Interesting News:In the 2007-2009 seasons, I have been involved with a wonderful project: The Carybé Murals.The artist, known as Carybé: born as Hector Julio Paride Bernabo, (b. 1911-d. 1997 age 86) who in 1950 moved to the town of Bahia in Brazil and was naturalized as a Brazilian 1957. Born of a Brazlian mother, an Italian father, married a Argentinian; he was painter and illustration artist by way of Argentina.In 1959, he was awarded a commission to paint two huge murals in the New York, JFK American Airline terminal building.In 2007 that building was being torn down, Steve Tatti, a NYC conservator with his company S.A.T. Inc., asked me to look into the project with him. I first met with Ilú Rivera of the ODEBRECHT International Construction Company, a meeting that had lead to the first of many phone calls, questions, documentation and discussions. We would all agree the project has had great impact in our lives.
The two CARYBÉ Murals were titled: “Discovery and Settlement of the West” (the horseman and wagontrain and the other -the dancers- titled: “Rejoicing and Festivals of the Americas” and were carefully saved, preserved, installed and re-presented in their new home at Miami, Florida’s International Airport. The two painted murals were sized each at 16.5 feet high by 53 feet long, approximately weighing 6 tons apiece.
Steve Tatti and I have to be grateful to so many people----thanks to many including Gilberto Sa, Beatrice Esteve, Gilberto Neves, Darren Hoggard, Jose Abreu, Barbara Jimenez and Miami Mayor Carlos Alvarez. Again thanks to Ilú Rivera, Antonio Pinto, Renata Pinheriro and Denise Cruz; of course, huge thanks to Mr. Doug Creel, Yolanda Sanchez and Giles Garrison.At JFK Airport, (working in very difficult conditions and extream cold weather), special thanks to the wonderful Mr. Donald Smith, the Master Riggers de-installing: Keith Crissman, Doug Wuest, Tom, Danny and John and crew of Fifth Industrial Development Corp....What a great effort you guys made! Thank you Mr. Kenneth Bower of American Airlines; we know without you this would not have happened!Now in New York City, up in the Bronx-thanks to Michael and Frank Narcisco, Dennis Dwyer, Anthony, Henry, Jimmy, Franick, Marick, Mario, and the entire crew at Dun-Rite Specialized Carriers/ Master Riggers.Down in Miami: A big thanks to Kirk Mitchell of ADF International Inc., the Master Rigger and each of his great crew of steel workers: Dayne Brewster (Omar), Pete Dillon, Eliobel Delgado, Torence Williams, Alfredo Rocca; to Darren of BossInteriorContractors Inc.and his crew. ( names forthcoming) To Jim Palma, Architect, along with Rodriquez and Quiroga Architects. Thank you all for taking the proper time, listening and being so careful!
Please see the Carybé Institutes new website for more information on the artist and mural project.
Steve Tatti, who I've known since the 1980's, asked me to come in and look at this project.I am very grateful to him for sharing the project and I truly enjoyed working with him.Since October 2007 through June 2009, Steve Tatti and I have been involved working on these large 1960 murals.Steve Tatti, a wonderful conservator and his crew of Steve Johnson, Betsy Cerro, Renata Pugh, Rachel Tretter, as well as Vaja, all worked very hard on the murals: cleaning, repairing and toning in the damaged surfaces.There was about a 2000 square foot area to go over and over and over again. For more information about Steve Tatti and his services, scroll down this page and click on the red bar to open up his website. The Carybé Murals, as first seen before-treatment, were really in poor condition, but everyone saw the beauty and value of the murals right from the beginning. It would have been a shame to lose and destroy them. I so admire Carybé for being such a dedicated, inventive and wonderfully creative artist. I'm sure that generations have enjoyed his murals in the past and now I'm grateful they can continue to be seen, admired and studied in the future.
If you ever go to Miami, Florida, I hope you stop off in the Airport and look at the Murals.They are located in the south side of the horseshoe, in the middle of the leg.Just ASK anyone, look for signs and they will give specific directions.
Here are some pictures:
This photo was taken right before the mural was to be removed
This is a photo taken from the Carybe Book, --------------------------------------- but of the painted smaller sketch paintng - not the mural.
Click on the Image to go to Harriet Baskas's USA TODAY article. Then clink on the view more pictures link there.
Click Red image above to find more info about Steve Tatti Conservation
Please fill out any comments to me here to the left, I was thinking of Forum-style comment box where questions and comments can go out to other people but decided for now I'll just see who actually sends me anything. Please write something, thanks.
