When an artist drops, unknown, into a new
world and is able to glide effortlessly into the prestige
circle of his trade, it makes a powerful statement. Such was
th serendipitous case of Ciro Intoccia, whose fluid integration
into the mainstream of Ibiza's artistic milieu says nearly
all that needs to be said about his creative powers. In regard
to style, his aesthetic brand of artistry can best be described
as a modern-day equivalent to Renaissance art, while Intoccia
himself fills the role of a latter-day Italian master.
Although he has been living in Ibiza for
only five years, Intoccia's oeuvre is as well-known as that
of our best long-term residents. His lion's share of recognition
comes from the fact that much of his work is commissioned
by top-line bars and clubs and is, therefore, on permanent
public display. El Divino, Coastline, Can Fly and Kumharas
are four of the popular venues marked with his distinctive
cachet. It is, in fact, accurate to say that Intoccia's work
epitomizes the culturally eclectic spirit of Ibiza, owing
in large measure to the shrine of objets ésotériques
he has created at Café Kumharas.
Intoccia Showcased at Kumharas
Among Intoccia's many interesting contributions
to this café, the Shiva fountain, the Chinese dragon
and the Moorish-style dining gazebo are the pieces that most
immediately catch the imagination. Dreamers can often be spotted
sitting near the fountain on a summer's eve, drinking in the
soothing sound of splashing water and lost in private reveries.
The blue-tiled Dragon that lounges along the back terrace
is, in fact, a seating ensemble that easily accommodates a
dozen people, positioning them directly in the line of fire
of the café's many exotic dance shows. Entering the
dining gazebo can only be described as stepping back several
aeons to some mythological land before time became linear.
Or before right angles were invented, for their calming absence
is perhaps the most remarkable feature of this unique work
of architecture. Put to the task of naming the style, I would
have to call it 'streamline arabesque' or perhaps 'neo-Tolkien'.
Interestingly, the local press has labelled Kumharas "a
crossroads of meeting cultures", an epitaph that stems
directly from the ethnic cocktail of Intoccia's creations.
Like a wizard of form, he never fails to evoke that other-worldly
appeal people have come to associate with Ibiza.
He is not, however, limited to any one artistic
formula, and can adroitly recreate his inner vision in a broad
array of styles and media. "I work in any medium that
will produce the effect I'm after - or that happens to be
on hand. I like the sandstone here in Ibiza and use it a lot,"
he confesses. "It's the island's traditional stone -
easy to get and easy to work with. I use it for sculptures,
totems, garden ponds, lots of different constructions."
Because Intoccia has never worked in any field not related
to artistic activity, he has covered a tremendous amount of
creative turf. In his 25 years as a practising artist, he
has worked as a painter, a carver, a sculptor, an architect
and an exterior designer, in materials ranging from coral
to marble to metal to plaster.
Old School
Recalling his years at the Instituto Statale
d'Arte in Naples, where he was trained, primarily as a painter,
Intoccia explains, "In addition to our painting instruction,
there was also a strong emphasis on carving. Naples has a
very old tradition of coral craftsmanship and is famous for
its miniature coral carvings of religious and mythological
figures. I ended up working as a coral carver for fifteen
years in various wholesalers' workshops, as well as pursuing
my own free-lance work.
One of Intoccia's most accomplished works
in Ibiza is a large carving of a crucified Christ, commissioned
privately for a cemetery niche. This remarkable piece, which
can now be seen only in photographs, draws heavily on his
early training in religious motifs. I was lucky enough to
see the crucifixion before it was placed in the niche, and
can attest to its power. The hanging figure of Christ is so
filled with pathos - head drooping, limbs limp, ribs protruding,
- that it could safely be compared to Donatello's or, perhaps
even Brunelleschi's, rendering of the same theme. Like his
Renaissance counterparts, Intoccia has achieved an amazing
humanity and anatomical accuracy in his rendition.
Iconoclast
Intoccia admits that his early formation
in the classical canons has deeply influenced his aesthetic
values - to such an extent that he is mostly unmoved by 20th
century art. When asked his opinion on Frank O'Gehry Guggenheim
in Bilbao (universally hailed as an opus of contemporary architecture),
he shrugs, "It doesn't really speak to me. I respect
the enormous amount of work that went into it, but my vision
doesn't fix on the future. I wouldn't mind working with titanium
though . . . " At that, his mind wanders off into the
myriad possibilities, all of which undoubtedly lay buried
in centuries long gone.
In effect, the signature quality of Intoccia's
work can best be described as his penchant for anything that
belongs to the past. The prehistoric bird that hovers over
the entrance of Can Fly, for example, the stone totem that
land-marks the same venue, and the visages of nymphs that
only just emerge from its interior columns bear testimony
to his creative bond with time immemorial.
Intoccia has never entered the gallery circuit
of the here and now, either in Ibiza or in his native Naples.
"I have no interest in art showrooms. My work - any artist's
work - belongs in a living environment where it can bring
beauty to the everyday world, where it can be enjoyed as an
integral element of its surroundings." While somewhat
extreme, these views have stood their holder in good stead
during a long and prolific trajectory that is only just coming
into full fruition.
His dream is to be given a large, completely
formless space, the grounds of a house or a villa, say, and
to build it up from zero. "Because I worked for so many
years doing minute carvings, I now feel the need to go large,"
he explains. My first experience with exterior design was
at Kumharas, whose owner, Maymó, gave me complete freedom
to do whatever I wanted. That was when my work began to evolve
toward large, open spaces and exterior design. All of a sudden
I was having fun, like a kid with a new toy. Since then [1999],
my vision has become much more global."
Midas Touch
Intoccia's work is rumoured to have the
Midas touch. Virtually all of the establishments that have
contracted his services go on to enjoy immense commercial
success. Can Fly was one such venue. It had formerly been
a country restaurant on the Sant Joan Road, but had never
met with any degree of commercial success. Intoccia's son
and daughter-in-law decided to try their luck, undaunted by
the obscure location. They and a group of friends decorated
the place in a born-again hippie motif with fairly good results.
(Intoccia's son, Rino, is also an artist.) Somehow, though,
the decor didn't quite come together and the young couple
called in Intoccia fifteen days before the opening, asking
for a bit of paternal guidance. He began by blocking out the
space in the dining area more effectively, adding some arches
and capitals, and, to make a long story short, succeeded in
creating a rich, warm ambience in what was once a vast echoing
hall.
Another of Intoccia's 'emergency stints'
involved Coastline Café, one of last season's blockbuster
venues. "They called me early in the morning on the day
of the inauguration," he remembers, "asking if I
could quickly come to put the final touches on the pool area.
They'd ordered these huge slabs of stone to decorate the terrace
and whoever delivered them had just left them lying helter-skelter
with no artistic sensitivity whatsoever. I arranged them in
an aesthetic motif and began carving a figure of Tanit in
one of them. Obviously, I couldn't do the whole job in one
day, so the piece stayed as I left it all summer. Luckily,
it has that emergent quality that can pass a finished product.
A lot of people probably think the goddess was meant to look
like she was being born out of the stone - which isn't a bad
idea either!"
Intoccia's contribution to El Divino was
also a minor one, but again quite effective. Back in 1998
the club was angling for a more distinctive look. Being Italian,
Intoccia recommended marble walls for that palatial touch.
Eyebrows shot up at the thought of the expense, but far from
overtaxing the club's budget, the project turned out to be
entirely feasible: Intoccia painted the walls in a technique
known as 'finto' marble, a remarkable contrivance for transforming
plaster walls into elegant halls.
Teacher's Nightmare
Intoccia's art training was as exhaustive
as any young apprentice could hope for. The ten years he spent
at the Instituo Statale d'Arte were spent producing all manner
of brilliant art . . . but doing virtually no academic work
- ergo his decade-long 'tenure' at the school. The aseptic
world of maths and grammar left the young pupil thoroughly
uninspired, a circumstance that worked out better than might
be expected. A mutually satisfying symbiosis accrued, for,
as a dynamo of raw talent, Intoccia was invaluable to the
institute's artistic standing. His teachers were only too
willing to overlook his poor academic performance in exchange
for his consistent excellence in art - and the prestige this
conferred on the school. "It was almost comical,"
he admits. "I was hopeless at any subject other than
art, and my conduct was atrocious. I never studied; I never
even tried, because I didn't care. I remember my final drawing
exam. We had three hours to compose a still life from objects
they had placed in the patio. I spent the first two and a
half-hours clowning around and helping my classmates with
their compositions. Eventually, I put a few objects together
and sketched them in about 20 minutes. I got an 'A'! Finally,
though, they had to let me go. I was twenty-four and the situation
was getting a bit ridiculous. I'll always be very grateful
to them for their special treatment."
Closing
Intoccia's plans for the near future include
a full agenda of private building commissions, venue design
and décor, as well as an ample allotment of leisure
time. He loves fishing in his small boat, cooking, and (like
any good Napolitano) playing the guitar and singing serenatas.
At the moment, he is vacationing in India whence he is sure
to bring back a trove of fresh ideas. His patrons and admirers,
I among them, wait with pleasure to see how these new influences
will manifest in his art.
Thank you for your attention. Next week,
it's back to business as usual with our third and final instalment
on the Santa María bells. Please join us then.
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Ciro Intoccia
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Ciro at work on a Totem
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Medusa at Kumharas
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Mythical Figure
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Dragon
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Don Quixote at Restaurant
Es Barruguet (Cala Bassa)
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Madonna & Child
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Neptune with Mermaid
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Olive Sculpture
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Exterior of Dining Gazebo
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Interior of Dining Gazebo
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Mythological Goat
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Dragon Bench at Kumharas
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Trompe-l'oeil
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Trompe-l'oeil
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Construction in progress
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Detail of Capital
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All
Pictures Courtesy of Ciro Intoccia
If you should require any further information
whatsoever on the work of Ciro Intoccia then please don't
hesitate to contact this office at your own convenience.
Emily Kaufman
emilykaufman@liveibiza.com
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