My entire knowledge of gypsies comes from old black & white, Hollywood werewolf movies. In those movies gypsies dress flamboyantly, are superstitious and quick to re-act to insult, and are wanderers who travel around in beautiful covered wagons. Well, I was partly wrong. An increasing number of them aren't wanderers anymore.
Thanks to the enlightened tolerance of Romania and Moldova, the gypsies in those places often have permanent houses. Some of the gypsies are even rich and can afford custom-made villas and mansions. A book called "Gypsy Architecture" documents these upscale neighborhoods where each house is built gypsy-style, with turrets, tiles, and layered rooftops (above). The style mixes Indian, Turkish, and even Chinese.
I'm really happy for the gypsies. Finally a place of their own! I read that very often the rich owners won't live in them. The rooms are all furnished, and the appliances work, but the purpose of the house is impress people, and living in them would just get them dirty. Better to keep them pristine, as showpieces. The whole family sleeps outside.
And imposing fireplace (above) combined with a strangely vacant room.
A high ceiling (above) combined with an unconventional color scheme.
Definitely different (above) than what I'm used to seeing here! I wish I could go to Romania and see these rooms for myself!
19 comments:
I'm surprised that Gypsies see their nice houses as museums!! They're not completely accustomed yet to live in houses.
We were in Romania for a week in October performing with our Flexitoon Puppet Theatre. The architecture was amazing. It felt like the city was waking up - - there was scaffolding and construction everywhere. Many of the ancient churches were open as well. We also got to visit a soviet-block housing project. Everybody replaced their
"apartment" doors with bright, colorful that seem to say "you may have had us under your thumb once, but now this is ours."
Sounds like they're going through something like the Gilded Era. I can't even imagine their Biltmore Estate equivalent!
Eddie, have you heard of Pamphlet Architecture? I just discovered it on Amazon. Apparently it's a long series of small books full of architectural ideas.
Link
I ordered the 1-10 collection, I'll post it if it's any good.
At the website of the world press photo contest there is a series of portraits depicting Romanian Gypsies photographed in their homes. Some very striking and colorfull interiors. I wonder where you can buy kitchens like they have, they do loook very intresting indeed.
http://www.worldpressphoto.org/index.php?option=com_photogallery&task=view&id=1456&Itemid=223&type=&selectedIndex=4&bandwidth=high
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBbzcj1t2WY&feature=related
on the subject of gypsy... have a peep at a bit of this edward. Emir Kustarica makes you dance inside and out
Darby: What a co-incidence! I was just looking at one of those books in a store yesterday! I'll go back and take a closer look! Thanks for the tip!
Anon: The site makes you sign up in order to use it. Should I do it?
Craig: Wow! It sounds like there's a lot of locked-up energy there. Maybe Romania's going to be one of the European powerhouses in the future.
BTW, what's a Flexitoon?
Mick: Thanks for the link! That was hilarious! I love the way the bridal couple sat stoically while the party went on full blast all around them!
You need to sign up? That's wierd, i can watch them for free and with no hassle. Anyway, you can also check them out here:
http://www.carlogianferro.com/romainteriors/original/carlo_gianferro_01.php
The photo's are bigger and you can save them to your harddrive, unlike on the original link. Just noticed it's by the same guy that did the Gypsy-architecture book, so you know it's good.
I think I told you once about my Romanian heritage, Eddie. Thanks for this post, I can't wasit to show my mom! She is a real Gypsy type . . . a psychic, astrologer, tantra therapist former nomad!
One of my favorite authors, the Canadian Robertson Davies, wrote a trilogy of novels which feature a beautiful scholar named Maria who is ashamed of her gypsy roots. After Maria's father dies, her mother, Madame Laurutou becomes less of a rich man's wife and more of an Old World gypsy tarot reader and guardian of old secrets.
When I get the book back from my sister I will transcribe a bit for you!
Anon; Many thganks for the links to gypsy interiors! I added some to the article!
Kelly: Your family is Romanian!? Maybe you can tell me if that country is named after the gypsies (the Roma).
EDDIE SAID: Wow! It sounds like there's a lot of locked-up energy there. Maybe Romania's going to be one of the European powerhouses in the future. BTW, what's a Flexitoon?
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We were in a place in Romania called IASI (pronounced YOSH) and they're really into the arts. They know they won't be able to compete on the world stage in industry, but they figure there's a chance to become the cultural capital of Romania by importing and exporting ART. At the festival where we performed were arts groups from all over: Spain, France, Greece, Switzerland, as well as from Bucarest. We represented America.
FLEXITOON means Flexible Cartoon Puppets. I think of puppets as cartooning in three dimensions and in real time. If I wasn't a puppeteer I'd definately be an animator (my dad was a cartoonist in Vaudeville.) We've done tons of television like Nickelodeon's first series PINWHEEL, and the PBS series Shining TIme Station with George Carlin & Ringo Starr (we were the band that lived in the Juke Box,) and our Talking Stain commercial for Tide was just voted the #3 Super Bowl commercial of all time. If you want to see any scenes from these shows or our films and commercials they're at www.flexitoon.com.
THe picture at the bottom is my favorite by far.
CraiG: Holy Mackerel! I just saw the country music video you did with flexitoon puppets and it was terrific! I have to run, but when I get back and am on the computer again, I'll watch some more. I didn't know puppets could work like that! Nice work!
These modern day gypsies seem to be doing rather well for themselves in these harsh economic times. Who knew that crystal ball gazing and the selling of wolfbane could be so lucrative?
I am rather apprehensive over what you're planning to post next though, Eddie. Please tell us that you have no plans to post nekkid pics of Maria Ouspenskaya!
Thanks, Eddie.
pete: Naked pictures of Maria Ouspenskaya!? I'd put them up in a heartbeat!
The Cadmus painting you chose is one of the artist's earlier (though very celbrated) works; it's his later stuff that more resembles that of Red Grooms. Cadmus used satire throughout his career, though he wasn't a cartoonist, per se.
Unfortunately most of the money to pay for these kitsch mansions is made by organized begging, stealing, prostitution and human trafficking, including very young children who have their childhoods ripped away from them at an early age.
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