I was a very young child in 1966 and knew nothing about the world, let alone that Florence, Italy had one of the worst floods in modern history. The Arno River flooded after long periods of rain, and burst LaPenna and Levane dams, leaving in its wake, over 600 thousand tons of mud, and killing dozens of people. The flood over three meters high, drowned homes, businesses, people, and over 14,000 pieces of precious art from centuries ago taken down in its wake as water quickly engulfed the Ponte Vecchio and swept through, sending damaging floods some 200 miles north to Venice. There was barely any warning of these floods coming, leaving no time to remove artwork. Restorations are still being made.
This event came to my attention when I came across and watched a documentary on PBS called, When the World Answered. As Italy is probably my most favorite country in the whole world, I’ve always wanted to go back to Florence to visit art and museums because, quite frankly, I was definitely too young to fully appreciate it all the first time I’d toured European museums. Going back to Florence is a definite on my bucketlist!
Amid the aftermath of the event, a woman art historian from Pisa, named Kirsten Aschengreen Piacenti, got on a bus, headed to Florence, and joined a group of both local volunteers and young people visiting from abroad, named angeli del fango – translating to, the mud angels who were young men and women from around the globe who banded together to help salvage what they could of some of the world’s most treasured art and artifacts. Much of the art that was saved was thick with mud and oil. The floods also ruptured the heating tanks in buildings, causing oil to spew and mix with the muddy waters. Piacenti and a professor from the Uffizi Gallery met up, and along with other art officionados, organized opening new chemical labs to treat the ruinations and residues on marbled artifacts to help restore. Donations poured in from around the world to help restore the art of Florence. Because of all the new developments that came from the restoration efforts, Italy is now known for its excellence in art conservation.
Besides the aid of the mud angels, there were also the flood ladies. After the flood, Florence put out a call to the world for new art donations to open a ‘Modern Uffizi Gallery’ and among the many, 32 international women artists donated artwork to Florence to replace the damaged art in many museums. Some of these women were already famous artists, but many were not yet, then. This restoration project was sponsored by the AWA – Advancing Women Artists Foundation.
Amazing efforts have and still are ongoing to restore artwork from the Arno Florence flood, and one of the most treasured pieces of art – The Last Supper by Giorgio Vasari that was kept in storage for forty years, was finally restored in 2016 after fifty years, from being severely damaged after submerged in water at the Basilica di Santa Croce, and is considered the last important piece of ‘injured’ art to go back on display.
I’m excited to be sharing my collaborated post with artist and designer, Resa McConaghy over at Graffitti Lux and Murals. Resa is an artist and gown designer and loves to search out and photograph street art. When I was away in Puerto Vallarta, she emailed me and asked if I could take some interesting photos of street art and come over to her blog and have a discussion about art and Puerto Vallarta, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, adding some photos I took at an Immersive experience of photographs projected on the walls at our AGO exhibit.
My collaboration with Resa McConaghy, artist and gown designer, on artwork in murals in Puerto Vallarta and the Immersive Frida Kahlo
Puerto Vallarta Street Art with D.G. Kaye
x
D.G. – You should see all the Frida stuff I have here, from art to books to clothing and a beach bag. Can you tell I’m a huge Frida fan? LOL
Resa – Yes I can tell! So, let’s see what you’ve captured and then spend some time with Frida! In regards to the pic below, that you have titled“Little Boy Lost in Technology”: It looks like it is painted on a crumbling shack.?
D.G. – I didn’t even remember titling it that, lol. My interpretation is because so many are lost in their phones like phone zombies.
D.G. named many of the pics she sent in. I’ll put those in blue italics.
But actually, it’s not a shack, it’s the side of a store downtown. I’m not sure but I would guess it was painted on stucco? I mean the brick is exposed and so is part of the board and stucco?
x
x
Resa – Is this what it is like in parts of Puerto Vallarta?
I mean is poverty and hi-tech living together?
Is this image reflective of real life there?
D.G. – Yes, there is definitely poverty, just not in the tourist areas. Wall art/murals are permitted there as a medium of social messaging. The artist only needs the permission of the building owner and/or local authorities. Funny though, no matter how poor, everyone seems to have a phone.
x
x
D.G. – This intricate mosaic done in mirrored glass is in the Entertainment Park at the malecon (boardwalk), a square where they have entertainment sometimes and the Saturday morning market is held.
Resa – It’s gorgeous!
x
x
Resa – Is this image on the malecon? Or where did you find it?
D.G – The above shot and the next one were taken at the La Cruz market. Above, the artist featured paintings. The next one was a mural painted on a storefront entrance.
x
x
Resa – Is the La Cruz market the main market in Puerto Vallarta? Is it on the Malecon?Does one buy food there as well as art?
D.G. – Yes, there is a whole area like an outdoor foodcourt where merchants sell home made food and baked goods. Delish! There are several little markets throughout all towns, and yes, the Malecon has little markets as well, and a Saturday market. But the La Cruz market is by far the biggest and doesn’t have typical market items. It’s more artisan crafted – clothing, jewelry, hats, collectibles, lotions – you name it.
x
x
Resa – Tell me about “Child Art”!
D.G – The image of the girl is an actual painting, not a mural. I took the shot up in La Cruz outside a booth with an artist doing his art. I didn’t get to speak with him so I don’t know his name. His art was outside his booth on stands. I wasn’t the only one with a camera.
x
x
Resa – You titled the above “Catholic Religious”. Is this image on, or by a church?
D.G. – The girl with the red apron was snapped outside a building on a downtown side street. I’m still trying to figure it out. It looks religious at first, but why would the vegetable be on it? Lol. It’s wall art, but not sure what it represents.
Resa – I get it! The red apron/poncho looks like a “chasuble”, a liturgical vestment worn by Roman Catholic priests and bishops at mass. Seems like there are a lot of murals/street art in Puerto Vallarta.
D.G. – Puerto Vallarta is a growing art scene with so much talent.
Murals are allowed and have been a common way for artists to express themselves in social justice since the Mexican Muralism Movement. It began with wall paintings in the civic buildings after 1910 to educate the illiterate.
x
x
Resa – “Planetary art” Was this found at a trip to the Planetarium, or is it street art that made you think planetarium?
D.G. -As you well know, when you walk along older narrow and/or cobblestone roads, there’s always something to see. This photo was painted on a wall on a narrow downtown street.
x
x
Resa – Where were “Splash of Nature’s Colour” and“Peaceful Art” found?
D.G. – The splash was taken in Punta Mita, another town not far from La Cruz. It was a very short street with a few stores and restaurants and outside the stores you would find art.
x
x
D.G. – Peaceful art grabbed my attention while I was walking downtown around the malecon area. We were looking for the cotton store. I remember being disappointed when I looked at it later. I’d cut some of the top off. I was standing across the street from it, and I was trying to snap the photo in between many cars driving by.
x
x
Resa – Out of the dozen pics of art you sent, 5 are of Frida. It seems to me inasmuch as Mexico inspired Frida, Frida now inspires Mexico. Am I overstating her influence?
D.G. – No, you aren’t overstating the huge influence Frida had and still stands for in the Mexican culture. Frida is loved and admired throughout Mexico. She is admired for her colourful artwork – all expressions of what she was feeling throughout her life as well as many political paintings.
x
x
Resa – I adore this mural of Frida, which you say is on a restaurant. Did you eat there?
D.G. – No I never ate there, so I can’t even tell you what the name is. My bad.
Resa – The important thing is you got the pic!
Resa – I love this pic of Frida and Diego you took when visiting “Immersive Frida Kahlo”, in Toronto. . .
x
x
There are a few more interesting pictures I took at an Immersive Frida Exhibit here in Toronto last year, and more conversation. You will also learn a bit of history on the famed Frida Kahlo, the ‘tumultuous’ relationship she shared with the love of her life – famed Mural Artist, Diego Rivera, and how Frida suffered with the pain from her big bus accident for much of her life, which inspired her to paint many self portraits, depicting her pain.
I hope you’re enjoying this colorful collaboration with me and Resa and will continue reading over at GraffittiLux.
DGKayewriter.com 