Vinci exhibit and more Art

May 30, 2024 art newsletter:

*  Vinci Exhibit
*  Fountain Face & Italian breakfast painting
*  Stairs of Life by Vasily Fedorouk
*  Luigi & the Misericordia

Dear Art Lover,

     I cannot wait to share with you some fun news.  My work is in a group art exhibition in Vinci in Tuscany, Italy!  I tried to get this news to you before the opening, but for several reasons, I could not.  The date was postponed a couple of times because the restoration of this venue took longer than anticipated.  In addition, my boyfriend asked me to be the caretaker for his 92-year-old mother while her normal caretaker went on vacation for about ten days.  And, I have ever-so-slowly begun to work on my art projects again, including a cement wall-mounted face for behind a spigot and a painting of an Italian breakfast.  I am also still in physical therapy to heal my spine.

     So, joyful excuses aside, the new venue in Vinci, Oltroneo, Locanda di Collina, is spear-headed by a young chef Marco Cahssai and his engineer wife Martina Mattioli.  There is a bar in front for breakfast (in Italia, "bar" has a slightly different meaning than it does in English-speaking countries).  The dining rooms are several and spacious, and the large kitchen is clean and open, as well as lavender-coloured.  There is a garden area in the courtyard where you may dine with the herbs grown, as well as a patio out front. 

     An Italian woman Matilde Burchianti, who seems to be a mover and shaker in a quiet way, created and curated this event.  Her statement is translated below (I will post the original version in Italian at the end of the online version of this newsletter.)

     "Languages of Art" is an exhibition that aims to include the different forms of the artists' work, their different ages and cultural backgrounds, in a systemic vision. Artistic creation would unfold in the name of relationality, recognizing the circumstance that what we call matter is the outcome of a fabric of relationships, that reality is made up of objects and phenomena linked by a dense and complex web of relationships, not of facts isolated from each other, although the phenomenal character of the events themselves seems to be that of diversity and irreconcilability.

     The artists communicate to us that the other is another you, they become hospitable and point out to us themes such as sharing and dialogue, even through subtraction. In playing an interlocutory role, they ask us questions regarding the great current transformations, the paradigmatic changes of many aspects of our societies, work, the relationship with others, the search for identity, the sensations of loss and precariousness, not attenuated by fact that we are relegated to one of the various enclosures of today's consumerism, although deprived of its object.

     And again on unity which, if treated as distinct from integration, could become a reason for struggle and division between people, especially within today's anxious nationalism.

     The languages of art seem to suggest to us that we are once again at a crossroads and that our history will be played out in the responsibility of our choices, those that will nail us to a divisive present, of fear and deprivation of vital resources, including cultural ones, or they will project us into a world in which the opportunities, however present, will allow us to emerge from the state of minority, we think, not alone in this existence.

  ~   Matilde Burchianti

There is that limit where a chef loses
perception of the entire construct, the event, the
success.

There is that limit, which crossing it means
look at what we knew with amazement
renewed, as if everything were new, as if
we looked at the fate of everything with the
hope that belonged to us as children.

When a tomato returns to being, afterwards
years, just a wonderful perfect one
turgid ellipse.

And an ear of corn is a yellow tower of dowels
golden.

The snail is a golden portion.

When a dandelion can become a straw.

We look at each element with thought
constant of what it could still be if it
we met for the first time.

The element without any recourse, without
no compulsion technique.

Element and ultra naturalness.

I believe that this is attempted every day here.

~ Marco Cahssai
Oltroneo, Locanda di Collina

     My friend Kumiko Suzuki and I have work in this exhibit that continues through November 2024.  She has a lovely carved marble head of a woman. 

     I feel humbled and happy that Matilde chose from my studio two stone carvings (she wanted my swan, too, but due to my spine injury, I was unable to finish him), two charcoal drawings inspired by Vernazza, a village of the Cinque Terre, the Italian Riviera coastline, and a group of photographs of some construction ruins in Pescia that I took years ago.  I intended the latter to be for a local exhibit there, but Covid hit a few years back and changed everything.  However, Matilde discovered them in my studio and asked to present them.  Yes!  

     As I was writing this, I got word from Matilde that there will be an artists' aperitivo at the exhibit on the evening of Wednesday, June 12th.  She said of course that anyone may come since the exhibit will be open.  There are fairly long hours for this show due to the fact that it is a restaurant and hang out place.

Oltroneo, Locanda di Collina
Via 4 Novembre, 20
Vinci, Tuscany, Italia
Tel.  (0039)  0573.803432
info@ristoranteatman.it

Dates:  28 April - November 2024
Artists:
Adochi
Atelier Atomico (Paolo Bianchi & Luca Francocci)
Joakim Bernardo
Kelly Borsheim
Marco Cahssai
Nunzio Gorza
Yoshi Kubodera
Pio Pellegrini
Kumiko Suzuki
Jannina Veit Teuten
Bruna Zina

     On Saturday, April 27th, there was a luncheon for the artists and friends of Matilde, mostly from north Veneto.  The food was amazing!  A crispy on top lasagna served in a way I had never conceived, followed by the most scrumptious pork dish I have ever eaten... pork, like rabbit, can be dry.  This absolutely was not!  Followed by a lovely dessert with fruit, then the typical grappa (or other liquor) and coffee.

     Above the restaurant are large rooms where most of us slept that night.  I was lucky in that I had a corner room and could see the sunset behind the cypress trees and olive grove.  These rooms can be rented, "one stop shopping" if you prefer to visit Vinci and Tuscany without the hustle of the much larger Firenze/Florence.

 
     The next day, the opening (inaugurazione) started around 9 a.m. and continued until 1 a.m. (yes, Monday morning!).  I was unable to stay past 6 p.m. or so because I had care-taking to do the next morning in Viareggio.  I would have loved to stay with the wonderful group of artists and enthusiasts for at least dinner.  The food was served professionally by beautiful and young Italians and was FREE all day long!  What an opening.
And Kumiko did a small street painting on the front patio.

     Most of the pictures I have taken of this art exhibit were early morning and slower times when I had fewer distractions, and thus, there are not many people in the shots.  This place is sure to have even more visitors as tourists arrive with the summer.

[More images at the bottom of this newsletter.]

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Fountain Face and Italian breakfast painting

     If you would like to see how I created this wall art sculpture for a garden sink, check out my YouTube channel (subscribe and hit the notification bell if you like this sort of content):
https://www.youtube.com/user/kellyborsheim

      You may also see there some short videos there of my new painting WIP (work-in-progress), the Italian breakfast.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Steps of Life by Vasily Fedorouk

     I have had the good fortune to not only know and learn from Ukrainian-American sculptor Vasily Fedorouk, but also to visit many times his home and studio outside of Chicago.  I love so many of his works, and own several.  
     This next stone carving I present to you has become one of my favorites.  She grew on me.  The simple, majestic pose of a woman descending stairs gives an elegant beauty to this sculpture.
     The features are simplified and the flow of the gown supports the idea of calming grace.  Vasily designed this figure to show a forward movement that makes me curious about what the young woman is thinking.  I love the hands, the soft expression, the wave in the hair, and how modestly yet transparent the dress drapes over her torso.    

     If this artwork interests you, send me a message or go to Vasily's site and write to his wife (information on the contact page).
http://www.vasilyfedorouk.com/OtherStoneSculpture/StepsOfLifeII.htm

"Steps of Life"
24 x 8 x 5 inches
Sandstone
copyright 2007 Vasily Fedorouk         $6,600 US

     Thank you for your interest in my work and artistic life.  It is difficult to believe that we will soon enter another season.  Time is whizzing by!  

Please have a look at my site if you are in the market for original art:
https://BorsheimArts.com

And if you are shopping for a gift, these two shops of my work may interest you.
https://BorsheimArts.etsy.com

Artworks featuring the human nude figure, 2-d and 3-d:
https://BorsheimArtsStudio.etsy.com

Live well and share joy,

Kelly

P.S.  This newsletter is dedicated to Luigi Pacini and the Misericordia of Castelvecchio.  

     I recently learned of the death of farmer Luigi Pacini from Stiappa in Valleriana, on 20 May.  I met him through my volunteer service with the Misericordia of Castelvecchio.  Before the accident with the wave that broke two of my vertebrae, I often drove Luigi to his therapy in Pescia.  He went three times a week.  He traveled in a wheelchair, but the therapist had hoped to help him gain strength in his legs to walk again.  Sometimes my shift with him was twice a week, as other volunteers (and friends) took turns driving him in the large equipped van of the Misericordia (an organization that offers ambulance and taxi service, mostly through volunteer work after passing levels of courses).  While Luigi was in therapy, I usually walked around Pescia for an hour, before returning when it was time to take him back to his home.  

     As I got to know him and his caretaker Giorgina better, Luigi would often invite me to stay for a coffee.  We had some fun conversations and I could see the sense of humor and rapport between the two of them.  Luigi was a flirt.  But I also had the sense that he was an honest man.  He left two grown children behind.

     My friend and colleague in the Misericordia, Franco, said he remembered as a boy that Luigi, a true farmer (also with animals), gave him a bunch of potatoes for the family one time when young Franco had not enough money for them.  I like the story.

     I still do not know many of the villagers in Valleriana very well at all.  But these short contacts when people really need assistance are often packed with real moments of life and kindness.  It may not be the best way to get to know something of a person, but I take what I can get.  

     I had been thinking about Luigi on the day he died as I realized it was Monday.  I forgot the day before to try to go up to visit him.  It would have been the first time since my accident and I had no idea if he even knew what made me stop taking him to therapy.  I had heard that his caretaker moved on and that he no longer attended therapy, but I had no other news until the finale.

     I think from the comments on the Stiappa Facebook page announcing the news of his passing, people thought well of Luigi.  Ciao, and thank you.

     My hope is that after another month or two of physical therapy that I may return to service with the Misericordia, but only with the small service car.  In that, I will drive people who can walk ok, but cannot drive to their appointments or grocery shopping, etc.  As of now, I cannot lift much without risking more injury.  Thus, if someone falls, all I can do is call for help.

     Not too long ago, I remembered that when I had a surprisingly similar accident when I was 30 years old inside a ToysRus store with my "kid" Rudy (through The Mentor Program in Austin, Texas), it took several years to heal properly.  Although those first two years were spent going to doctors that ToysRus paid for because they feared I would sue them (which never occurred to me even after someone told me that was what they were doing).  Those doctors insisted that I had nothing wrong with me, so I lost time (with five vertebrae in my neck jammed into a straight line in profile... NOT normal or healthy).  I lost my front teeth, too, but my dentist did well by me.

In any event, I am trying to have patience and that has rarely been my strong point.

More Art Exhibit Images, Vinci in Tuscany, Italy:

These lovely gentlemen who came down from northern Italy (Veneto region) are here having a look at my book titled "My Life as a Street Painter in Florence, Italy." It is still available on Amazon, if you want to see over 350 images and read some of my stories there.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

In Italiano:  mostra dell'arte, Vinci:

     Linguaggi dell’Arte è una mostra che ha la pretesa di iscrivere le diverse forme dell’operato degli artisti, le loro differenti età e provenienze culturali, in una visione sistemica. La creazione artistica si dispiegherebbe nel segno della relazionalità, riconoscendo la circostanza che ciò che chiamiamo materia è l’esito di un tessuto di relazioni, che la realtà è costituita da oggetti e fenomeni legati da una fitta e complessa trama di rapporti, non di fatti isolati tra loro, sebbene la cifra fenomenica degli eventi medesimi sembri essere quella della diversità e inconciliabilità.

     Gli artisti ci comunicano che l’altro è un altro tu, si fanno ospitali e ci segnalano temi quali la condivisione e il dialogo, anche per sottrazione. Nello svolgere un ruolo interlocutorio, ci  pongono domande riguardanti le grandi trasformazioni attuali, i cambiamenti paradigmatici di molti aspetti delle nostre società, il lavoro, il rapporto con l’altro, la ricerca di identità, le sensazioni di smarrimento e precarietà, non attenuate dal fatto che siamo relegati in uno degli svariati recinti dell’odierno consumismo, sebbene privato del suo oggetto.

     E ancora sull’unità che, qualora trattata come distinta dall’integrazione, potrebbe diventare motivo di lotta e divisione fra le persone, specie in seno all’odierno nazionalismo ansioso.

     I linguaggi dell’arte sembrano suggerirci che siamo nuovamente ad un bivio e che la nostra storia si giocherà nella responsabilità delle nostre scelte, quelle che ci inchioderanno ad un presente divisivo, di paura e di privazione di risorse vitali, fra esse anche quelle culturali, o ci proietteranno in un mondo nel quale le opportunità, comunque presenti, ci consentiranno di uscire dallo stato di minorità, pensiamo, non da soli in questa esistenza.

~ Matilde Burchianti

*************************

 Esiste, quel limite, dove un cuoco perde
percezione di tutto il costrutto, l’accaduto, il
successo.

Esiste quel limite, che varcarlo significa
guardare a ciò che conoscevamo con stupore
rinnovato, come se tutto fosse nuovo, come se
guardassimo il destino di ogni cosa con la
speranza che ci apparteneva da bambini.

Quando un pomodoro torna ad essere, dopo
anni, solamente una meravigliosa perfetta
ellissi turgida.

E una pannocchia una torre gialla di tasselli
d’oro.

La lumaca una porzione aurea.

Quando un tarassaco può diventare cannuccia.

Guardiamo ad ogni elemento con il pensiero
costante di cosa potrebbe essere ancora se lo
incontrassimo per la prima volta.

L’elemento senza nessun ricorso, senza
nessuna tecnica costrizione.

Elemento e ultronea naturalità.

Credo che qui si tenti ogni giorno a ciò.

                                    
~  Marco Cahssai, chef

Contact Borsheim Arts Studio