Page 15 - David Bermant Foundation

Getulio AlviAni“This is the very first piece of art I ever bought anywhere. I purchased it in April 1965 from l’Obelisco Galleria in Rome. My two oldest children and my then wife and I were on a tour first of Israel, then of Rome, since the two civilizations were fairly similar in being antique, vibrantly current as well as religious. We walked into this gallery and the children spotted this piece on the wallinthemiddleoftheshow...andifIknewthen what I know now, I’d have bought the whole show, but I didn’t. And they said, ‘Daddy, let’s get that piece thatGETULIo ALVIANISuperficie A Testura Vibratile opera Programmata 4019 196538"H x 38”W x 1”Dlooks like it weaves in and out.’ Although it doesn’t, it’s an optical illusion. And when I found out the price, a thousand dollars, I said, ‘Who pays $1000 for something like this?’ Well, I guess I did. Because they convinced me we should have something as a memento of the trip. When I got back to New York I happened to go to the Museum of Modern Art and found that it had also purchased a piece by this same artist, and I thought my piece was far better. That shocked me a little.” —DWB14PRIVATE COllECTION