Ted DeGrazia's paintings.

GeorgeW · **Joined:** Tue Jul 20, 2010 4:59 pm **Posts:** 59

Has anyone ever found the paintings DeGrazia hid in the Superstitions? I came across it in this 1981 article.

Quote:

A couple of years ago, DeGrazia went in to the Superstitions and buried 80 paintings in a tunnel. His lone witness was an Indian boy who helped him carry the paintings in to the mountains.

cubfan64 · **Joined:** Mon Aug 17, 2009 7:00 am **Posts:** 636

GeorgeW wrote:

Has anyone ever found the paintings DeGrazia hid in the Superstitions? I came across it in this 1981 article.

Quote:

A couple of years ago, DeGrazia went in to the Superstitions and buried 80 paintings in a tunnel. His lone witness was an Indian boy who helped him carry the paintings in to the mountains.

If they did, it's been a well kept secret. I believe Bob Ward has a copy of a "map" in his book Ripples of Lost Echos - whether it's a real map to the real location, who knows.

TradClimber · **Posted:** Wed Sep 29, 2010 7:12 pm

George posted:

Quote:

Has anyone ever found the paintings DeGrazia hid in the Superstitions? I came across it in this 1981 article.

Quote:
A couple of years ago, DeGrazia went in to the Superstitions and buried 80 paintings in a tunnel. His lone witness was an Indian boy who helped him carry the paintings in to the mountains.

Could you post a source for the quote?

TradClimber

Jim Hatt · **Posted:** Thu Sep 30, 2010 4:48 am

George,

I have heard the De Grazia story told two ways.

1 - That he buried a bunch of paintings to avoid paying some kind of taxes on them, that he thought fair.

2 - That he burned them (for the same reason).

I have a friend that knew De Grazia, who may be able to shed some light on the subject. This friend claims to have an actual video of Ted burning the paintings. I will get his version of the story and post it at a later date.

I don't think there are many people (if any) who believe Bob Ward's version of the story, or the map in his book, which is "suppose" to lead to the "buried" paintings.

Best,

Jim

cubfan64 · **Joined:** Mon Aug 17, 2009 7:00 am **Posts:** 636

http://degrazia.org/Biography.aspx

At the end there is this blurb about him burning his paintings...

Quote:

To protest inheritance taxes on works of art, DeGrazia hauled about 100 of his paintings on horseback into the Superstition Mountains near Phoenix and set them ablaze in 1976. This infamous event was reported in such publications as The Wall Street Journal and People magazine, becoming part of DeGrazia's legend before his death in 1982. By this time, the artist had established the DeGrazia Foundation to ensure the permanent preservation of his art and architecture for future generations.

I don't recall where I saw it right now, but I've seen photographs of his painting burning - I believe it was near Angel Springs.

I was always under the impression that the stories of him burying some paintings was a separate event, but I'm not sure if there are any other sources than Bob Ward's book. I'll see if I can find some more about it tonight.

cubfan64 · **Joined:** Mon Aug 17, 2009 7:00 am **Posts:** 636

From the June 7, 1976 issue of People Magagine:

Quote:

Hot Under the Collar About Taxes, Artist Ted De Grazia Sets Fire to a Fortune in Paintings:

When I was young and poor," says artist Ted DeGrazia with a wry face, "I couldn't give away my work." That is no longer true—DeGrazia's oils now sell for as much as $30,000. Nevertheless, the bearded 66-year-old painter, known for his portrayal of Southwest Indians, recently journeyed deep into the Superstition Mountains of Arizona to burn 100 of his canvases, worth $1.5 million, he figures. DeGrazia's purpose was to protest U.S. inheritance tax laws which he says are punitive. "I created these paintings and I can destroy them," says DeGrazia.

Though DeGrazia has donated some of his work to charity, he received only a minimal tax break. "An artist can deduct only the price of materials," he complains. "If a person who buys a painting donates it, he deducts the full value. When my government treats me like that, it means they don't care a damn for me as an artist."

The son of Italian immigrants, DeGrazia has spent his life in the Southwest. He claims to have fathered 24 children with seven wives (six of them Indians). His marriage to current wife Marion has lasted nearly 30 years.

For his artistic bonfire, DeGrazia took along some Yaqui and Apache friends and an aging Mexican flute player. Stacking his paintings tepee-style, he lighted a match. When a breeze snuffed out three consecutive matches, he groused, "Looks like the Apache devil wind doesn't want me to do this." Finally, with a cigar, he ignited three charcoal sketches and, with them, the pile. When the flames had consumed the last canvas, DeGrazia erected two small Indian crosses among the ashes and returned to Tucson. "I'm looking for a proper place to store and display my paintings," he says. "If I am worth a damn, there should be a museum for DeGrazia."

I have a little more information I'll try to dig up as far as dates go, but if you can access any of the Phoenix newspapers between say May 12, 1976 and June 1, 1976, you should be able to find plenty of articles about the burning event.

I can neither confirm nor deny any information that may exist about his having buried some paintings, but if you can get ahold of the May 2004 issue of Lost Treasure magazine, there is an article starting on page 54 that provides some information you might be interested in. You can purchzase the article for $2.95 and download it to your computer from the following link:

http://www.losttreasure.com/content/arc ... s-lost-art

or if you can find a copy, you can read it for free

coazon de oro · **Joined:** Fri Jan 15, 2010 4:12 pm **Posts:** 144

Hello Jim, Mr. DeGrazia's paintings sure give me hope as an artist, but what do I know about art? I may try to paint with a cactus juice eye, that may do the trick. His style seems to come from the Native American side of him, sure is something to behold. If he did hide some of his paintings in a tunnel, it makes me wonder if he left any clues to the location in some of his paintings? Homar

GeorgeW · **Joined:** Tue Jul 20, 2010 4:59 pm **Posts:** 59

TradClimber wrote:

Could you post a source for the quote?

TradClimber

The source was an article linked by the words "1981 article." in my first post. Here's the link again.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/2404720/198108-Desert-Magazine-1981-August

cubfan64 · **Joined:** Mon Aug 17, 2009 7:00 am **Posts:** 636

coazon de oro wrote:

Hello Jim, Mr. DeGrazia's paintings sure give me hope as an artist, but what do I know about art? I may try to paint with a cactus juice eye, that may do the trick. His style seems to come from the Native American side of him, sure is something to behold. If he did hide some of his paintings in a tunnel, it makes me wonder if he left any clues to the location in some of his paintings? Homar

That happens to be one of the theories I've heard as well.

Jim Hatt · **Posted:** Sun Oct 03, 2010 6:34 pm

One of our other members who lives in Tucson, and has spent a lot of time in the De Grazia Galleries, has been emailing me thoughts along the same lines.

I suspect he might be joining in this discussion (when he sees it) and sharing some thoughts on the idea.

Best,

Jim

Ted DeGrazia's paintings.

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