Content deleted Content added
Minor changes made to "Miscellaneous" Section vis-a-vis the gay rights movement |
m link habitat destruction |
||
| (66 intermediate revisions by 46 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{Short description|Italian artist and author}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{original research|date=August 2011}}
{{BLP sources|date=September 2011}}
}}
''Count '''Ul de Rico''','' AKA Ulderico Conte Gropplero di Troppenburg (1944-2023<ref>{{cite web |title=Obituary Notice (German newspaper website) |url=https://trauer.sueddeutsche.de/traueranzeige/gropplero-di-troppenburg |date=2023-08-16}}</ref>), was an Italian-born artist and author of illustrated children's books,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tw/12-19-96/review4.htm|title=Review: Color Scheming|date=December 19, 1996|work=Tucson Weekly|accessdate=24 September 2011}}</ref> most notably ''The Rainbow Goblins'' (1978)<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/evangeline-lilly/the-most-delightful-horro_b_6172688.html "The Best Horror Stories For Children"] ''Huffington Post''. Retrieved 2016-09-30.</ref> and its sequel ''The White Goblin.'' (1996) He was also a major artistic contributor to the children's fantasy film ''[[Die Unendliche Geschichte (film)|The NeverEnding Story]]'' (1984), based on the [[Neverending Story|book]] of the same name by [[Michael Ende]].<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0211128/ IMDB entry]</ref><ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/18/neverending-story_n_5589126.html "The Hand-Made Magic Of ‘The NeverEnding Story’"] ''Huffington Post''. Retrieved 2016-09-30.</ref>
==Career==
Ul de Rico was born in
▲Ul de Rico was born in [[1944]] in [[Udine]], [[Italy]]. He lived in [[Munich]] for many years, studying at the [[Munich Academy]]. He studied painting under Professor [[Franz Nagel]] and, under the tutelage of Professor [[Rudolf Heinrich]], received his diploma in [[stage design |stage]] and [[costume design]]. He now lives in [[France]].
''The Rainbow Goblins'' was published in
In 1980, Ul de Rico wrote and illustrated ''The Ring of the Nibelung: Wagner's epic drama'', an interpretation of the extraordinary 15-hour [[Der Ring des Nibelungen|epic Opera series]] composed by [[Richard Wagner]] over the course of 26 years. de Rico's story was a simplified, truncated version of the full [[play cycle]], which took several creative liberties, the most noticeable of which was the use of the three [[Norns]] as narrators throughout the story, rather than merely for ''[[Götterdämmerung]],'' as in the original. The oil-on-oak color paintings were all designed similarly: the painting was ringed by the three Norns and their golden rope, and the top half of the painting showed a different scene from the bottom. The top image and bottom image were connected thematically, but not sequentially within the story.
▲''The Rainbow Goblins'' was published in 1978 in Germany, and was translated into English in the same year by [[Stanley Baron]]. It is a story of 7 evil goblins, each a different color of the rainbow, who travel through the land catching rainbows and stealing their color. The work was praised for its enchanting oil-on-oak illustrations, which vividly draw the reader into the world of the goblins; and its simple story, which teaches children about color as well as reverence for natural beauty.
In 1980, Ul de Rico also was the artist responsible for the skies and clouds in the film ''[[Flash_Gordon_(film)|Flash Gordon]]''.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0211128/ IMDB entry]</ref>
In 1982, Ul de Rico illustrated [[Richard Adams]]' short novel '''''[[The Legend of Te Tuna]]''''', a story based on characters from [[Polynesian mythology]]. His paintings complemented Adams' poetic verse quite effectively.▼
▲In 1982, Ul de Rico illustrated
His work on the ''NeverEnding Story'' (1984) was similarly vivid and fantastic; the production team based many of their storyboards and animations on his creations from the novel. There were additional characters he created that were not produced.▼
▲His work on the ''NeverEnding Story'' (1984) was similarly vivid and fantastic; the production team based many of their storyboards and animations on his creations from the novel.
In 1996, Ul de Rico painted a sequel to his original ''Goblins'' story entitled ''The White Goblin.'' The paintings were of a similar vein to his previous work, but many were nearly devoid of color and were a stark contrast to the effulgence of the originals. This was done deliberately, as the White Goblin had a more ecologically sinister plot than his brethren, one that involved habitat destruction and the subjugation of natural resources for his own selfish ends. This book seems appropriate for an age group somewhat older than that of the first. The moral lessons (as well as the story, illustrations and language) are more complex and profound than before.▼
▲In 1996, Ul de Rico painted a sequel to his original ''Goblins'' story entitled ''The White Goblin.'' The paintings were of a similar vein to his previous work, but many were nearly devoid of color and were a stark contrast to the effulgence of the originals. This was done deliberately, as the White Goblin had a more ecologically sinister plot than his brethren, one that involved [[habitat destruction]] and the subjugation of natural resources for his own selfish ends. This book seems appropriate for an age group somewhat older than that of the first. The moral lessons (as well as the story, illustrations and language) are more complex and profound than before.
Ul de Rico also has illustrated covers for music albums as well.<ref>[https://www.discogs.com/artist/2163739-Ul-de-Rico Discogs entry]</ref>
===Style===▼
In 1981 and 1997, Japanese musician [[Masayoshi Takanaka]] released Jazz/Rock albums entitled ''The Rainbow Goblins'' and ''The White Goblin'' that were based on Ul de Rico's books of the same name.<ref>[https://www.discogs.com/Masayoshi-Takanaka-The-Rainbow-Goblins/release/1225604/ Discogs entry: Masayoshi Takanaka – The Rainbow Goblins]</ref> On his 1999 album Slowdeath(The Permanent Cry) the rapper Doseone reads an excerpt from the first and last chapter of ''The Rainbow Goblins'' In 2017, the band [[Primus (band)|Primus]] released ''[[The Desaturating Seven]]'', a concept album also inspired by the text and art of ''The Rainbow Goblins''.<ref>{{cite web|title=''Primus' Les Claypool on Mining Trippy Children's Book for New LP'' product page.|date=31 July 2017 |publisher=[[RollingStone]]|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/primus-les-claypool-on-mining-trippy-childrens-book-for-new-lp-w494798/|accessdate=September 8, 2017}}</ref>
All of the paintings in the works mentioned above were oil-on-oak panels, which gave them a distinctively grainy and vivid look. The paintings also have a slightly surreal feel which allows readers to be drawn into their colorful imaginary world while still being reminded of the beautiful natural world which inspired them. ▼
▲===Style===
▲
===Selected
*''The Ring of the Nibelung'' (illustrations plus compilation of extracts from Wagner's text) (1980)
*''The
▲''The Rainbow Goblins (1978)''<br>
▲''The NeverEnding Story (film)'' (1984) (character design)<br>
▲''The White Goblin (1996)''<br>
==
{{Reflist}}
* [http://www.uldericoart.it Official Ul de Rico site]
{{Portal |Children's literature}}
▲===External Links===
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rico, Ul De}}
[[Category:Italian children's writers]]
[[Category:Italian children's book illustrators]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:Academy of Fine Arts, Munich alumni]]
| |||