Wikipedia

Gemma Taccogna

Gemma Fane Taccogna (1923–2007) was an Italian-born American and Mexican visual artist and educator. She was known for her work in papier-mâché and ceramics, and as well as in painting.[1][2] Her artwork became collector's items starting in the 1960s.[3] She lived in Mexico City, Palos Verdes Estates, California, and Torrance, California for many years. Taccogna also went by the names Gemma Walker,[4] Gemma Del Rio,[5] and Gemma Sexton.[6]

Gemma Fane Taccogna
BornMay 9, 1923
Bari, Apulia, Italy
DiedMay 8, 2007(2007-05-08) (aged 83)
Torrance, California, United States
Other namesGemma Taccogna Walker, Gemma Walker, Gemma Del Rio, Gemma Taccogna Sexton, Gemma Taccogna de Sexton, Gemma Sexton
EducationCooper Union, Art Students League of New York
Occupation(s)Visual artist, educator
Known forPapier-mâché, ceramics, painting
Spouse(s)Claude Walker (m. 1945–?; divorce), Juan Del Rio Huidobro (m. 1952–?; divorced),
Fred Sexton (m. 1960s–1969; divorced)
Children3

Early life and education

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Gemma Taccogna was born on May 9, 1923, in Bari, Apulia, Italy. She was the daughter of Giuseppe Taccogna and María Putingnano. She was around one year old when she moved with her family to Mount Vernon, New York.[7] She graduated from Evander Childs High School in the Bronx.[8]

Taccogna attended Cooper Union, and the Art Students League of New York.[9] She studied under Marc Chagall, Eric Fromm, and William Zorach.[9][10]

Career

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Mount Vernon, New York

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In 1945, she married her high school classmate, Claude Walker, who had been enrolled the United States Army during World War II.[8]

Taccogna worked as the director of the Mount Vernon Art Center in Mount Vernon, New York.[11] She was active in showing her work at the Mount Vernon Art Association, from the late 1940s until the early 1950s. In 1949, her painting "Springtime Still Life" won first place at the Mount Vernon Art Association.[4]

Mexico, 1954–1966

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In 1952, she married the Mexican medical doctor Juan Del Rio–Huidobro with whom she had three children. The family moved to Mexico in 1954.

When Taccogna arrived in Mexico in 1954, she already was a well-known artist in New York City. In the San Ángel neighborhood of Mexico City, she set up a studio to make papier-mache artworks. Her work was covered in Verna Cook´s book Mexican Interiors, with photographs by Bob Schalkwijk.[12] The studio, named Artes Gemma, had up to 60 employees. Peggy Guggenheim bought Gemma's art and exhibited it in her museum in Venice. Gemma's success gave the papier-mâché industry in Mexico a boost.

California and late life

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In the mid 1960s, Taccogna married the American artist Fred Sexton (1907–1991), after his divorce from artist Gwain Noot Sexton. The family moved to Palos Verdes, California in 1966.[6][13] Taccogna separated from Sexton in 1968 because of allegations of pedophilia and sexual abuse.[14] When Taccogna confronted Sexton, he fled to Mexico. Sexton, who had been involved in an earlier abuse case of his friend George Hodel, seized the couple's Mexican estate and left Taccogna in financial trouble.[14][15] The couple divorced in 1969 in Los Angeles, California.[16]

For the next decade she lived in various places in the United States, including Las Vegas, Long Beach, and Del Mar.[17] Taccogna moved to a condo in Torrance, California in 1994,[17] and she continued teaching art classes until her death.

Death and legacy

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Taccogna died on May 8, 2007, at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance, California.[10] She was survived by her children and extended family,[10] her daughter Gemma Del Rio and son Zen Del Rio are visual artists.[18]

Collectors of Taccogna's work included Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Mary Tyler Moore, Burt Lancaster, and Anna Sui.[9][19]

Exhibitions

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Taccogna's works participated in temporary exhibitions in the following museums and art galleries:

Books

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  • Taccogna, Gemma; Meilach, Mel (1978). Tile Decorating with Gemma. Crown Publishers. ISBN 0-517-52950-5. OCLC 3893075.

References

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  1. ^ "Ceramic artist Gemma Taccogna: Clay is Her Canvas". News-Pilot. 1977-09-20. p. 8. Retrieved 2025-01-02 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Looking to PV for Retirement, Italian-born artist finds new career instead". The Los Angeles Times. November 19, 1982. pgs. 190, 193, 195. – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Gemma Taccogna". Papier Mache UK. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  4. ^ a b "Gemma Walker Wins Popular Painting Award". Mount Vernon Argus. 1949-05-23. p. 15. Retrieved 2025-01-02 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Popular Award In Art Again Won By Miss Higgins". Mount Vernon Argus. 1952-06-03. p. 3. Retrieved 2025-01-02 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b Chipman, Victoria (April 16, 1968). "Paper Wraps Up Success". The Daily Breeze. p. 8. Retrieved 2025-01-02 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Obituary for Mary Taccogna". The Herald Statesman. 1967-06-08. p. 2. Retrieved 2025-01-02 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b Walker, Claude (July 18, 1945). "Gemma Taccogna Betrothed To Army Discharge". Mount Vernon Argus. p. 7. Retrieved 2025-01-02 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b c Stark, Kathy (June 15, 1969). "Being Uncensored Is Contagious". The Daily Breeze. p. 33. Retrieved 2025-01-02 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ a b c d "Longtime Hill resident was artistic force". The Daily Breeze. May 14, 2007. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
  11. ^ "Art Preview Held at Library; Mrs. Lipson, Staloff Winners". Mount Vernon Argus. 1949-05-10. p. 2. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
  12. ^ Shipway, Verna Cook; Shipway, Warren (1962). Mexican interiors. New York City, NY: Architectural Book Pub. Co – via Internet Archive.
  13. ^ "Fiesta to Aid 78 Orphans". The Daily Breeze. May 5, 1967. p. 13. Retrieved 2025-01-02 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ a b Hodel, Steve (2019-09-29). "Gemma Taccogna: A Fred Sexton Survivor and Artist Extraordinaire". Steve Hodel. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  15. ^ "Dr. Hodel in defense against his daughter's incest charge". Daily News. December 21, 1949. p. 14. Retrieved 2025-01-02 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Gemma Taccogna and Fred Sexton, Vital, California, Divorce Index, 1966–1984". FamilySearch.org. Los Angeles City, California, Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento. March 1969.
  17. ^ a b "Change of Art". The Daily Breeze. 1994-01-16. p. 15. Retrieved 2025-01-02 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Wyszpolski, Bondo (2020-07-16). "Of palettes and paddleboards". Easy Reader News. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
  19. ^ "My week in pictures: Anna Sui". The Guardian. October 23, 2010. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
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