20 Yrs of Tarot: The LoS Story

rwcarter

felicityk said:
I've had a chance to look at the book, and I share in the disappointment that LS didn't go forward with Andrea Serio's Marseilles deck. I was also disappointed to see that the preliminary art for the Universal Waite Tarot (p. 32), by Luigi Di Giammarino, was much more attractive (IMHO) than the final version by Stefano Palumbro. There are several examples in the book of decks that were originally conceptualized by a different artist than was finally settled on, but in this case I think LS made a bad call.

Felicity
Click to expand...
Felicity, I'm slightly confused. The art on page 32 by Giammarino was for "Oswald Wirth's tarot that was never completed" not for the Universal Waite, which is a US Games deck. I believe you mean Wirth's Universal Tarot. I can't tell from the text accompanying the pictures of both artist's work whether or not they were for the same project, but I do like Giammarino's art better than Palumbo's.

Rodney
 

felicityk

Rodney, you're right, I meant to type "Universal Wirth". Oops!

It's interesting also that the existing Hermetic Tarot, a Majors-only deck based on Wirth's designs (and shown on p. 31), wasn't simply expanded to 78 cards, as LS has done before. But of the three Wirth interpretations, I still like Giammarino's best.

Felicity
 

RiccardoLS

Hi,
I finally managed to get here.
I'll try to address to main topic of the whole book: the Marseille by Andrea Serio ^_^

I may say that it will be unlickely that the deck will be ever completed.
I'll try to give reasons for that, BUT - as I know that you will disagree - my suggestion is: write to LS: info@loscarabeo.com
While I can express the feelings and comments I find here, a few mails or a lot of mails may be more effective.

The Marseille
The main market of Marseille buyers is quite different from the scholars I find here on Aeclectic. The Marseille sells very well in Mediterrean Europe, but it is mostly appreciated by a very conservative public. Rather then exploring the Marseille, most of people simply don't know that there other Tarot decks or what to do with them (I'm being simplicistic of course).
A product like the eventual Serio Marseille would not be received well by the market. It would require a refinement of taste You have but it would not reflect on enough sales.
here You may feel the voice of Marseille purist. But even the most "purist" would be drawn (even if in a negative way) to the deck. Even expressing his dislike for the project, he would aknowledge its existance.
The main market would not even notice it, among the many and many Marseille decks around.

Andrea Serio
I am an absolute fan of Andrea's art, as Piero Alligo is.
We have found however that Andrea's art does not help sales. On the contrary. It adds a layer of complexity, a sublety of emotional responses, that seems to intimidate the casual buyer. The market show preference for nice and easy - plug and play - takes.
It is our hope that we may find a way to work again with Andrea for a Tarot deck. But we would never ask him again to work on a deck that we would know condemned to low sales (like the Liber T). If we can work his art into a mainstream project... something that would - at least conceptually - appeal to the wider market, we would do him (and us and the Tarot community) a better service. We are currently looking for the "popular" deck to set him on. It will have to be special, and yet simple.

Working Marseille with Andrea's art would be making an ultra-elitist deck.
Right now... it is better to work on different possibilities. Then: maybe.
 

gregory

Ric - could LS not go back to the Dell'Arte deck series and bring it out as a limited edition ? LOTS here would buy....
 

spoonbender

gregory said:
Ric - could LS not go back to the Dell'Arte deck series and bring it out as a limited edition ? LOTS here would buy....
Click to expand...
That's exactly what I suggested to Ric!

I'll write to Lo Scarabeo as well - doubt that it'll make a lot of difference though.

It's a pity quantity is more important than quality. :(

Spoon
 

Bonnie

RiccardoLS said:
Hi,
I finally managed to get here.
I'll try to address to main topic of the whole book: the Marseille by Andrea Serio ^_^

I may say that it will be unlickely that the deck will be ever completed.
I'll try to give reasons for that, BUT - as I know that you will disagree - my suggestion is: write to LS: info@loscarabeo.com
While I can express the feelings and comments I find here, a few mails or a lot of mails may be more effective.

The Marseille
The main market of Marseille buyers is quite different from the scholars I find here on Aeclectic. The Marseille sells very well in Mediterrean Europe, but it is mostly appreciated by a very conservative public. Rather then exploring the Marseille, most of people simply don't know that there other Tarot decks or what to do with them (I'm being simplicistic of course).
A product like the eventual Serio Marseille would not be received well by the market. It would require a refinement of taste You have but it would not reflect on enough sales.
here You may feel the voice of Marseille purist. But even the most "purist" would be drawn (even if in a negative way) to the deck. Even expressing his dislike for the project, he would aknowledge its existance.
The main market would not even notice it, among the many and many Marseille decks around.

Andrea Serio
I am an absolute fan of Andrea's art, as Piero Alligo is.
We have found however that Andrea's art does not help sales. On the contrary. It adds a layer of complexity, a sublety of emotional responses, that seems to intimidate the casual buyer. The market show preference for nice and easy - plug and play - takes.
It is our hope that we may find a way to work again with Andrea for a Tarot deck. But we would never ask him again to work on a deck that we would know condemned to low sales (like the Liber T). If we can work his art into a mainstream project... something that would - at least conceptually - appeal to the wider market, we would do him (and us and the Tarot community) a better service. We are currently looking for the "popular" deck to set him on. It will have to be special, and yet simple.

Working Marseille with Andrea's art would be making an ultra-elitist deck.
Right now... it is better to work on different possibilities. Then: maybe.
Click to expand...

Riccardo:

How nice to see you here! I understand that Serio's are really would appeal to an elitist market, but that doesn't stop me from wishing that it could be done. ;-)

I have been through "Twenty Years of Tarot" several times, and find more and more each time I go through it. I should have a review done today or tomorrow, but I find the review making it's way to be as long as the book is! ;-)

The "story" that is Lo Scarabeo is more than interesting ... it is indeed a tale of its time. The text ... well, this is as much a genuine reference book as it is Lo Scarabeo's story. The scans and sketches that are included are beyond belief ... this is a magnificant presentation!

Blessings,
Bonnie
 

rwcarter

I just sent the email below to the email address Riccardo provided. We'll see if it gets us anywhere.

Rodney's email to Lo Scarabeo said:
Hello,

I bought 20 Years of Tarot: the Lo Scarabeo Story. Wonderful book. It was interesting putting faces to names and seeing behind the scenes of the deck creation process. Unfortunately, you opened a whole can of worms by showing decks that never got published. I WANT THAT ANDREA SERIO TdM DECK!!!!! I understand the reasons that it wasn't published. I also understand that it wouldn't be a big seller, especially in Europe where the TdM is more popular than it is here in the States and where they wouldn't be happy with that particular modernization of the TdM. As someone who owns one copy of the Dante and four copies of the Liber T, I love Mr. Serio's work. I'm not overly fond of the TdM, but I absolutely love his take on the TdM and would buy multiple copies of it.

Hopefully yours,
Rodney Carter
Click to expand...

Rodney
 

Cerulean

Giorgio Trevisan works in Tarot Magic

Lo Scarabeo's Tarot Magic and decks...

Just been browsing through the Tarot Magic book of past Lo Scarabeo decks and there are unpublished and forthcoming concepts (no dates)...as well as some of the 2007 titles not yet released in the U.S...

My favorite unpublished images were from the "Tarot of the Man-Child" on pages 86 and 87. Ten beautiful snapshots of paintings from Giorgio Trevisan. He is known for the Tarots of the Renaissance illustrations...the images also remind me of the 22 major Tarot Romantici limited edition, which has my favorite fool of many decks.

I even sent an e-mail to Lo Scarabeo...hoping perhaps they might at some point find their missing element to make the unpublished Giorgio Trevisan paintings into an oracle... or perhaps combine the ten paintings in the book (Tarot of the Man-Child) with the 22 majors of the long ago Romantici...maybe make a poetic oracle of pictures to inspire us to look back into innocence even with the veiled shadows of daily life seemed to fall so dark...

I got the book via TarotGarden.com...I was very pleased.

Hope to see much more discussion on this book!

Cerulean
 

Alta

I have been slowly and with appreciation working my way through this book. It is enjoyable to see preliminary sketches, get an idea of the main philosophy and interesting to see the decks that didn't make the cut. The whole book is a joy.
 

jmd

I understand what Riccardo is saying about Serio's Marseille.

Though I find it rather wonderfully intriguing, and I personally believe the North American and other English speaking market is entering readiness for a Marseille-based artistic deck, there does remain two major hurdles:

On the English-speaking side, there are still dominant 'Waite-Smith' purists who more or less control the market: sure you can deviate somewhat from the art, but the structure has to follow its rules for it to be somehow considered financially viable;

On the French-speaking (especially) side, if you're going to get a tarot deck and not just a pretty little fancy thing, the canon of line (emulating woodblock) has to be followed for the market to make it worthwhile.

So here is a deck that breaches both these rules.

One I personally would like like to see printed (preferably WITHOUT those damn multiple titles - surely the art speaks sufficiently clearly here to be able to do without ANY titling for a limited issue?)

Serio's artwork appears to capture well some of the essential qualities of the TdM-II (or so it seems to be principally based on the Grimaud), and I personally think that it WOULD be financially viable.

I would suggest, Riccardo, also contacting Jeannette or Dan at tarotgarden.com for their opinion on marketability in the US - after all, they are the ones through whom many 'different' decks are likely to see initial movement.

And heck, by the artwork thus far, this is a deck I for which I would happily dedicate a double issue in a future Newsletter! (it's not often I'm going to say something like that either).

For me, this deck would be a perfect 'LS' deck: it is grounded in LS's location and artistic tradition, and yet forges ahead. But again, please, forget the multilingual titles altogether (and numbering too for that matter - its buyers are more likely to already have some basis in tarot), it's the ART that deserves its maximal presentation.
 
Anyone reading Tarot Shadow Work (Using the Dark Symbols to heal) by Christine Jette Question about The Authentic Tarot- book by T Saunders