Page 29 - Luigi Pericle_Beyondthevisible PRESS REVIEW Formal.pdf

From thatmomentonwardstherequestbytheTicinogovernmentendedupasbeingatruegiftfalenfrom thesky.«Insigningthepurchaseagreementforthehouse inclusiveofalitscontents,IrealizedIwasalmostdoingthem afavouragreeingtotakecareoftheclearoutinthebasement!».Hecomesacrossomewoodenboxes filedwithpaintingsandsomesmalblackandwhitedrawings.Intotal,AndreaandGretagather6000originalartworks,including150largecanvases.«Let’sgetit straight.Practicaly,atthemomentofthediscovery,Pericle’sworkwasworthnexttonothing.Thegovernmenthadalreadymadeenquiresalthoughtheywerenotyet awareofhisuniquecareerinthearttrade.ThisisparticularlyevidentwhenconsultingthepublicationofhisartinthecataloguebyStaechelin».
From thatmomentonwardsthehotelierturnedintoarestorer:notonlyforwhatconcernsPericle’sartworksbutthecataloguingandasesmentarealsoarangedathis ownexpense.Furthermorehecatersforthepromotionoftheartist’spersonalstyle.«WithregardstothearttradePericle’scareerwasshortbutbriliant.From 1962to 1965,thankstohisacquaintancewithStaechelin,hisworkwaspresentedbyHansHes,therenownedcuratorwhoalowedhim toexhibitinsixEnglishnational museums.Thequotationofhisworksquicklyraised,butin1965,boredwiththefrivolityofsocialife,helefttheartmarketandsetledinthesamehouseinAsconawhich PeterG.Staechelinhadpurchasedandhadgiventohim inexchangeof100paintings.Asamateroffact,Ithinktheremustbeapproximately400paintingsbyPericle worldwide.Atthetime,someofhiscolectorsweretheGermanPrimeMinister,thefashionphotographerErwinBlumenfeld,theactresBrigiteHelm whoplayedin «Metropolis»etc.Agreatpartofmyactivityconsistsinlistingtheworkssoldinthosethirteenyears». Inadditiontothehouse,AndreaBiasca-CaronihasbecomeownerofthewholeLuigiPericle’sartproductionfrom 1965to1980whichmarkedtheendofhisactivityasa painter.AcordingtotheresidentsinTicino,ifajobgets“completed”andcomesalongwithagoodstory,itwilcertainlybefolowedbyanincreaseofitsownappraisal. InfactPericle’sartfounditsfirstnew buyersamongthecustomersofthehotel.Theprofitofthisfirstsignificantprivatetradehasbeeninvestedtocreateanexhibition areawhere50artworksbyPericleareexhibiteduntilNovemberattheFondazioneQueriniStampaliaconcurentlywithVeniceArtBiennale.
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In1965J.D.Salingerstoppedwritingandultimatelyfoundshelterinmeditation.GivenPericle’smeticulousanduprightnature,wedon'tbelievehedeliberatelyimitated thebehaviouroftheAmericanwriternevertheles,Periclealsochose1965astheyeartowithdraw tohisdwelingaboveAsconauntilhisdeathin2001.Twosucesful livessolet’srewindthetape. LuigiPericlecametothelightinBaselin1916;hisfatherwasofItalianorigins(Marche).Hebecametalentedwhenhewasyoung,(heactualycreatedhisfirstpaintingsat theageof12)andafterhisexpulsionfrom artschool,hekeptonpaintingonhisownbutthen,suddenlydecidedtodestroyalthearthehadproducedupuntiltheForties inordertoapproachilustration.Suceedingly,in1951hissmalmarmotcaled«Max»becameadailymascotofseveralAmericanpublicationsbasedoncomicstrip formatssuchasSnoopyandPopeye.AroundsixtyimportantnewspapersboughthisdrawingsandPericlebegantosendthem instantlyfrom Ticinowherehehadsetled withhiswife.PasionateaboutBuddhism from theageof17,hewasatractedbythesenseofcommunityandthenaturalisticapproachthatcharacterisesMonteVerità, the«HilofUtopia»inAscona.Althoughhedidn’tcompletelyfleefrom thepleasuresoflife,ashetreatedhimselftotheFeraricabrioletdesignedforIngridBergman... In1960hebecameacquaintedtotheSwiscolectorandartdealerPeterG.Staechelinwhoencouragedhim togoonpaintingwhileheorganizedtheartist’slaunchinto artorbit.From 1962to1965Pericleatendedthejetsetofgalleristars suchasMartinSummerswhogavehim theopportunitytoexhibitattheToothGaleryinLondon alongwithPicasoandDubufet.Partiesfascinatedhisintelectualnaturebutonlyforawhile,sincePericlefeltfarmoreatractedtoesotericstudiesandtheconnection betweenartistic,religiousandintelectualdisciplinesaspiringtotheideaofajoined-upphilosophy.Hisabstract-informalpainting -whichreflectsthisapproach -is evidentintheshapes,materials,texturesandsymbolsheusesinart.«Withthemeansofpaintinghewasabletoexpreshisownvisionoftheupperworldwhich couldn’tbeputintowords»,statesAndreaBiasca-Caroni.This«reificationoftheinvisible»isnurturedbyPericle’spasionforlanguages(infacthehadbeenstudying Latin,Greek,JapaneseandChinese),celestialbodiesandocultknowledge.Hisastrologicalquadrantswithcountlesnotes-whichseem tobeinspiredbyMedieval savantsorOrientalastrologists-arebothworksofartandjewelsofparticulardetailedmathematics.In1980hestoppedpaintinganddevotedhimselftothestudyofstars, anout-of-the-boxufologistandasciencefictionauthorbutneverpublishedthem.The500-pagemanuscriptofhisuniquenovel«Untiltheendoftime»wasfoundamong hisdrawingsandpaintingsfifteenyearsafterhispasing.
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