Jean "Yanko" Varda was a Turkish-born American artist, best known for his collage work.
15 Facts About Jean Varda
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Jean Varda was the subject of the short documentary, Uncle Yanco, made by his cousin, Agnes Varda.
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Jean Varda was born on 11 September 1893 in Smyrna, Ottoman Empire.
4.
At age 19, Jean Varda moved to Paris, where he met Picasso and Braque.
5.
Jean Varda lost all interest in the academic style of painting he had been pursuing until that time.
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Jean Varda moved to London during World War I, became a ballet dancer, and made friends with members of the avant garde in London.
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Jean Varda exhibited his work in London and Paris before leaving for New York in 1939, where his work was exhibited at the Neumann-Willard Gallery.
8.
In 1944, Miller wrote an admiring profile of Jean Varda called "Jean Varda the Master Builder," which was published by Circle Magazine, an avant-garde art and literary magazine produced in Berkeley by George Leite.
9.
In 1946 Jean Varda taught at a Summer Institute at Black Mountain College, an experimental school in rural North Carolina.
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Jean Varda turned the Vallejo ferryboat into a kind of salon and he was an excellent cook and would regale guests with stories at dinners.
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Jean Varda died in 1971, after suffering a heart attack upon arriving by plane in Mexico City, where he had gone to visit Alice Rahon.
12.
Jean Varda was the subject of a book, The Art and Life of Jean Varda.
13.
Jean Varda is included in the Burt Glinn photography book, The Beat Scene.
14.
Jean Varda was the daughter of Jean L Varda, who was a brother of Varda's father, Michel.
15.
Jean Varda had a daughter, Vagadu Varda and is survived by one granddaughter.