Masters of Antique Trades

Sometimes, surprises are just around the corner. All of a sudden you become aware that you just encountered something very special, unique, enriching and beautiful. This is how I felt when I learned about the fascinating art of Guadameci (leather art). Now our friend, Jorge Centofanti has his atelier in the beautiful Lauragais country setting in the Midi (France), which is where I saw his panels for the first time.

This ancient art of leather working has become almost extinct as the process is very involved and takes many years to master. A wooden mould must be designed and sculpted, the finest leather treated, draped, mounted and embossed over the mould, and the ensuing decor with the thinnest of golden leaves truly takes the artist to his peak of knowledge and skill. A showing of his recent work, the Illumination Series, is at 31250 Revel (France, not quite an hour from Carcassonne) in the Musée du Bois until the end of August 2012. Another exposition of his Guadameci art will be available for viewing in Paris in the spring of 2013.

The above panel carries the title: Graphene Dunes. A lovely lace grid work, also an inspiration for those who esteem Estonian Lace and appreciate the beautiful drawn structured lines. A gossamer Orenburg lace shawl conveys the same airy lightness and beauty, a hue of a substance, almost beyond haptic reach and for visual pleasure alone. And while the Orenburg lace patterns originated in the wide steppes of the southern Ural mountain range, Guadameci has a Spanish / Moorish background, as you can read on this page on Jorge Centofanti's site.