A Finished Fable—Carmen D'Avino
Aside from vague memories of watching some animated shorts on The Electric Company after school, I don't really know the whole story about New York painter/animator Carmen D'Avino, the guy who made them. He was a combat photographer in Europe during WW II; studied painting in Paris after the war; and spent time in India before permanently settling in New York. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his short film Pianissimo in 1963. His Finnish wife wrote a memoir that tells the whole story, except that it's in Finnish. There are a bunch of his films posted as part of a particularly timely segment North County Public Radio did pretty soon before he died. There's also a nice tribute page with photos of Carmen and his wife Helen and their upstate digs here. The majority of D'Avino's films are extraordinary stop-motion "evolving painting" sort of deals, but when he pushes his visions into the actual world—like in A Finnish Fable or Piannissimo—our recognized world cleverly becomes his canvas, rather than the other way around. If you dug the stuff Henry Jacobs was doing out West at about the same time, then you'll get into this too.
Comments
I new carmen D'Avino & miss him terribly. He was a great man, great artist & an inspiration. I was hoping to document his life in Hammond NY, however, he died befor the project got underway. I took a couple of shots of him in the hospital in Ogdensburg, NY while visiting him there. It was with a small digital point & shoot. The battery went dead unexpectedly. Anyway, I made arrangements to meet him at his home after the holidays. (He thought he would be out of hospital & back home by Thanksgiving. What a great guy, great man. I still plan to do asomething about him.
Gary Walts
Posted by: Gary Walts | August 27, 2007 09:06 PM
Howdy folks - I am currently working on the restoration of Carmen's films at the Academy Film Archive, and if anyone out there has leads on finding prints of Carmen's films, please contact me, as it could helpful immensely in the preservation work! Thanks!
Posted by: Mark Toscano | November 2, 2007 03:08 AM
I knew Carmine thru Norman Rubington/Akbar del Piombo.
Posted by: Ann May Greene Friend of Carmen's | November 3, 2007 08:26 PM
Carmen D'Avino was not only a great artist, he was also a Father and Grandfather.
My husband Anthony Carmen D'Avino is his only child. Even though His parents were divorced at a very young age, Anthony always admired and loved his father. We lived and raised 7 children in Olando Fl so until the around 1983, while we were in Upstate NY, until 1985, we did not get to spend as much time as we would have liked to. In 1995 and on, we visited Dad at his farm every chance we got. My son Vincent Carmen D'Avino also worked with Dad on his sculptures. He taught Vincent so much. He has a beautiful chapel dedicated to him and his wife Helena. If you get a chance, you should visit it. There are alot of his sculptures thoughout the property, it is absolutely beautiful, especially in the Fall. We love and miss you Carmen.
Carmen is survived by his son ; Anthony Carmen D'Avino
His daughter-in-law Lynn-Marie D'Avino, his Grandchildren, Vincent Carmen D'Avino, Chantel Marie D'Avino, Brooke-Nicole Lewis, Annette Smalling, Michael D'Avino,
Anthony Christopher D'Avino,and Johnnie Allen D'Avino. He also has 5 great granchildren and 7 Great great granchildren.
Posted by: Lynn Marie D'Avino | August 19, 2008 11:45 PM