ATIM July 2014 "Art Fusion" Special Summer Issue by Arttour International Magazine

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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

A note from the Editor in Chief

Dear reader, Welcome to “Art Fusion”, a brand new summer issue celebrating the diversity of artistic expression and human creativity in a visually compelling and transcendent package, brimming with vivid and exclusive images as well as amazing multimedia articles. For digital readers, the online issue of “Art Fusion,” available on iTunes 6 Kindle, will provide the opportunity to click on the breathtaking images accompanying each article and be redirected to the accompanying video. “Art Fusion” is an eclectic, state-of-the-art issue paying tribute to the fascinating and enthralling world of both visual and performing arts, scheduled to be launched on July 5th, 2014 in the picturesque city of Byblos, Lebanon; we can’t wait for this exciting presentation. The cover story of this issue features an exclusive interview and photo shoot with Italian performing arts icon and prima ballerina Carla Fracci, a principal guest artist with American Ballet Theater from 1967 until her retirement. We also bring you fascinating success stories from some of the most inspiring and talented artists in the world — the famous Argentine painter Fabian Perez, Russian Pop Art celebrity Ludmilla Radchenko, and Italian performing artist Elckjaer Franco Bono. In our travel article, we journey to Byblos, Lebanon (the only city visited regularly by Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando) and we also share with you some astonishing images from Dor Habonim Beach Nature Reserve in Israel, brought to you by fine art photographer Jamal Kiwan. What else is new in this issue? The launch of ATIMTV.COM. Now you can enjoy your favorite videos directly from our Web TV channel. If you are reading this issue, you will notice a lot of articles with the “Art 2 Heart” interview logo. Just click on it, and the link will take you from our magazine to our video channel so that you can enjoy the exclusive interview for the article. We are excited to bring to you this issue boasting guaranteed maximum exposure through unparalleled media coverage and worldwide access that allows our advertisers, artists and collaborators to profitably reach their target market audiences. Enjoy!

Viviana Puello Editor in Chief Arttour International Magazine

International Reach - Worldwide Marketing Expertise Multi-Media Platform

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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

BACK COVER ARTIST:

EDILSON ELIO BARBOSA

VER ART!

BACK CO

“Carpet Seller” - Oil on Canvas, 35” x 55”

Born in Brazil in 1965 and painting since 12 years old, EDILSON ELIO BARBOSA is a painter that reveals the maturity and the master technique at a lucid approach of scenes and figures, bringing a poetical conception of great chromatic harmony into an extremely personal way. He has obtained the recognition by the critics and public, receiving awards, titles, Gold and Silver Medals in international art competitions in USA and Europe and Brazil, as the Great Cross Medal of the fine arts merit; Medal Grade of Fine Arts Commentator; National Academy of Fine Arts Great Medal Commend; 1st Place In The International Art Competition of Barcelona – Spain 2004; Gold Medal in the XXXIII “The thought Monument – Rome,IT” - Oil on Canvas, 39” x 31” Salon International Du Val D’or 2005 – France and twice winner of the Medusa Aurea International Trophy XXIX Edition 2006, and XXXII Edition 2009, Silver in 2012 and Gold medal in 2013, main awards of the Academy Of Modern Art in Rome -IT, with participants from 17 countries. With publications and biography in books and Art magazines, some of them, with works reproduced as front cover of the Book “Art Ibero Americano Contemporaneo” 2005-Argentina; Il Notiziario della AIAM 2006, 2009, 2012 and 2013– Italy; Off Gallery AMEX 1997; J.Louzada Art Market - Brasil Vol.3,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 and 12; Art News USA; Guia Rio; Guia Médico 2000; Anuário Latino Americano De Las Artes Plásticas Vol.1; Akoun Peintres 2004 to 2014 - France; CARAS Magazine 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011; invited, and amongst others, ARTIST’S MAGAZINE - USA, featuring as one of the 8 best portrait painters in the 2001 Painting Competition from 13.000 works. In 2010, invited by the Brazilian Ministry of Industry and Commerce, he organized 5 individual exhibits in Doha (Qatar), Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), Kuwait City (Kuwait), Damascus (Syria), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia )From 2005 to 2014 he organized important Brazilian Art exhibitions in Paris(2005), Rome (2006), Vienna (2006), London (2007), Rome 2009), New York (2010), Louvre Paris (2011 and 2013), Rome (2012) and Dubai Art Fair 2014. Furthermore, his works were already shown in many solo and group exhibitions in galleries and museums in Brasil and other countries as Paris (FR) , Barcelona and Taragona (SPAIN), Amsterdam (ND); Dubai(UAE); Houston(USA); New York (USA); Vienna (Austria) ; Rome ( Italy ) ; Lisbon and Braga (Portugal) , Also integrating heaps In USA, France, Brazil , Argentina, Canada, Austria, Lebanon, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Spain, United Arab Emirates and Italy, making his presence felt on the international art market. EDILSON BARBOSA is the President and Effective Member Of The National Academy Of Fine Arts , member of the International Association of Art - UNESCO – France , Honor Member of the International Federation of Art -Spain, delegate General of the International Academy Of Modern Art – Rome, Grade Member of the Brazilian Academy of Fine Arts, chair 48, distinguished in 2010 with the “Honoris Causa” title. He is also curator of the International Painting Competitions – NAFA and ART LINK’s International Art Exhibitions. WWW.EEBARBOSA.COM.BR

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July 2014

International Art Competition NAFA 2014 13th EDITION Fine Arts Painters and Sculptors are invited to participate of the 13th edition of the International Art Competition - 2014, organized by the National Academy of Fine Arts in Brazil- an International nonprofit cultural institution. Will be accepted entries in the academic or modern category of original art works: Sculpture, painting, oil on canvas, acrylic, drawing or water color. The subject choice is free, except copies or nudes. Each artist can submit as many works as wished, sending the printed form with a photography of the art work (format 8x10 inches or A4 format, (aprox. 20 x 27cm) and pay the entry fee of US$20,00 (if NAFA member) for each photo submitted . Non members will pay US$ 30,00 for each submitted work. For sculptures will be needed 2 photos of different sides of each sculpture submitted. The entry form must be fully filled, signed and followed by payment document (Pay Pal). The photos of the art works must be identified on the back: Artist’s name, work’s title, media (oil, acrylic, etc.), size, year and artist’s address.All material above has to be mailed by October 3rd, 2014 and sent to: International Art Competition NAFA 2014 PO Box: 950 Poços de Caldas - MG. Brasil - CEP: 37701-970 Selection and Awards : In each category, academic and modern, all artists will receive a participation diploma and also will be featured at our web site. The winning paintings will receive the following awards: Academic: 1st: Gold Medal + Art Brushes Kit (condor) 2nd: Silver Medal + Art Brushes Kit (condor) 3rd: Bronze Medal + Art Brushes Kit (condor) Limited number of Honor mentions Modern: 1st: Gold Medal + Brushes Kit (condor) 2nd: Silver Medal + Brushes Kit (condor) 3rd: Bronze Medal + Brushes Kit (condor) 4th to 12th: Honorable mentions The winner’s list will be available until December 20th 2014 at www.anap.art.br The prizes and diplomas will be sent by air mail. The jury will be composed by NAFA’s Council. All artists accept the jury’s decision without exception. The National Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) is a non profit cultural institution, administrated by the counsel of effective members and its objective is to promote and to strengthen the fine arts art standards in the fields of painting, drawing and sculpture, by organizing international art competitions, exhibitions, lectures, courses and exchanges in Brazil and around the world. The resources to maintain the academy activities, administrative expenses and cultural projects, come from the members annuity fee, from the result of events and donation of companies or art lovers. If you would like to invite the National Academy of Fine Arts for cultural events in your country, just contact us.

For more information contact us: nafa@anap.art.br – Phone: + (55) (35) 3722 0500 - + (55) (35) 9977 0321

WWW.ANAP.ART.BR

Taza City will host the 1st Biennial of Contemporary Art ( A nonprofit event ) from 9 to 18 August 2014, at The cultural HY space with an event founded and chaired by the international artist painter and Curator Elmadani Belmadani . Taza is a biennial event that will be organized in partnership with the management culture, the province of Taza, Taza municipal city and the Friends of Taza Association . Collectors, artists and art lovers from across the world are invited to attend the event.

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Ludmilla www.arttourinternational.com

July 2014

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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

"I am my past, my present, my future." A simple set of words that testify to a powerful personality that has yielded some of the most dynamic Pop Art of recent years. These are the words of the artist Ludmilla Radchenko, a Russian expat who has settled in Milan, Italy, where she runs her own studio. Though the Siberian native will only turn 36 this year, her life has already been something of a whirlwind. Ludmilla's formative years were spent under a Soviet regime where vivid color, popular brands, and creativity were frowned upon. It should come as no surprise that she used her art school attendance to rebel against that culture, graduating with a fashion design degree in 1999. Her next move took her to Italy, where she became a model and actress. In 2008 she began a new chapter in her life with the "L'arte di essere donna" project. From those first dozen paintings, Radchenko has gone on to hold numerous exhibitions in the United States, solo shows at the Museo de Arte Contemporanea of Lucca and Palazzo Torionia (among others), as well as collaborating with the Opera Gallery of Monte Carlo. Whatever the future may hold for this talented young artist, it will certainly be spectacular.

Absolutely not. I studied art and acquired a fashion design degree, but I didn’t really take the idea of becoming an artist seriously. I had great painting and graphics teachers, so when it came to thinking about the future after my modeling and television career in Milan I just followed my grandfather’s advice to stick with painting. I just listened to my instinct and desire to express my vision of the world.

Q. Tell us a bit about your background. Did you always know that you wanted to be an artist?

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Q . Yo u r w o r k c o m b i n e s n o n - t r a d i t i o n a l photography with aspects of digital collage and acrylic painting to rather startling effect. How did you stumble upon this unique method? Or was your decision to do this kind of work rather more deliberate? A. Oh, of course not. I had no idea which movement or technique to adopt. I had just invested in some Photoshop courses and began to create collages from my photo archive, which I had collected in the course of my travels, and started to paint on printed creations. Each year I change something in my technique, improving my art knowledge. I definitely believe

July 2014

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July 2014

Ludmilla Radchenko was born in Omsk, Siberia, on 11 November 1978. After attending Art School, she was graduated in design in 1999. That same year she moved to Italy, where she started working as a model, and shortly afterwards debuted on television. Nonetheless her passion for painting remained so pronounced that in 2005, during her participation in a reality show in Africa, she decided to completely dedicate herself to this art form. In the summer of 2008 the L'arte di essere donna project was born; it was conceived, created and interpreted by Ludmilla Radchenko, and later where published as a special insert for the entire print run in the October 2008 issue of Maxim; her twelve paintings were subsequently displayed at Palazzo Venini, in the heart of Milan, announcing her entrance in a new world. In December 2008 she travelled to the United States, where she attended language and acting courses in New York. The following exhibitions where always some kind of tribute or to some metropolises or different celebrities, who became an IKON of social reality.

In 2011 after her solo exhibition at Casa Delle Culture Del Mondo where she was supported by province of Milan and Design Week 2011 Ludmilla dedicates to show her work abroad, following IMAFESTIVAL EATING ART in New York, where she was selected like an emergent PopArt artist and exposed in some galleries in New York. She began to work with Crown Fine Art Gallery in SoHo. In June Ludmilla was invited by Association Artouverture to take part in a collective exhibition during Venice BIENNAL in Palais Papafava for entire summer 2011.

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In February 2010 Ludmilla was invited to participate at the CowParade in Rome. The artist executed Lady Candy Pop, a cow exposed in the hart of Rome and started to become the cult work at that international event. During Design Week in Milan she takes part in the artistic installation project of Gobbetto Resin Solutions at the Triennale di Milano, where the artist presented two works of a gigantic patchwork. On 2010 she inaugurated her solo shows at the Museo di Arte Contemporanea of Lucca, Lu.C.C.A., curated by Maurizio Vanni; at Theatre LA SCALA, organized and curated by GIGART Art Finance and a collective exhibition at Palazzo Torlonia in Rome, curated by the Galleria Ca' d'Oro. During the same period she was chosen for the international painting competition Gemlucart of Monaco. She embarked upon her collaboration with Opera Gallery of Monte Carlo and the Grimaldi Forum, later presented at the International Clubbing Show. The year was celebrated with a presentation of her first bookcatalogue POWER POP curated by Fortunato D'Amico(her official art curator) and published by SKIRA at Design Library.

“After a TV career lasting 4 to 5 years I felt that I had no established role, and I was always looking for a challenge that could make me feel useful. So, I decided to un-clutter my life, giving up everything that was no longer bringing me satisfaction, and left for New York for 3 months. My second life began once I returned from the United States.” that every experiment enables you to grow as an artist and makes you more self-confident. Q. What was your turning point? What inspired you to change careers and devote all your time to your artistic career? A. After a TV career lasting 4 to 5 years I felt that I had no established role, and I was always looking for a challenge that could make me feel useful. So, I decided to unclutter my life, giving up everything that was no longer bringing me satisfaction, and left for New York for 3 months. My second life began once I returned from the United States. Q. There are some sources that state that a childhood spent living in Soviet Russia has become the defining principle behind your work. Would that be correct, and if so in what ways has it done so? A. The USSR left a great impression on my psyche – the Soviet regime was limiting in many ways because our country was separated from the economic and cultural development of other parts of the world. The strict discipline enforced in order to create our own political and economic system made us desire all the things that we were missing. In my case, that meant brands, bright colors, advertising, and celebrities. That's why I instinctively chose Pop Art, connecting to the social propaganda of the Russian avant garde – a direct way to communicate with people. Q. You are reported as holding a fashion design degree (by Wikipedia), but you don't seem to have applied it to anything. Is fashion just not something you feel passionate about anymore, or is that something to expect in the future? I mean, should people perhaps expect a clothing line of some sort in the future? A. It's so funny, because just 2 years ago I began a new fashion business directly

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connected with my art works. We began to print images of my paintings on cashmere and silk; that's how my foulards were born. Samples of my paintings became high quality, Italian-made scarves. Following the success of this idea, foulard became FullArt, and this year I created my first collection of leggings, which were recently presented during Miami Fashion Week in the Pop-Up Boutique trade show. The packaging of the leggings was designed to be an ironic imitation of the famous Campbell’s Soup tin, but I called it Siberian Soup, referring to my roots. I've registered my own brand "Siberian Soup FullArt” all over the world. Recently, I also designed a collection of bags, which will be presented at the Pitti Trade Show in Florence this summer. Q. There do not seem to be many other female artists in the Pop Art field besides yourself. How does that make you feel? That is to say, do you feel lonely or that you need to set an example? A. Usually, the average viewer can recognize if an art work is created by a man or woman. Women are often sweet and polite, and a lot of them follow more classic artistic movements. Pop Art is a very direct artistic slang; it's almost arrogant. My art declares what I’m thinking. That's what I am. I speak without filters :-) If we take two extremes of feminine artists, I see myself as closer to an "art worker" in dirty dungarees, ruining a huge wall with bright colors, than to a kind of housewife in a kitchen apron, painting a small canvas with a little brush between some baking or cooking :-) Anyway, I know many great female artists, even in Pop Art. In any case, I get along with the masculine sex, so I don't feel lonely :-)

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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

Q. While many artists have a distinct style, it is not uncommon to have it evolve over time into something new. Have you noticed a change in your aesthetic, and if not where do you see it perhaps going? A. It would be so hard for me not to change my technique or style through time; I couldn't imagine just reproducing the same paintings. It would be terribly annoying – for me as an artist and for the viewer! Artistic evolution is only possible when you are able to experiment and you are not afraid to change the way you express yourself. Technical evolution is constant, and I find it natural to explore new methods, surfaces, and techniques. I like to experiment but I’ll always be faithful to my artistic movement, Pop Art, which in fact became Pop Realism, an attempt to leave a message containing my own version of the reality that surrounds our society. I just feel a responsibility to represent my generation, to leave a "message in history." So, I encourage people to develop their own point of view when they are exploring my art! Q. Do you find that there is too much emphasis placed on what a particular piece should mean? Other artists, particularly other female artists, have stated that the point of a piece should be the emotive response it generates rather than an arbitrary explanation of it. Do you agree? A. I think that it's nice to read the painting and recognize some connections or meanings, but maybe

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it should also remain a personal interpretation for every viewer. Often, I explain the meaning of objects that I use in my paintings, but Pop Art is already a direct language, so it speaks for itself. I think that some conceptual works should have a degree of explanation so that the average viewer feels able to understand the piece. Q. Can you tell us about any new projects you’re working on? A. We are preparing Art Basel in Miami for the end of the year and taking part in trade shows in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York. Of course, I will be working on a new collection of art works that will become scarves and leggings. I will also take part in one major campaign developed in Moscow in September for a large international company. It will be a very important marketing opportunity for me and the next big step in my artistic career. At least, another step in the long journey towards earning the right to become a REAL artist! Q. You've been great, and so I will only ask one more question – a silly one. As a fashionista and a former model what do you think of the show America's Next Top Model? A. Any show is just a show; every kind of program has its own public. The main thing is that this program must not stop the "next models" recognizing their own abilities and finding their own way to become someone.

July 2014

The Siberian artist encloses within herself the dream of a 360 degrees art, with the need to share it with the rest of the world. Her art takes form special jars of canned “soup” Siberian Soup. What feeds the soul of the artist is condesed inside here and it is now accessible to everybody. Innovative “multiples” of art are the result of passion between art and fashion, where the subject of the painting come to life on fine fabrics, producing high-quality scarves, leggings and bags 100% made in Italy, to each one his own piece of wearable art!

WWW.LUDMILLAPOPART.IT popartstudio.ludmilla@gmail.com * popartstudio.mariarodi@gmail.com Via Varanini 12 20127 Milano Tel 02/36577687 FB official page: Ludmilla Radchenko Full-art

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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

Carla Fracci STEP BY STEP B Y

V I V I A N A

P U E L L O

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

Carla Fracci (”la mitica signora della danza” as she is known in her native Italy) looks and feels as young as ever. She continues to enchant and touch the hearts of ballet lovers with her signature and unparalleled grace, impeccable and awe-inspiring technique, intense interpretations of dramatic and complex characters and, most of all, her emotionladen bravura steps. Great artists find forms of expression for their individuality, striving to reach a state of transcendence in their artistic works while always exhibiting that desire to improve so true to human experience. ”My life is a dance,” Carla Fracci states exuberantly, yet serenely. The eloquence of the Italian ballet dance icon and prima-donna conveys her bigger-than-life energy brilliantly with this vivid and inspirational metonymy. It's an example of her lucidity and the generousspirited personality which marks both her rich life and her extraordinary artistic work. In her autobiography, entitled ”Step by Step” (originally ”Passo Dopo Passo, La Mia Storia"), curated sublimely by the renowned Italian biographer and journalist Enrico Rotelli, and released at the end of 2013, Carla Fracci recollects her rich life experiences and magnificent performances throughout her amazing career, while immersing the readers in the magnificent world of ballet with all its intricacies. The book proudly avers that she has been "fortunate to know the world of dance and be a part of it”. She also considers that ”art should be for everyone,” not only for select audiences. True to her generous nature, she is especially proud of bringing ballet to people in less fortunate social classes, for whom she performed with the same passion as she did on the world's famous stages, in various locations such as circus tents, cut-off areas of the Italian peninsula and remote town squares, despite the fact that touring this way was anything but easy. Sprinkled with amusing episodes and exclusive details on her face-to-face meetings with some

of the world's biggest artists, the books includes portraits of the likes of the legendary Maria Callas (”la Maria” in her own words) and describes collaborations with some of the most famous ballet dancers of the 20th Century, including the brilliant yet difficult and very competitive Russian ballet icon Rudolf ”Rudy” Nureyev, who "loved putting his partners to the test” and, above all, her lifelong partner Eric Bruhn. The Italian legend also dedicates multiple pages to her friend, the world-famous Italian director Franco Zeffirelli, and to one of her biggest influences, Dame Margot Fonteyn, Prima Ballerina Assoluta and her ”spiritual mother.” She writes as well of her family, son Francesco and husband Beppe Menegatti, director of production, who has directed many of the ballet masterpieces starring Clara Fracci. The title of the book has a double significance, alluding both to her famous ballet dance steps and the steps of a full, splendid life, yet one that was tiresome at times. "I like living,” l'étoile of ballet continues in her autobiography, testifying to a rewarding and rich life both onstage and in real life. In her own words: ”My life has been surrounded by poetry, wonderful music and many maestri both on- and off-stage”. The chapters in ”Step by Step” unfold in chronological order, starting with her simple yet happy life in Lombardy and culminating with her success stories that have made history. Born on August 20th, 1936 in Milan, Italy, actress and ballet legend Carla Fracci (”la mitica signora della danza” as she is known in her native country) looks and feels as young as ever. She continues to enchant and touch the Cont. next page

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hearts of ballet lovers with her signature and unparalleled grace, impeccable and awe-inspiring technique, intense interpretations of dramatic and complex characters and, most of all, her emotionladen bravura steps. At 77 years old, the internationally-acclaimed star of the romantic ballet masterpiece ”Giselle” is a paragon of artistic longevity, with six decades in the spotlight. She is an inspirational model of excellence in the world of performing arts. Carla Fracci's lifelong passion for ballet has fueled a life dedicated, body and soul, to the stage. It has been a surreal tour de force brimming with timeless, emphatic and effervescent performances that have given a new meaning to the illusion of weightlessness in Romantic ballets and have transfigured the supernatural into a largerthan-life exercise in verismo. The daughter of a worker mother and a tram driver father who worked for ATM (the Milanese Transport Company), Carla Fracci was a precocious and gifted child with an innate talent for dance. In 1946, at the age of 10, she began studying classic ballet at the La Scala Ballet School www.arttourinternational.com

July 2014

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

in Milan, a constituent of the La Scala Theatre Academy and one of the premier classical ballet schools in the world. There she learned the Cecchetti method and was trained by Russian professional ballet dancer Vera Volkova (1905-1975) among other reputable choreographers. Early Career After earning her diploma in classical ballet in 1954, she began her professional career as a member of the corps de ballet of the prestigious La Scala Theatre Ballet, founded in 1778 and one of the oldest and most famous ballet companies in the world. At the same time, Miss Fracci continued her artistic for mation and polished her technique by participating in advanced internships in Paris, London and New York. In 1956, after only 2 years of performing with the resident classical ballet company at La Scala, Carla Fracci was promoted to the rank of soloist and only 2 years later, in 1958, she was honored with the highest rank: principal dancer. As first ballerina, the most prominent and coveted position for any ballet dancer, Carla Fracci was the star of the renowned professional ballet company and the protagonist of numerous classical ballet dance works that reflected her boundary-pushing originality, innate theatrical sense, effervescent pathos and multi-dimensional generosity of spirit, the latter overlapping from her artistic work into everyday life. At La Scala Theatre Ballet she achieved international fame as she interpreted renowned yet challenging characters such as Juliet in choreographer John Cranko's ”Romeo and Juliet” (1958), Elvira in www.arttourinternational.com

Leonide Massine's ”Don Giovanni” (1959) and Aurora in ”Sleeping Beauty”, alongside Margot Fonteyn. From the late 1950s until the late 1960s she performed with world-famous ballet companies such as London Festival Ballet, in both 1959 and 1962, Royal Ballet in 1963, Stuttgart Ballet in 1965 and Royal Swedish Ballet in 1969. From 1967, Carla Fracci was a principal guest star with the American Ballet Theatre (ABT), based in New York. Career Highlights Throughout her exceptional career spanning six decades, her magic-filled, emphatic and memorable artistic performances have made headlines across the globe and have been characterized by enviable physicality, exquisite ballet technique, surreal lightness, leonine strength and majestic grace. She gave life to romantic, dramatic and even tragic characters such as ”La Sylphide” (The Sylph), Juliet, Swanilda (in ”Coppelia”), Francesca de Rimini and above all, Giselle: the apotheosis of her career. In ”Giselle,” Carla Fracci portrayed the innocent peasant girl of the title who dies of a broken heart, but whose death-transcending love for young Duke Albrecht saves his life. Throughout the years, she has interpreted the role of Giselle alongside famous dance partners such as Rudolf Nureyev, Henning Kronstam, Vladimir Vasiliev, Mikhail Baryshnikov and, of course, the Danish ballet dancer and choreographer Erik Bruhn (1928-1986). Her fabulous and larger-than-life interpretation of Giselle with Eric Bruhn, filmed in 1968, has stood the test of time and to this day it remains her most viewed performance on YouTube. Cont. next page

July 2014

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

As emphasized in her autobiography ”Step by Step,” the most famous and respected Italian primadonna considers that a refined dance technique is not sufficient: emotional interpretation is utterly essential for the success of a ballet performance. This is why all her artistic works are nothing short of spectacular. Present Day Carla Fracci lives and breathes ballet dance and at 77 years old, she is still active and continues to be in the limelight and make history with her vibrant, intense and emotion-rich artistic performances. Since the publication of her autobiography, she has performed in two productions, at the San Carlo Theatre in Naples and the Politeama Greco Theatre in Lecce, Puglia. At the latter, the divine ballet icon continues to mesmerize ballet aficionados as the protagonist of Gluck's opera-ballet ”Orpheus and Eurydice,” choreographed by Fredy Franzutti and directed by Francesco Ledda. Her generosity of spirit and humanity in relation to her audience extends to real life: Carla Fracci is a Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a United Nations agency whose efforts are focused on eliminating hunger in both developed and developing countries across the globe. On behalf of ballet and art lovers worldwide, ATIM's team wishes to conclude with a gigantic ”Grazie mille, Signora” addressed to the one and only ballet living legend Carla Fracci!

Enjoy our exclusive interview! Log on to www.atimtv.com Enjoy this exclusive interview and photo shoot with Italian performing arts icon and prima ballerina Carla Fracci. With never before seen images and video. A heartfelt interview performed by ArtTour International Magazine Editor in Chief, and art Personality Viviana Puello. To watch this interview log on to: WWW.ATIMTV.COM

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July 2014

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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

UK Tour Spring 2014 By Cody LaVada Long-time ATIM inspiration, Argentinean master artist Fabian Perez has just finished a monumental UK tour with his publisher and business partner, Robert Bane, visiting 17 leading art galleries, which hosted incredible sold-out shows in celebration of his newest art collection and book, Neo-Emotionalism. ATIM Editor in Chief and art personality Viviana Puello, paid a memorable and emotion-laden visit to Perez, one of the most visionary and fervently creative contemporary artists, renowned for his Flamenco-inspired artistic work evoking an eclectic celebration of his lifelong passions - painting, dance and music. The meeting took place in Manchester during his exhibition at the Whitewall Gallery on May 16th 2014.

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One of the most intrepid and visionary contemporary artists in the world, the Argentine-born artist Fabian Perez has been recently awarded the prestigious trophy for being “Artist of the Year 2014” by the Academy of Artists, Italy. He is also listed as a "Top Master of Contemporary Art" Italy.masters of contemporary art in the groundbreaking and much-anticipated special publication ”ATIM’s Top 60 Masters of Contemporary Art” 2014 majestically and passionately curated by Viviana Puello and skillfully organized by Alan Grimandi, ATIM’s Graphic Director. Born on November 2nd, 1967 in Buenos Aires. Argentina, and currently living in Los Angeles, Fabian Perez is globally regarded as a prominent figure in contemporary art and has had to date over 210 solo art exhibitions around the world including Europe, the Americas, China and Australia. According to the artist himself, in this distinctive style of painting originating in his unconventional background and rough childhood in Buenos Aires it is essential to ”become one with the subject”.

Known for his breath-taking paintings that depict the rich and romanticized exoticism life of the Buenos Aires demimonde – a world of tango-dancing, brothels, nightclubs, dance halls and bistros, hazed in a thin veil of cigarette smoke and full of vibrant and unique characters. His stunning compositions are highly sought Cont. next page

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July 2014

after and have earned him well-deserved international acclaim as the most captivating and widely-collected figurative artist currently working within the contemporary art scene. He is known for the intimacy and delicacy with which he portrays these “women of the night” – never sexualizing or objectifying, but rather presenting them with a rare beauty and vibrancy that distinguishes his artwork from others who may attempt to paint the same scenes; he majestically captures their poses, gestures and movements with inconceivable skill and mastery. His childhood as the son of a bordello and club-owner immersed him within this subcultural society and gifts him with the ability to present this singular vision with the world in a way that wonderfully

embodies the individuality of each figure he creates, making them almost seem to pulse with life, nearly dancing off of the page. His new release “Neo Emotionalism”, a ten year retrospective of this highly talented artist work. is a stunning book bursting with full colour glossy pictures – a lavish hardcover collector’s item full of high-quality art prints that gorgeously demonstrate his artistic prowess at revealing the glamour and stunning raw realism of the bohemian underbelly of society. We are looking forward to new and exciting things from Fabian Perez!

Enjoy our exclusive interview! Long on to www.atimtv.com

www.arttourinternational.com www.arttourinternational.com

In an uplifting, inspirational and heartfelt interview of Fabian Perez conducted on May 16th, 2014 in Manchester, UK, Viviana Puello addresses the emotional charge of his creative process, as well as the inspiration behind his full of romance and passion paintings depicting a dynamic narrative. This compelling and emotion-ridden interview of master Fabian Perez brilliantly performed by Viviana Puello and sub-titled ”Creating With Emotion” will be aired first week of July, 2014 courtesy of ATIM WEB TV Channel. To watch this interview log on to: WWW.ATIMTV.COM July 2014 34

July 2014

Neo-emotionalism Reflections of my Heart “Neo-emotionalism is the name I decided to describe the style of art I use for my creations. I choose figures because I consider them the most challenging form, and also to help the criticism of the viewer in all different levels of knowledge.

New Release! NEO EMOTIONALISM LIMITED EDITION BOOK

It is risky creating figurative art because it is defined in the evidence of the skill, where one error can make a masterpiece fail, if it is not in harmony with the entirety of the whole. Beauty, in every sense of the word, is my inspiration and by consequence, the common denominator between the subject or the object i create. The importance of creating with emotion is above the technique which is being considered and utilized, it is critical for me to become one with the subject. Engaging a piece of art in this category or in this category only, will be as difficult as engaging it in any other classification. My intention is not to depend on a rigid idea, but rather to explore within the fabric of flexible feelings. Neo-emotionalism will be recognized by the artists who, after creating their work, will simply feel liberated and by the viewer when they feel the creation in their heart.

WWW.FABIANPEREZ.COM.

This is energy. It is the divine force of the Universe.”. Fabian Perez

www.arttourinternational.com If you would like to submit your exhibition for review contact info@arttourinternational.com

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

The Fine Art Society opened its doors from the 13th May to the 6th June 2014 for a very unique exhibition of new work by Annie Kevans Women and the History of Art. Kevans’ work has always reflected an interest in the relation between power and identity and in every new series the British painter investigates inherited belief systems. This exhibition centres on women in art history who were once part of the art world and whose history and significance have been gradually eroded so they are ultimately forgotten to a modern audience. Kevans has long examined the duality of truth and falsehood throughout her work, which she does by creating 'portraits' which may or may not be based on real documentation. For this exhibition Kevans presented over thirty new paintings that depict successful women artists, opening up a dialogue about their importance and significance. Kevans was astonished to learn throughout the course of her extensive research that, despite the massive obstacles in their path, many women managed to have successful careers as artists as early as the 16th century. Although many have been championed in the last decades having been ‘rediscovered’ by later art historians, these women still remain ‘separate’ from art history. Their work is consistently sidelined in major exhibitions and women artists are deemed only worthy as subjects within the secondary realm of feminist art history. Kevans selected to paint artists who were as successful and in some cases, more so, than their male counterparts. Kevans shines a light on artists such as Sofonisba Anguissola (1532/51625) who was the first Italian woman to become an international celebrity as an artist in her own time. Other artists are known for their personal lives but their works remain invisible. Despite being the first woman painter admitted to the Société Nationale des BeauxArts, Suzanne Valadon is more famous for her personal relationships with Renoir, Erik Satie and Degas. Likewise, Victorine Meurent is more famous for being the subject of Manet’s paintings than she is for being an artist. Her paintings were selected for the famous Salon numerous times including in 1876, a year in which Manet failed to get any of his work accepted. Like many of her female contemporaries, her name means nothing to the general public or to many female artists working today. www.arttourinternational.com

July 2014

Annie Kevans’ paintings reflect her interests in Collaborators power, manipulation and the role of the individual in inherited belief systems. It Girls is impor tant for the ar -tist to examine the duality of truth and falsehood throughout her work, which s h e d o e s by c r e a t i n g ‘portraits’ which may - or may not be based on real documentation. She believes that a person’s identity- is not preset but is a shifting temporary construction and her work questions our verdicts on history and perceptions of intellectual solidity. Boys

On display at The Saatchi - Galler y until October 2013, her impactful Boys series is not solely about portray- ing Alldictators the Presidents’ Girls as they looked as- children but rather about the notion of the ‘innocent child’ which has influenced images of children in art since theVictorian times. All the Presidents’ Girls, featured presidential mistresses and Kevans highlighted the manipulation of truth in the recording of history as well as in the creation of status and authority in ordinary men. Following on from

this work, Kevans painted the illegitimate slave children of presidents such as Thomas Jefferson and John Tyler, alluding to the injustice and hypocrisy perpetrated by some of the most revered figures in American History. The works looked at issues sur- rounding racial conflict in the US and the ongoing denial of the horrors of slavery, at atime when the US elected its first black president. Kevans uses our familiarity with public figures to draw attention to the proverbial ‘elephant in the room’. In the series Collaborators, she profiles famous figures such as Coco Chanel and Gaston Louis Vuitton, revealing their secretive and little-known collaboration with the Nazis during World War II. In doing so, the artist investigates collective memory and the manipulation of reputations to fit an ideal. Girls, is a series that looks at the sexualisation of childhood, see child stars such as Brooke Shields, Britney Spears and the Olsen twins take on an almost eerie appearance, their wide-eyed naivety counteracted by sensuously plump red lips and semi-nudity. Having an affinity for the marginalized, Kevans paints figures overlooked, exploited, or objectified within the context of history or contemporary culture, imbuing her subjects with a tangible humanity and sensuality. Annie Kevans was born in 1972 in France to British parents. She lives and works in London. Since graduating from Central St. Martins School of Art & Design in 2004, Kevans has had solo exhibitions in New York, London and Vienna. Her work has featured in numerous group exhibitions in the UK, Germany, Austria, Italy and the US. She has been a finalist in the Women of the Future awards and a finalist in the Jerwood Drawing Prize. Her work can be found in major collections including the Pallant House Gallery, the David Roberts Collection, 21c Museum, the Saatchi Collection and the collections of Lord Rothermere, Stephen Fry, Marc Quinn, Adam Sender, and Jean Pigozzi. The Fine Art Society Contemporary, 148 New Bond Street , London, W1S 2JT T +44 (0)20 7318 1895 | E contemporary@faslondon.com www.faslondon.com

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BARTHOLOMEW BEAL A Heap of Broken Images www.arttourinternational.com

July 2014

PRESSRELEASE ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

BARTHOLOMEW+BEAL+ ‘A+Heap+of+Broken+Images’+

24th+June+–+29th+August+2014+ Private+view+H+Monday+23rd+June+6H8pm+ The+Fine+Art+Society,+148+New+Bond+Street+

The$ Fine$ Art$ Society! is! proud! to! announce! Bartholomew! Beal’s!ﬁrst!exhibi7on!at!the!gallery,!making!him!the+youngest+ ever+ arSst+ to+ stage+ a+ solo+ show+ in+ the+ gallery’s+ 138+ year+ history.! The! 7tle,! ‘A$ Heap$ of$ Broken$ Images’,! is! borrowed! from! TS! Eliot’s! landmark! poem! The$ Waste$ Land.$ The! en7re! body! of! work! is! a! transla7on! of! this! literary! work! into! paint! on! canvas,$ and! whilst! some! have! stayed! quite! true! to! that! star7ng! point! with! clear! references,! others! “have$ run$ away$ with$themselves”!–!a!process!the!ar7st!describes!as!mirroring! “how$ exciCng$ a$ day$ in$ the$ studio$ can$ be,$ surrounded$ by$ painCngs$in$progress.”!

Bartholomew Beal, Madame Sosostris, 2014 Oil on canvas!

Eliot’s! powerful! poem! jumps! between! languages,! characters! and!points!of!view!–!much!like!Beal’s!atmospheric!pain7ngs,! themselves!‘heaps!of!broken!images’.!There!may!be!a!specific! star7ng! point! for! each! work! but! the! crea7ve! journey! is! far! from!certain,!his!canvasses!oHen!show!traces!of!several!other! ‘ghost’! pain7ngs! which! are! crucial! fragments! of! the! story! of! that! work.! Beal,! walks! a! fine! line! between! referencing! the! specifics! of! his! poe7c! source! material! and! surrendering! himself!to!the!possibili7es!of!beau7ful!accidents!inherent!in! the!process!of!pain7ng.!

There! is! an! element! of! the! undecided! in! each! pain7ng,! leaving!the!ideas!open,!for!the!pain7ng!to!be!finished!by!the! decisions!and!imagina7on!of!the!viewer.!The!generalised!man! in!the!middle!of!each!pain7ng!leaves!much!to!be!concluded,! and! his! surroundings! are! hints! and! sugges7ons,! but! nothing! final.!! ! Somewhat! unusually! for! works! of! such! an! understated! appeal,! Beal! works! in! saturated! colours.! His! adop7on! of! a! bright,! oHen! ‘unnatural’! paleJe! is! combined! with! obscured! shapes!and!uniden7fied!visual!references,!further!heightening! a!sense!that!he!is!construc7ng!unconcluded!episodes.!!

Bartholomew Beal, What Branches Grow, 2014! Oil on canvas!

About!Bartholomew!Beal! Bartholomew! Beal! graduated! from! Wimbledon! College! of! Arts! with! First! Class! honours! in! 2012.! He! was! subsequently!awarded!the!Jonathan!Vickers!Residency!at!the!Derwent!Valley!MIlls!World!Heritage!Site!that! culminated! in! a! solo! exhibi7on! at! Derby! Museum! and! Art! Gallery! "Saint! Mondays! and! Thereby! Hangs! a! Tale"! (Sept! [! Nov! 2013).! He! curated! "Launch"! at! the! Wimbledon! Gallery! Space! in! partnership! with! the!Cultural!Olympiad!in!July!2012!and!was!a!ﬁnalist!in!Hans!Brinker!Student!Pain7ng!Prize!in!Amsterdam,! 2011. The Fine Art Society Contemporary, 148 New Bond Street , London, W1S 2JT T +44 (0)20 7318 1895 | E contemporary@faslondon.com www.faslondon.com | For all press enquiries contact Wol.Balston@flintpr.com or call 0203 463 2083 The Fine Art Society Contemporary, 148 New Bond Street , London, W1S 2JTT +44 (0)20 7318 1895 | E contemporary@faslondon.com | W www.faslondon.com | T @FAS_London. For all press enquiries please contact rosie.marsh@flint-pr.com or 020 3463 2083!

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Worshipping at Glamour’s Altar: The Church of Vanity By Cody La Vada wear crazy makeup and construct elaborate costumes to wear. She jokes that she wanted to be a rock-star, but is unskilled at guitar, so she sticks to the visual realm, instead. She is highly inspired by dreams, past near-dear experiences, the occult, magic, ancient history and empowered goddesses and queens. She loves to create for and be inspired by strong female characters, as evinced by her artwork, which often features surreal renderings of various historical and mythological figures.

Founded in 2010 by Tara “Nefertara” Ozella, the Church of Vanity is a fashion label that is geared toward providing, as she states, “custom clothing for the vainest people alive – a celebration and worship of the goddess, Venus.” With almost half a decade under its patent leather belt, the company has already established a vast amount of recognition and it is thrilling to imagine where the brand will be in the near future!

In 2010, Ozella began a Buzznet account on which to feature her fashion and artwork. She soon after began to receive a following and was inspired by the receptiveness and interest of others online to forge ahead and truly focus on establishing a brand and name for herself. Her endeavors proved fruitful, for she began to receive vast support, including promotion by Buzznet staff. Her initial product line was limited to elaborate eyelashes, purses, shirts featuring her original illustrations, dresses and sunglasses but she has since expanded her horizons to creating highly-detailed bodices, crowns, headdresses, belts, and club wear. Ozella says that she creates fashion “as an art form,” and is not interested in mass-production of threads; each piece that she makes is wholly original and unique, the product of a great amount of time, dedication and energy.

A 2007 graduate of Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Ozella studied Film and Video Arts, as well as painting, sculpture and (art) history. She was also fortunate enough to study abroad in Egypt and Venice, the latter of which she has strong familial ties to that date back thousands of years and has always influenced and inspired her. Growing up on a secluded farm estate as the youngest of 13 children, Ozella found that her isolation helped to foster her imagination and growing creativity. Due to her ambition, excessive personality, enthusiasm, unique appearance and impulsivity, Ozella found it difficult to fit in with others and therefore retreated into a mental wonderland where she was able to frolic on her family property like a fairy-tale princess, playing make-believe and acting out her own plays, movies and songs. She says that she abandoned this fairy-tale persona once adolescence hit and began to experiment with drastic alterations of her appearance, opting more for an avant-garde dark glam rocker look; she would dye her hair lurid colors,

I was fortunate enough to recently be involved in a fashion installation that Ozella created at the renowned Museum of Sex in NYC for the massive event “SEX: 5TH AVENUE” in which her friend and fellow performance artist, Kayvon Zand, premiered his newest music video. The three-storey museum/nightclub was fit to burst with the surging throng of leather-clad, day-glo-smeared, glitterdrenched club-goers, fetishists and performance artists when I arrived. I had to squeeze past a woman in a black plastic catsuit leading a man around on a leash – a man wearing a buoyant, inflated costume that looked like a marshmallow – a group of people wearing only leather belts and feathers. The entire place had an air of liberation, freedom and stylized insanity. And there in the back of the downstairs club area I met Tara for the first time, after months of online conversations and bonding. Her effervescent personality was intoxicating as she hooked me into a golden bodice with the face of Medusa affixed to the front and a headdress of intertwining branches and

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Q: It is obvious that you are heavily influenced by mythology, folklore, religion, etc. – but could you lend more insight into your inspirations? What things get your creative gears turning?

barbs. The theme of the evening was “futuristic Egyptian sex gods” and all performers in the installation wore bizarre, other-worldly garments that brought to mind the imagery and symbols of ancient Egypt, but presented with a flair and flamboyance that screamed decadent, punk-rock glamour. The event proved to be an incredible success and numerous celebrities, fans and curious people who were previously not familiar with Ozella or the Church of Vanity milled about, shoulder to shoulder as they were jostled by the crowd dancing to the hypnotic music. Being a part of this event was an amazing opportunity and something that I truly cherished; as a new inductee and reverent of the Church of Vanity, I can safely say that Ozella and her brand have a glorious future ahead of them. Already she has great things in store for her: she just finished designing for Lady Gaga herself and is in the process of setting up a Kickstarter account for her fashion line, to get funding so that she can share her work with more people. During our time together, I sat down with Tara for an interview. Q: Seeing your pieces and knowing you on a personal level, it is clear to me that you are a true artist, in every sense of the word. Can you explain for our readers what your creative process is, and what a typical day in your studio entails?

A: The ancient Mediterranean is a major influence because it reflects my own cultural heritage and spiritual beliefs. I am a lifelong Egyptomanic and am heavily inspired by the art and mysticism of ancient Egypt. Also, the later part of the 1700s are also a huge influence too as I have perhaps the worst Marie Antoinette complex known to man. For years I was locked away in my room I studied occultism and mythology. I attended strict Catholic schools and would be constantly reprimanded for my more ancient pagan beliefs. Other enormous influences are Frida Kahlo as I have had long periods of being bedridden due to severe Crohns disease. Often I paint while I am in bed to escape from physical pain. I try to paint a new more comfortable reality. Q: Do you have a philosophy that you live by that you would like to share with our readers, or some fashion tips? A: Fashion for me is about showing your true self. Stylistically speaking, I am a maximalist. Minimalism is for minimal minds. There is no greater self sabotage than being afraid to be yourself. Dress for yourself, like your soul is naked! When you project your true self, you attract those who really get you and you allow yourself to be fulfilled. Fashion should empower, not over-sexualize. Be confident and keep experimenting. Never keep the same hair style for more than two years. Always focus on the future. Life is an illusion; free yourself from attachments. Compassion and learning are all that really matter. You are responsible for your own success and happiness. Learn to love yourself and to share. If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will. To keep up to date with Tara Ozella and The Church of Vanity, find her on Facebook, Buzznet, Instagram, or her official website: www.thechurchofvanity.com

A: Acts of creation are quite involuntary for me. I am utterly compelled to create. When I create, I feel most alive. Making art makes me feel powerful, like a little goddess transforming and bringing new things into existence. Usually, I will get an idea and it will be hard to hold me back from diving into it head first. Next, I impulsively try to be resourceful with whatever art supplies I have on hand. Once invested in a project, I usually try to sit and work on it from beginning to completion. I hate breaking from the original rush of inspiration.

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Elckjaer Franco Bono “Living Flamenco” S p re a d i n g t h e ro o t s o f Flamenco from Spain to Italy . Italo-Venezuelan dancer, choreographer and teacher Elckjaer Franco Bono has an eclectic personality, a strong stage presence and a 360° vision of dance that makes her a prominent artiste in the cultural landscape of Naples.

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

Italo-Venezuelan dancer, choreographer and teacher Elckjaer Franco Bono has an eclectic personality, a strong stage presence and a 360° vision of dance that makes her a prominent artiste in the cultural landscape of Naples, Italy, as well as a skilled promoter of events related to dance.

Having first studied flamenco in Italy, she then deepened her training in the flamenco academies of Spain. Among her teachers were: Julia Garcia Jimenez, Sergio and Javi, Juana Cala, La China, Cristobal Reyes, Francisco Salvador Inghilleri, Manolo Marin, Felipe Mato, Andres Marin, Lorraine De Luz, Lili de Cordoba, La Popi, Ana Romero, Carmen Fuentes, Manuel Del Rey, and Jose Romero. Elckjaer teaches in Naples and its province and regularly conducts workshops in Italy. A lover of musical and choreographic fusions, she works with different flamenco groups and collaborates with several Italian bands. With the company Raices Flamenca—which she formed and of which she is a prima ballerina with the maestro Sergio El Javi (with whom she studied choreography and process)—she brings flamenco to the best Neapolitan theaters and clubs and takes part in many cultural and entertainment events throughout Italy and abroad, enjoying great success with audiences and critics alike.

giving up by talking to me at length about the skills and abilities that everyone possesses, giving me new energy and enthusiasm. Eventually, I started getting better and better—my ability to learn increased, along with my knowledge of the different palos and flamenco culture, and then the great final result! With Julia J. Garcia, we would take part in the flamenco scene at the end of each academic year, but we would also take part in different flamenco shows everywhere, exhibiting and gaining a lot of experience! Later on, having gained experience and knowledge of the various styles, even without Julia I began to perform. The more time I spent living the flamenco life, and the more I devoted myself to it, the more performances I could do and the more I felt gratified and HAPPY! My first dance partners were Matilda (Coral) Severino, who today teaches at various dance academies; Dominga Andrias Spinelli, who is also a Cont. next page

Q. So how did everything get started? A. It all started with Julia Garcia Jimenez, a former dancer of the Spanish classic Ballet National de España, who, after getting married to an Italian from Naples, came to live in Naples, the most flamenco friendly city in Italy, ha ha ha. After a few years of devoting herself to being a housewife and mother, Julia decided to re-dedicate her life to dance. Ours was a casual meeting and thus began my journey of dedicating myself to training and learning flamenco. It started as a hobby, but my passion grew always more in spite of my realizing its extreme difficulty. Q. When did you realize that flamenco would be your profession? A. It was 1991 ... There it all began! I had always loved to dance by studying the various disciplines, including classic, but I had never thought that my passion for dance could be turned into a profession. I continued to dance, thanks to Julia, and everything changed! Even my fate changed thanks to flamenco, as it made me discover what I was and am as an artiste ... The study was difficult and challenging. Many times I thought of giving up because I thought that it was not for me, thinking it was too far away from my ability! Luckily Julia G.J. prevented me from www.arttourinternational.com www.arttourinternational.com

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teacher today (we studied together in Spain) and we still dance together in shows; and Raffaella Caianiello, another teacher and dancer too! At the time (about 20 years ago) there were not many flamenco dancers around, and the few that existed had passion but little ability to hold the stage. Over time, however, luckily I met Sergio del Popolo (Sergio El Javi), my future partner in several choreographies who is always with me in the shows. A very unique master of great style. Then, a little later I met the man who is now my new partner in my flamenco adventures, Salvador Francisco Inguilleri. These people and great artistes mean so much to me! Other artistes who have joined us include: Rosarillo the singer; Michele Corrado Cordova, a guitarist; percussionist Michelle Jaccarino; and flautist Carmine Bruno "Natuyo", our Roberto Natullo. All excellent artistes and WONDERFUL people I perform with at big live events. The first time my passion turned into "work" was when at a performance I thought it would be right that we at least got reimbursed for the expenses and requested a refund of £35,000 (seemed to be pure gold for me back then). From that moment I realized I could transform my "passion" into a "profession"! Amazing memories! Q. Who do you think are your points of reference? A. The company Romeria, and later on Raices Flamencas, formed by Rosarillo, Dominga Andrias, Raffaella Caianiello, Michele Iaccarino, Roberto Natullo, Carmine Bruno, Sergi El Javi, Me and later Inghilleri Francisco Salvador, I believe Armanda Desideri, Adrian Rumbold, Victor Martinez Maldonado and Rydell were the first real flamenco companies ever formed in Naples and a lot of the public still remembers them even though the shows have significantly decreased owing to lack of support. All members of the company represent my point of reference for me, especially Sergio “El Javi”, even though he has now returned to Argentina. He has a very special place in my heart, as does my frst and unforgettable teacher Julia Gracia Jimenez. In my journey through the world of flamenco I’ve met wonderful people who have contributed to my growth both educationally and artistically, such as the great dancers La China, Carmen Fuentes, Juana Cala, Felipe Mato, Ana Romero, Sara Baras, El Farruquito, Belen Maya, Cristobal Reyes, Antonio Marquez, Raquel La Madrid, Lorraine De Luz, Rafael Amargo, Los Vivancos, Joaquin Cortés, Duquende, Carmen Linares, José Moro, Alicia Vega, Niña Pastori, Monica Cruz, Esperanza Fernandez,

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Paco De Lucia, Vicente Amigo, Juanares, Ketama, Enrique Morente, Estrella Morente and many others ... In hindsight I realize that flamenco is my way of life. Certainly this form of art and culture has transformed my life and influenced my choices in a definitely positive way! Today I live the life I have chosen to live and that is above all thanks to flamenco! Q. If you could go back is there anything you would do differently in your journey? A. Certainly, if I could go back I would probably change a few things and make a few different choices, but because in this life you cannot go back, I look to the future and flamenco with joy and I think of the past with pleasure! Q. What were, if any, the biggest difficulties you encountered to achieve your goals as an artiste? A. Actually there have been many difficulties in the pursuit of my objectives, but in particular it was hard to make my beloved art of flamenco known and recognized in Italy where flamenco culture is not very widespread or well recognized. Q. What are your concerns as an artiste? A. Suddenly finding myself unable to dance or to physically and mentally communicate my art is definitely the thing that worries me most of all! Q. What inspires you the most? A. All music, dance, arts of all kinds are for me a source of continued inspiration. Q. Technique or expression, which comes first? A. Good question ... Well, for me technique and expression must travel on the same track. Certainly technique can and should be improved day after day, while expression is inherent in each of us, but there is no technical trick to pulling it out and getting to touch the soul of the audience. Q. Do you feel more an artiste or a teacher? A. Surely artiste! An artiste with a passion to pass on my art through teaching! Q. What is the message you wish to convey to your students? Cont. next page

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Photo Courtesy of Elckjaer Franco Bono © Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved Spreading her passion for Flamenco in Naples, Italy, artist and teacher Elckjaer Franco Bono holds courses for adults and children at various levels, supporting the arts and helping the youth through a love for dance. The proposed course for beginners is a progressive approach to flamenco by the Spanish folk dances and then part of the Sevillanas, moving to the virtuoso gypsy true. It continues through the fusion of flamenco with other tersicorei styles: modern, contemporary, Middle Eastern, Latin American and Argentine tango. Top: Elckjaer Franco Bono with a group of her students during a presentation. Below: 14 Year old Antonio Russo, one of Elckjaer’s flamenco students during a flamenco competition sponsored by Grimaldi Lines where he achieved first place. Photography Arttour International Magazine © Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved

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culture, integrating traditional Spanish folklore with more modern means of expression. Q. Is there a dream that you have not yet done but hope to do one day? A. I can say that I have realized my dream and I hope that one day a lot of people can say the same. Q. Which artiste/colleague (bailaor, cantaor, tocaor) of the current scene more matches your taste and most excites you? A. First off, Antonio Marquez for the classic Spanish and Joaquin Cortes for flamenco fused with other styles. But the current art scene offers a variety of bailaores, cantadores, tocaores with great creativity that meet my artistic taste and my way of looking at flamenco and its evolution! Q. The first word that comes to your mind? A. LOVE for life and for dance! Q. What do you think of before going on stage? A. It may seem strange but I do not think ... Peeking behind the scenes, I get lost in the public and I look for my concentration! Q. Do you listen to other genres besides flamenco? If so what?

A. Always cultivate their passions, their interests, believing in themselves and in their dreams! Q. And what is the public? What kind of audience would you like to win? A. The message that appeals to every type of audience is definitely communication between people, tolerance, respect, solidarity; safeguarding and transmitting their traditions!

A. Absolutely! I have great passion for the classic Neapolitan genre and songs by artistes such as Eddy Napoli, Francesca Schiavo, Enzo Gagnaniello, and Valentina Stella. They have inspired some of my choreographic works by merging Andalusian art with the Neapolitan genre. Q. A word of advice for our readers who want to make flamenco their profession? A. Understand your passion, your willpower, and always believe in yourself and your abilities with conviction, discipline, perseverance, dedication, sacrifice ... and a lot of patience! Q. Flamenco in a single word?

Q. What are your current projects? A. LIFE A. I'm forming flamenco dance companies, with artistes and teachers, to promote, develop and organize events throughout the whole Italian national territory. We'll be sharing our knowledge of Andalusian culture with the intention of highlighting the similarities between it and the Neapolitan

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Contact info: WWW.FLAMENCOFUSION.COM Email: elckjaerflamenco@gmail.com

July 2014

Your window to the world! With the most popular artists and celebrities in the creative industry, "Art 2 Heart" Interviews are an innovative concept in visual arts aiming to broadcast via web channels and orbital satellites above the territories of Europe and America targeting a large audience. Conducted by Viviana Puello, ATIM's Art Director, and Director of the Vivid Arts Network International. Offering a global platform for artists, galleries, film makers and creative individuals to expose their work on our virtual gallery, and promote their events in a global artistic scene. Whether it's Art Openings or Art Breaking News Coverage, Arttour International Channels goal is to engage Art Organizations and thousands of readers each month.

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The ruins of Byblos are particularly intriguing to archaeologists because the different centuries of human occupation have left multiple layers of debris, each from a different era in history. Pierre Montet was the first to begin excavations in Byblos, working from 1921 until 1924, and then Maurice Dunand took over, starting in 1925 and continuing for the next four decades. Today it is believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As a result of the painstaking excavations, archaeologists have been able to divide the prehistoric occupation of Byblos into five different periods. The first is the early phase, or the ancient Neolithic. This is represented by plaster floors and naviform technology, and the artifacts from this period are dated to between 8800 and 7000 BC.

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The second phase is the late phase, between 6400 and 5800 BC. Pottery, figurines and sickle blades dating back to this time are the firmest evidence from this settlement period. The Middle Neolithic period is next, ranging from 5800 to 5300 BC. Pottery has been found from this period. The Late Neolithic period is characterized by its own pottery, silos, stone jars, and chamber tombs. This period was between 5300 and 4500 BC. The Ancient Chalcolithic period, between 4500 and 3600 BC, takes its forms from pierced flint, jar burials, a violin figurine and a churn. Finally, the Late Chalcolithic period, between 3600 and 3100 BC, corresponding to the Early Bronze Age, represented by architecture and cylinder seal impressions.

The original locus spread into the valley, ultimately covering more than 12,000 square meters. The area was a safe place for boats to land and there were fertile soils. Dunand found about twenty houses, although it appears that others were lost into the ocean or simply destroyed. In general, the dwellings had a rectangular shape and plaster on the floors. Néolithique Moyen was a smaller settlement of no more than 0.15 hectares (1,500 m2) adjacent to the older site. The pottery was more developed with red washes and more varied forms and elaborate decorations, buildings were poorer with unplastered floors. The Néolithique Récent period showed development from the Moyen in building design, a wider range of more developed flint tools and a far larger variety of pottery with fabrication including silica. Énéolithique Cont. next page

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Erected by the Crusaders during the 12th century from limestone indigenous to the area and the remains of Romans buildings, Byblos Castle belonged to the Embriaco family, known as the Lords of Gibelet (which was Byblos' name during the Middle Ages). Ancien featured developments of "Canaanean blades" and fan scrapers. Adult burials in jars started to appear along with metal in the form of one copper hook, found in a jar. Some jars were lined with white plaster that was applied and self-hardened after firing. Copper appeared more frequently in the Énéolithique Récent period along with multiple burials in tombs and jar handles with impressed signs. Early Bronze Age remains were characterized by the development of Byblos combed ware and a lithic assemblage studied by Jacques Cauvin. There is some indication that Byblos was almost totally under Egyptian control during the Old Kingdom. Byblos clearly was a wealthy place and appears to have served as an ally of Egypt for several centuries. One of the Egyptian terms for a boat going by sea was a "Byblos ship," and tombs from the First Dynasty in Egypt used timber that came from Byblos. Objects have been found at Byblos naming

the 13th dynasty Egyptian king Neferhotep I, and the rulers of Byblos maintained close relationships with the New Kingdom pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. Byblos Castle Erected by the Crusaders during the 12th century from limestone indigenous to the area and the remains of Romans buildings, it belonged to the Embriaco family, known as the Lords of Gibelet (which was Byblos' name during the Middle Ages). Saladin took the town and dismantled the castle between 1188 and 1190 AD, but the Crusaders recaptured the city and rebuilt the castle in 1197. Today, near the castle are a Roman amphitheater, the Phoenician royal necropolis and a couple Egyptian temples. This area shows the diverse history of this ancient city. Today, Byblos is a modern city that still retains its historical past. Byblos remains as one of Lebanon's Cont. next page

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ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

major tourist sites due to its rich history and scenic mountains overlooking the Mediterranean. Most residents of Byblos are Maronite Catholics. There are also some Shia Muslims that remain, whose ancestors were inhabitants of the city before expulsion at the end of the 13th century by the Mamluk Turks based on a fatwa from Ibn Taymiyyah. It is said that the city of Bint Jbeil ("daughter of Jbeil") in southern Lebanon was founded by those displaced Shi'a. Byblos has three representatives in the Parliament of Lebanon: two Maronites and one Shi'a. Byblos is re-emerging as an upscale touristic hub. With its ancient port, Phoenician, Roman and Crusader ruins, sandy beaches and the picturesque mountains that surround it make it an ideal tourist destination. The city is known for its fish restaurants, open-air bars, and outdoor cafes. Yachts cruise into its harbor today like they did in the sixties and seventies when Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra were regular visitors to the city. Photography Arttour International Magazine © Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved Photography Jamal Kiwan© Copyright 2014 All Rights Reserved

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July 2014

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

AUERBACH VIEIRA

“Ravishing Series Brazil Nov 2013” Mixed Media on Canvas

Acclaimed as one of most promising artists of her generation her work can be seen around the world in some of the most important Art exhibitions.Recently critics in North America compared her work growth to the mythical Andy Warhol. Nominated "Top 60 Masters Contemporary Art 2014" by "Arttour International Magazine”. Represented in Brazil by Verve Galeria: http://www.vervegaleria.com

Email: auerbachvieira@gmail.com

“Dreams Ocean April 262014” Mixed Media on Canvas

WWW.AUERBACHVIEIRA.BLOGSPOT.CA www.arttourinternational.com

July 2014

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

CHRISTIAN PEREZ DE CARVASAL

Barcelona Olje 46.5 x 61.5 Cm

Combining symbolic elements of the figurative and the abstract, French artist Christian Perez de Carvasal creates stunning canvases that reflect all the movement and energy intrinsic to city life. Inspired by a childhood in Paris, the artist paints sprawling scenes highlighting the majesty of modern architecture and the dynamism of crowded sidewalks and streets. Yet interspersed amid his urban landscapes are peaceful humanlike creatures which serve in juxtaposition to the harried pace that commonly defines city life. He explains, “I am inspired by urban life, people in motion, architecture and colors. My mission is to provoke emotional and political reflections and visual expressions.” One of the hallmarks of Carvasal’s work is his use of pure color accentuated with rich, complex textures. His powerful hues are set in edgy compositions that rely on a distinct use of line and geometric form. By combining a variety of techniques and forms, he is able to infuse his cityscapes with new meanings, bridging the mythologies of urban life to explore the depth of experience within.

Barcelona Olje 46.5 x 61.5 Cm

possible. My main source of inspiration is large cities with their dynamic and modern architecture. I have always been fascinated by them, being a product of urban life myself, having grown up in Paris, close to the Eiffel Tower, and seeing the different scenes of Parisian life clearly contributed to my artistic choices. In my work I try to show the peace and quiet you cannot create in busy city life by adding human-life creatures in different contexts. The idea is to provoke emotional and political reflections in my audience.”

Emal : cpcarvasal@gmail.com

“Train to Hell”

“I am an artist who combines symbolism with the figurative and the abstract on canvas. I use a variety of art forms/techniques and I mostly paint with knives to keep the colors as pure as

www.arttourinternational.com BLOG : CARVASALART.BLOGSPOT.COM

July 2014

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

CRISTINA ZORRILLA SPEER

“My goal as an artist is to convey a feeling of serenity, harmony, and comfort.” Cristina Zorrilla Speer A native Mexican now living in Texas, Cristina considers art as a never-ending journey and teaching art for 20 years is one of her proudest accomplishments:”I feel blessed to help awaken the artistic talent in enterprising students”. Her challenge is to communicate her love for life, nature and freedom through art in a contemporary way. crisz.speer@mac.com

WWW.CRISTINAZORRILLASPEER.COM

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July 2014

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

DELLORCO

“The White Swan” Oil on Canvas “I wanted to mesh the idea of a ballet dancer as an angel and I realized that the “White Swan” character from the ballet “Swan Lake” would be the perfect way to actualize the image. Here, I had the ballerina/model pose as if she were airborne, soaring upward. I often use photos of swan wings as reference for winged angels, so the imagery blended beautifully. The background is from a recent visit to St. Peter’s cathedral in Rome. It is such a spectacular edifice. Cathedrals were specifically designed to allow light flood in from above, not only to illuminate the activities below, but also to create the sense of wonder and spirituality emitting from the heavens.” Chris Dellorco

WWW.DELLORCOFINEART.COM www.arttourinternational.com

July 2014

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

JOHN HOYT

I thank God every day for providing me with the "the drive" and ability to construct and create new artworks. I have always been inspired by strolling into a gallery and admiring the variety of artworks and styles. There are so many ideas I have and it seems there are never enough hours in a day. Fortunately some ideas gain traction during sleep mode. Dream On... - John Hoyt Art

furyroad@sbcglobal.net johnhoytart@gmail.com

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July 2014

KAY GRIFFITH

"Abstract U-70" Oil on Canvas

Griffith has gallery representation in New York City, New York, Miami, Florida, Des Moines, Iowa, and Salado, Texas. She shows in international shows. In December, 2013, her work was featured and exhibited during the Art Basel - Miami season in the premium, international exhibition at Art Fusion Galleries. A recent international contest that had over 2000 entries awarded Griffith an honorable mention. Griffith has accepted an invitation to participate in an exhibition at the Galeries Nationales Grand Palais in Paris, France. The exhibition opens in November, 2014. "I was born an abstract artist. For me, it has always been about the convergence of color, rhythms, and the play of light and shadow. Although I can execute traditional oil paintings, my heart is with the abstract work. All I have to do to be inspired is walk outside and spend some time experiencing the convergence that I have described. I find that this convergence is more accurately reflected when I paint wet-into-wet , using a palette knife." I am passionate about painting abstracts, and cannot imagine life without painting them."

WWW.GRIFFITHFINEARTGALLERY.COM www.arttourinternational.com

July 2014

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

LARISSA ROMANOVA

“I was born in Russia but I live in Sweden. My art is the story of my life, it is my feelings that choose the colors. The main source of my inspiration is nature, where color plays the lead role.”. Larissa Romanova

WWW.LARISSAROMANOVA.COM www.arttourinternational.com

July 2014

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

LYN OLSEN

“Hiding in the Coral” - Mixed Media, 27,5” x 20”

“Stingrays & Coral” - Mixed Media, 36” x 24”

My art career commenced after a very long illness in 2001. During my recovery, I started painting in acrylics and using the inspiration from my travels of my homeland, Australia, I haven’t looked back. I approach a blank canvas with gusto, splashing acrylics inks and paint, using spray and drip techniques and idea is born! Colour, being my driving force, allows me to create vibrant images, of ten depicting The Great Barrier Reef in a fun contemporary way. My works have been hung in various venues throughout Queensland and many commissions have been accomplished over the years. Exhibiting in solo and group exhibitions in Australia, Italy and New York keep me occupied. Teaching has been added to the list and I enjoy this immensely.

“Let the Race Begin” Acrylic 24” x 36”

www.arttourinternational.com HTTP://LYN-OLSEN.ARTISTWEBSITES.COM

July 2014

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

LUCIE NIZKA

“Aztec” Acrylic on Canvas 100 X 90 Cm

“Crystal” Acrylic on Canvas 90 X 60 Cm

My work is the result of an amalgamation of influences and techniques. As an artist, my aim is for these paintings to encapsulate and express the human experience and feelings that man has done for many thousands of years through art. It is my attempt to surround you, the viewer, with my inspirations, my hopes and dreams, from the everyday to the profound. For me, when art communicates, it expresses emotion and individuality and it transcends language.

info@lucie-nizka.com london@lucie-nizka.com

“Sunset” Acrylic on Canvas 100 X 110 Cm

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WWW.LUCIE-NIZKA.COM

July 2014

ATIM’S TOP 60 MASTERS OF CONTEMPORARY ART

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

GRACIELA MONTICH GRACIELA MONTICH

WWW.GRACIELAMONTICH.COM

“Dancer Orchids” - Oil on Linen, 51” x 90”

“Red Garden” - Oil on Linen, 43” x 71” “Suculentas” - Oil on Linen, 67” x 29”

Graciela Montich is an argentinian painter , born in Córdoba where she lives and works. Enchanted by the breathtaking beauty of the botanical world, the artist portrays the grandeur of nature in her works. She paints with oil on linen, and represents the essence of flora and fauna with a spectacularly detailed realism . With careful and meticulous brushstrokes, these compositions range from the hyper - real and surreal , always intriguing balance seductive in her style. Montich masterfully combines painting techniques with gold sheets and other means in order to translate their distinctive vision of nature to us. Her work is based on an ideal image that pursues the world, captured in her paintings leaves the most fantastic time of executing this work , isolating that moment of reality to eternalize it in time. Montich performed her works in real scale , so that everyone who sees it feel invited to participate in this ideal world within a frame . She participated in numerous exhibitions and fairs in Argentina , the U.S. and Europe. " The beauty of art is reflected in the happiness of the spirit." Graciela Montich .

WWW.GRACIELAMONTICH.COM

July 2014

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

SANTERRE

Cambronne Official painting of Mylene Paquette's cross atlantic rowing. Mylène Paquette became the first North American woman to row solo across the North Atlantic Ocean, from Canada to France. www.mylenepaquette.com It is a unique piece of art, her crossing took her 130 days, Santerre and Mylene took contact everyday via satellite phone, e-mails or SMS. There is 130 words representing her 130 days journey hidden in the painting but when you look at the main picture it represents Cambronne which is the 1st word Mylene sent to Santerre it represents Napoleon 1er General but also means good luck in French. In Quebec, Canada Mylene Paquette is now a hero and a role model. She represents courage and determination. A remarkable journey put on canvas by the artist Santerre

Santerre’s work is simultaneously irreverent and thought-provoking. They explore the grotesque and sometimes distort reality causing an examination of familiar topics but through a different lens. Through his work, the viewer leaps into Santerre’s imaginary world where fantasy meets bare truth. info@ericsanterre.com

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SANTERRE.ART www.arttourinternational.com

July 2014

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

Sucon

Marilyn

Clown Fish

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July 2014

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

VALERIE GHOUSSAINI

“Phonecians”

“Boats_at_Twilight”

“So much of who I am is reflected in my art. I take photos from my travels, and my everyday life with the intention of using them as inspiration for my art. I have always loved the flat 2 dimensions of a poster or print, and that is what I try to achieve in a painting. Using an array of colors, my light-filled paintings express a range of emotions. This humanistic narrative stimulates both the eye and the mind as I try to tell a story with each of them, a visual reconstruction of my life.”

WWW.VALERIEGHOUSSAINI.COM ghoussaini@aol.com

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“Life_at_the_Beach” July 2014

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

YOUNG AE YI

I live in Incheon , South Korea. I’ve participated in 10th solo exhibitions between South Korea, Japan, USA and France and 54 group shows in South Korea, China, japan, USA, UK and the Grand Palais in Paris, France. My works belong to private and public collections internationally Award- Silver medal (Critic’s award) from 2012 London Olympics Art Collection

WEB SITE: HTTP://CJDDUS0.BLOG.ME www.arttourinternational.com

July 2014

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL APRIL 2014 www.arttourinternational.com

July 2014

Dor Habonim Beach Nature Reserve, Israel by Jamal Kiwan Cont. next page

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July 2014

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

South of Haifa off Route 4, Dor Habonim (“Generation of Builders”) is part of a coastal nature reserve, a relatively remote cove favored by nearby kibbutzniks and families.

Natural rock jetties in the sea are perfect for kids to climb and sit on, and along with natural lagoons, they also keep the waves from getting too rough. The reserve has walking routes that pass through the bays, from which you can see sights including caves and wildflowers.

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July 2014

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

ABOUT THE ARTIST I am a Palestinian Photographer born in 1967. I have started photography ever since I was 16 years old. Capturing the lines of hardship expressed on my people's faces... The old towns, houses and people have always fascinated me. I wish to show the world those beautiful lifetime images through my lens. Photography is my life, the camera is my best friend... I love traveling around the world...it's my passion. Capturing the beauty of the Creator. Each of my photos is like a beautiful colorful painting, I like to give life to objects I capture through my lens. I try to show the viewer the world in a different perspective, in a way that he has never seen it before. Photography is Art, photography is Real, Photography is life to me... I have participated in many national and international exhibitions, seminars and given lectures throughout the world. Contact: jamalkewan@gmail.com

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July 2014

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

In San Diego the night sky is illumined with shows of fireworks, whistling bursts, explosions and showering sparks. It's Independence Day. The roads to the harbors and beaches are choked with cars. These areas all jammed with lawn chairs, ice chests full of hot dogs, buns, Lays potato chips, Twinkies and Budweiser beer. Chunky, giggling kids and grandmothers are excited to bask in the sparks and flashes high above them. Synchronized music on the car radio thumps and rolls to the bursts and booms of the heavenly pyro-technic orchestration. Camera phones flash, trying to imitate the sky. Tearful pride and applause erupt spontaneously. In Baghdad, the attack commences as streaks of light darting through the skies suddenly explode, or end in a dull but powerful thud, shaking the buildings and starting fires on the ground. The children in the houses are shaken as they stumble and panic, dropping their toys. They fall into each other's arms shaking. "Awe and shock" has arrived. www.arttourinternational.com

A brother groans as he manages to lift his television on to the roof's surface. And now the boys sit on the rooftop under the flaming sky, as the attack begins. Flickering in the background Al-Jazeerah and CNN synchronize their broadcasts with the flashes and explosions which light up the sky and buildings all around roof pilots. This area of Baghdad is a sea of gray concrete rectangles crowded together topped by people, generations of people. Family members escape the ambient desert heat that chokes their homes below. On hot nights, the whole family drags cushions and blankets and trudges up through the attic onto the roof. It’s the coolest and only tolerable space to spend a hot night. And it’s safer - from whatever waits below on the streets. Errant shrapnel or a random blast might not touch you up here. And so, from here, high above the charred debris and streets, it’s as though the whole of humanity is July 2014

ARTTOUR INTERNATIONAL JULY 2014

sleeping on their roofs. Drifting, under the vast explosion of stars. In the darkness, sounds of life ricochet off the buildings. From another rooftop, you can hear someone sneezing. And then coughing on your left. Now, again, barely audible, a scratchy throat grunts somewhere below. Then silence. Whispers. Then, more hacking echoes off the buildings and is broadcast into the Babylonian night. In the distance, the random booming sounds fade into slower intervals. Silence. Skeptical silence. Again, interrupting the brief interval of calm, someone's snoring rumbles through the air over the rooftops. Floating below the dark sky a ragged symphony of humanity - a canvas, splattered and sprinkled with human rumblings and auditory squiggles. Giggles. In the next building, a couple of snickering children are being hushed.

The children have learned to move about carefully within the forbidden perimeter of the rooftop and the sudden abyss that surrounds them. Eventually they snuggle up close to their siblings and parents on the improvised sleeping platform in the sky. While the babies sleep in fits and starts, millions of tiny pulsating lights signal the beginning and the end of whole galaxies. Winks from the abyss. Half asleep, a restless child, or a grandfather, stares upward into the infinite and then is swallowed by the immensity, wonder and beauty of the night sky. He is touched, yet too numb and weary to ponder the imponderable. And now, finally, across the rooftops of Baghdad and a thousand Arabian nights, the rest of the family eventually slips or falls, fearlessly, off the edge, into the past, present and future where humanity rejoices and dances and, again, the family is reunited with the ancient spirits of Babylonia and Chaldean Oracles. Dave Hamrah

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July 2014

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