8 PM, Sat. April 12
Pietro Barbera
ART EXHIBITION
I've been trying to get this artist to do a show at the The Raconteur for three years. Now almost eighty, he rarely exhibits or makes public appearances. But I was determined. I renewed my efforts this past winter and months of vigilant coaxing has managed to do the trick. Some of you may have noticed his work in our shop. Indeed, his five foot Indian which stands at the entrance to the store has provoked many comments, unsettled many children (who must be carried past it, eyes closed, head buried in the chest of a parent), and has been highlighted in almost every article on The Raconteur. His rawboned prizefighter, reminiscent of Giacometti's blade thin sculptures and gaunt post war figures, stands on a stack of leather-bound Thackeray in our front window. His crayon/beaver board depictions of schemers and guttersnipes (my personal favorites), which hang to the left of the cashier counter, were done decades ago, when Pietro himself was homeless. Binding the boards with a frayed electrical cord, he'd carry them under his arm wherever he went. When he wanted to make a change, he'd melt the crayon wax with a cigarette lighter and move it about the board with his finger.
Pietro will be here this Saturday with OVER FIFTY ADDITIONAL WORKS OF ART.
As always, Raconteur events are FREE! and include complimentary wine and amuse-bouche (I make no promises, but I hear tell of bacon-wrapped quail and prunes soaked in cognac).
