pen and ink drawing from 1966. The oldest drawing I have found up to now. He stayed for six months in Casares in Andalucia, Spain painting drawing and putting a show together in the rue Saint Honoré des Arts for the gallery of Madame Besnard. Casares is like on the drawing: the church on top with the cemetery around it and the field fertilized by the rains under the overhanging cliff... He sold out the show: true! I heard Tony and Madame Besnard speak about in when they met again in Paris early 1990's. She had two paintings of Tony in her living room... He revisited Casares often in his paintings. Even the big painting in the European Parliament 'The tearful eye of god' is inspired by his stay in Spain that long ago.

Four O'clock Red Sun

This Tony lithograph press is titled "Four O'clock Red Sun." Its number 11 out of the series of 12. My father bought Tony a lithograph press years ago, as I have found out, it was one of three presses Tony had. For Tony to live he would sell a drawing or painting and buy a bag of food. My dad has always been a kind man. After their initial meetings my dad started to pay for some of Tony’s painting supplies that Tony could not pay for, like the press. Tony had no job…he was an artist. That was what he devoted his whole being to. To my father, Tony showed a pure devotion to a craft. He had never met anyone in his life then or now who had such a vision. Tony would just sit by the window, letting the warm sunshine dance on his white hair while gazing at a fresh stroke of color etched by a master onto a piece of canvas, giving birth to his artwork.

This is the other piece that hangs in my room. I can see the influence Mexico had on this piece. The bull and the horsemen with a Mexican style hat. Now that is just my opinion as my father doesn't exactly remember when Tony did this series of lithographs.