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WELCOME
to the
VIVA
Art Collection
Robert Venosa
Painter
January 21, 1936 - August 9th, 2011
Phone: +1 (720) 897 7740
About Robert Venosa and the VIVA Art Collection
We are proud to be the guardians of the private collection by Fantastic Realist/Visionary painter, Robert Venosa.
His work is among the greatest artistic expressions that evolved alongside the 'consciousness revolution'. This movement began shifting the political, social, spiritual, and artistic landscape in the early ‘60s, in the USA and worldwide. A true child of his time, Robert portrayed his journey through these vast changes in his paintings that were created between the early 1970s and 2011, the time of his departure.
He was one of the early psychedelic pioneers who braved the exploration of the, at the time, largely uncharted territory of conscious mind expansion and was very familiar with the 'mystical experience'. Beyond this, his early work, dating from the '70s, was also greatly inspired by naturally occurring, visions during meditative states. He speaks about this initial vision in the Biography film "In His Own Words” as well as in his online workshop “Painting the Fantastic’: “Some years ago I had a vision. It happened in a nano-second: a brilliant, jewel-encrusted, overwhelmingly beautiful, angelic looking being flashed in my mind’s eye, shocking and compelling me to attempt a rendering of this astonishing vision. Certainly, it was way beyond my abilities then as well as now, and I’ve been chasing that vision ever since.”
Much of his art was sold along the way to collectors worldwide but a private collection of the paintings he was particularly attached to remains in the VIVA Art Collection today. This collection counts ca. 70 original Venosa paintings as well as original book illustrations, designs, architectural drawings, sketches, original film and logo designs, digital art, and sculpture.
The Early Vision
Passionate about the pursuit of light throughout their 30 years together, Robert Venosa and his partner, German painter Martina Hoffmann, sought a way to share their vision through the creation of - VIVA - Venosa Initiative for Visionary Art. The centerpiece of VIVA would be a permanent museum/gallery showcasing their sacred arts. This concept remained a dream for Robert until his transition in 2011.
Sadly, this never came to fruition during his lifetime due to an unexpected illness that took Robert before he manifested. However, today VIVA is still very much alive in the heart and mind of Martina Hoffmann, and she has been joined by her new partner in life and art, French artist Pascal Ferry. The two share a similar vision of creating an art space that elevates the human spirit. Together, they now continue towards making the VIVA dream a reality and have expanded it to unite the art of the three artists, Robert Venosa, Martina Hoffmann, and Pascal Ferry.
Venosa Studio Tour
This video takes you on a tour of the private Robert Venosa Art Collection.
What We Envision Now
Spring 2024 and forward
Summer 2023 and forward
Fall 2023 and forward
- A retrospective traveling Museum exhibition, featuring the art of Robert Venosa or all three VIVA Collection artists, that will tour the United States, Europe, and beyond.
- Retrospective physical gallery exhibitions.
- The creation of a virtual gallery that will allow a wide audience to have an immersive experience with Robert Venosa's art and to walk within his magical world from the comfort of their homes.
- As the crowning goal we'd like to create a private museum space, possibly in Europe, that will make Robert Venosa's art continuously available to the public on an all-year-around basis.
