So i think that one of the great and most wonderful things about life is circles. When things in our lives come back to us in unexpected ways. It is just wonderful when you don't expect anything and then turn around and know that your life had been interconnected to someone well before you even knew who they were or that your web of life brings you into contact with people you never expected to find in your life.
I am currently taking a class at the New York Academy of Art as a way of meeting other artists and to keep my figurative skills us and running. The class is taught by Robert Armetta. I just met Robert in my class this fall and have had great conversations about painters and painting. Well Robert and I were talking about an artist that we both absolutely love, Antonio Lopez-Garcia, and about how in the past (before the internet made things so easy) it was so difficult to get information on Lopez-Garcia. I told the story about how 10 years ago my dealer knew a guy who might have an extra copy of a rare catalog of Lopez-Garcia's work and be willing to sell it. I had searched for this catalog for a few years at that point and jumped on it. I paid $250 for it and read it over and over. I would look at the images so much that I would just fall asleep with it in my bed. As we were talking, yesterday, Robert told me a story of being in Spain and being at Lopez-Garcia's gallery. He was talking to a woman at the gallery asking her how he might be able to get a catalog on him. The books were no longer available there either. She asked him how many he wanted. He emptied his pockets of money and said "as many as this can buy me". She brought out 9 copies of the book. The woman was Antonio Lopez-Garcia's daughter - the one in the picture above. He lugged those books back to America and happened to give one to his friend Mathew Bruckner. Mathew is the guy who sold me my book on Antonio Lopez-Garcia. The book that I prize the most was carried across the ocean by someone I met 10 years later who had been given the book by the daughter of the artist.
Life is wonderful!
4 comments:
what a ridiculous world. i know how much you covet his work....interesting story!
That's truly crazy!
My mom is taking classes with Robert at the Stevenson's Institute on LI. She's been talking about him for a while, and just showed me his work, when I realized I saw a couple of paintings of his at Arcadia Gallery years ago in a show with a bunch of Water Street Studio alumni and some of my classmates from Aviano's studio.
OH! Just realized, you were at that show with me too!
His paintings were to the left of Sarah Lambs. A self portrait, and a still life with apples. Remember?
i just found your comment. that's so funny! small world! i only remember sarah lamb's painting of a milk bottle sorry to everyone else
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