A GREAT AMERICAN ARTIST CONQUERS ITALY/LAURENCE GARTEL ITALYA’DA

Laurence Gartel and I in the Lucca Museum

This article is about art, as i go crazy for art, art is the most important argument that i follow. Luckily art is on every corner in Italy so i have lots of article material. This one is not only about art, it’s about the artist. One great artist that struck me first by his art before knowing him and then by his exceptional, unique character and kindness.

I’ve been to Spoleto aproximately a month and a half ago. Spoleto has a new transportation system that saves you car and long distance walking. If you ever go to Umbria region, i suggest you go see Spoleto.

And if you are in Italy these days i definitely suggest you go see Spoleto, find Palazzo Bufalini and see the wonderful exhibition named “WarholvsGartel” till June 4. You can see the bigger type of the same themed exhibition in Lucca till June 18 and/or you can buy the book “Warhol vs Gartel” HYP POP by Maurizio Vanni who is the curator of the exhibitions and writer of the wonderful book.

Before Spoleto i didn’t know Laurence Gartel, and when i went there “Warhol vs Gartel” attracted me and i went in Palazzo Bufalini and totally got struck by the wonderful work of this genius man. I posted some photos of the exhibition and Spoleto on Instagram and Laurence Gartel responded!

The man who designed the 2015 GRAMMY AWARDS, the artist who showed Andy Warhol “Commodore Amiga”, the artist whose interview  on the internet is viewed by more than 3 million people! I never thought someone this big would be so kind to respond a regular journalist. Someone this important would be so modest to care about what you write about him.

Then i went to Lucca to attend the book release last saturday. I listened to his wonderful story, Laurence Gartel is a very nice person, a great artist, whose uniqeness comes from his modesty and his never ending energy. He was only 7 when he first went to Guggenheim Museum.

He was 20 years old when he went to a New York gallery, Galleria Bonini on 57 th street in NY, they said “son, come back in 20 years!”. What do you think happened? He went there 20 years later!

Gartel 1996

What happened next? At the Joan Whitney Payson Gallery in Portland, Maine Laurence Gartel replaced Vincent Van Gogh‘s “Irises” after it was sold at Sotheby’s Auction House for $53 million dollars! They put Laurence Gartel’s piece where Picasso was hanged before!

And what’s next? Stay tuned! His new works are coming soon! I now understand why i went to see “Warhol vs Gartel” twice, I now understand why I became so obsessed with this name (obsessed in terms of “his works” I am not a stalker to be clear:)).

In Lucca i’ve met a person who has a smile for everyone, who admires every nice setting, who enjoys meeting with people, talk about art, tell his life.

Now i understand why Laurence Gartel is a star, one of the greatest artists of our time. Because the artist is the person who can show you who he is by his works. When you look at an art work of Gartel you understand right away there is something nice in it, something beautiful in it.

He used his creativity by expressing his joy about life, by believing in himself, by trying to tell you the same thing he did his whole life: BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! LIFE IS AN ART! So i’ll be a true fan of this magnificent humble and extremely talented artist who loves life and what he does and has great respect for every human being that is around him. Thank you sir for your wonderful work! We will be following you! Thank you Maurizio Vanni for curating and writing “Warhol vs Gartel”!

You will learn a lot about the today’s world by looking back through that past years with perfect works of “Warhol vs Gartel”.

A picture from Lucca Museum

Sizlere muhteşem bir sanatçıyı tanıtmak istiyorum. Bayanlar baylar Andy Warhol’a “Commodore Amiga” yı öğretmiş, Apple ve diğer onemli şirketlere fotograf ile ilgili programları geliştirmelerinde yardim etmiş, 7 yasından beri sanat ile içiçe yasayan amerikalı digital sanatın yaratıcısı Laurence Gartel!

Laurence Gartel’i Italya’nın Umbriya Bölgesi’nin Spoleto şehrine yaptığım bir basın turunda tanidim. Spoleto çok şirin, son zamanlarda geliştirmiş olduğu teknoloji ile çok kolay gezilebilen, gerçekten görülmeye değer bir yer. Spoleto’da kültür ve sanata çok önem veriliyor. Yılın hergünü bir konser veya kültürel bir olay var. Gezi sırasında katedralin bulunduğu meydanda “Warhol vs Gartel” isimli pano bir sanat aşığı oldugum icin çok ilgimi çekti. Bufalini Sarayı’na girdim ve sergiyi gezdim. Warhol’un eserlerine gözüm alışıktı yıllar boyunca birçok yerde görmüştüm, ancak Gartel’i hiç tanımıyordum. Gartel’in eserlerine aşık oldum. Bazı eserlerin fotoğraflarını çektim ve internette yayınladım. Gartel bana teşekkür etti ve beni Italya’da sergiye adanmış kitabın tanıtımına davet etti. Elbette gittim ve Lucca’da hem kendisini insan olarak tanıyıp hem de sanatçı kariyerini yakından dinleme imkanı buldum. Laurence Gartel başarısı kadar alçakgönüllü çok tatlı kibar ve hayatı çok seven bir sanatçı. En çok hoşuma giden sözü: “Kendinize inanın! Hayat bir sanat eseri, ona göre yaşayın” çok doğru oldugunu düşünüyorum. Hayatı güzel yasamak da bir sanat. Eğer bugünlerde yolunuz Italya’nın Lucca veya Spoleto sehirlerine düşerse mutlaka “Warhol vs Gartel” sergilerini görün. Maurizio Vanni’nin yazdığı aynı isimli katalog hem italyanca hem ingilizce. Digital sanatın ilk günlerden bugüne kadar geçirdiği tüm evreleri anlatan çok kolay okunan bir katalog. Laurence Gartel’i de sosyal medyada takip edebilirsiniz. Bilgi için www.luccamuseum.com