Simbari Diaries - A 50 Year Adventure

         

As a little boy Nicola loved the Circus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Clown Bleu”

Le Cirque Collection

SIMBARI ©

 

          In Southern Italy, small troupes of “saltimbanchi” travelled from village to village, bringing entertainment and excitement for all to enjoy. Many of Nicola’s early paintings showed his fascination for the colour they brought, and their mystery . . . would he have joined them? . . . who knows!

 

         

 

 

                                                                                                “The Fire-eater”

                                                                                                Watercolour

                                                                                                SIMBARI ©

 

 

 

          We went to every circus, big and small, that came to Rome. . . in New York or Paris !

 

          Then, one year, at Christmas, when we were in Paris, with Jenny our 6-year-old daughter, we visited the Moscow Circus . . . what a spectacle! Nicola told the ticket office that he was an artist . . . and that he was preparing a big exhibition about the circus . . . We were ushered to superb seats on the side of the Ring and allowed to go ‘back-stage’ to meet the artistes afterwards . . . .

. . the result - - -

some

of the most

amazing

paintings!

 

 

 

 

 

 

“High-wire Acrobats”

Cirque Collection

Acrylic on canvas

SIMBARI ©

 

                                                                             Nicola captured the thrill

                                                                             and colour of that                                                                                         wonderful afternoon,

                                                                             when we were guests of

                                                                             “Le Cique du Moscou” . .

                                                                             I often wonder if they

                                                                             ever saw the paintings,

                                                                             when they were shown in

                                                                             Paris or New York !

 

 

                                                                                                “Piste des Cheveaux Blancs”

                                                                                                Oil on canvas

                                                                                                SIMBARI ©

 

          Then there was the Cirque Ancienne Grüs, a “small top” in the centre of Paris . . . enchanting !  Exquisite . . . executed in the style of ‘once-upon-a-time’.   

 

                                                                                       We so loved it,

                                                                                      we returned

                                                                                      again  and

                                                                                      again . . .                                                      

                                                                                     

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Le Cirque Ancienne Grüs”

Cirque Collection

oil on canvas

SIMBARI©

 

 

 

Here was the true drama

and glamour of the

CIRCUS . . .

how Nicola enjoyed the

Spectacle and the Magic !

Is it any wonder he created

a sculpture in bronze

and several paintings

dedicated to the

exquisite elegance of these

ACROBATS ?

 

 

                                    “Acrobats a Cheval”

                                    Bronze sculpture

                                    SIMBARI©

 

The dancer is poetry in motion . . .

 

 

These pages are “diaries” of the LIFE

of a passionate man and artist; for him

the Circus expressed it all . . .

 

 

The exhibitions, in Paris and New York,

became the Circus . . . as written by

Enid Nemy, in the New York Times, in

her column . . . . 1977 Dec. 22^nd

 

 

 

 

 

 

            “Acrobat a Cheval”

            Ink sketch

            SIMBARI©

 

                                                                                                            . . . . and the grace

                                                                                      of the horses . . .

                                                                                      But, Nicola had

                                                                                      always been

                                                                                      fascinated by

                                                                                      Horses . . . . with

                                                                                      Racing (flat

                                                                                      and trotting), the

                                                                                      Roman wine carts,

                                                                                      Carabinieri on

                                                                                      Parade . . .even the

                                                                                      Horse Guards in

                                                                                      London. . .

 

 

                                                                                                                “Piste a Cheval”

                                                                                                                 Gouache on paper

                                                                                                                 SIMBARI©

                                                                        « La Famille du Cirque »

                                                                        Acrylic on canvas

                                                                        SIMBARI©                                                      

 

 

                                                                        A « portrait » of the « Simbaris »

 

                                                          Nicola and Jenny enjoying the

                                                          ‘Theatre’ . . . as did I!

 

                                                         Nicola often ‘saw’ himself as a

                                                          Clown and sometimes the clowns

                                                          he painted were ‘self-portraits’. . .       

 

 

 

          In this sketch I ‘feel’ the pathos and

sadness of the Clown . . . “vesti la giuba” as

“Il Pagliaccio” sang . . . (“on with the show”)

 

Is this Nicola? . . . . maybe!

 

 

                                                “Clown with mandolin”

                                                Gouache on paper

                                                SIMBARI©

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                             New York, December 1977

                                                                             Le Cirque Exhibition

                                                                                                - - Nicola and Elfrida with circus                                                                                              Circus performers at the

                                                                                                Gallery.

 

Fireworks blending in the sky

Captured by an ardent watcher

Muses in poetic light

Sharing their secrets of sensual art

Silent moments of the past

Arrested in prismatic charm

Together

Splayed upon an endless screen

By esoteric means

 

                                    “La petite Clown”

                                    Acrylic on canvas

                                    SIMBARI©

 

                                                          Showing colours in their prime

                                                          Intertwining in tortuous grace

                                                          Blues so vivid in their infinite depth

                                                          Live intimately with pinks

                                                          Who

                                                          Blaze shockingly with rich reds

                                                          And blush timidly with soft creams

                                                          Yet yellow bursts out

                                                          With the Sun’s golden warmth

                                                          Coaxing orange to live on

                                                          When the sunset is gone

                                                          And green, in exotic glory,

                                                          Stands alone

                                                          Above all,

                                                          In a world of it’s own. 

                                                                                       Jennifer Simbari©

 

                                                           

 

 

“Clown au Saxophone”                                                                                    Jenny . . . ’77.

Bronze sculpture

SIMBARI©

 

Elfrida  2010

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