Painter Francesco Clemente has turned New York City’s cultural elite into a Tarot deck.
And if you’re lucky enough to be in Florence in the next two months, you can see it at the Uffizi Gallery.
Clemente became interested in Tarot about three years ago. It inspired him to create his own deck using many of his friends as models.
To name just a few, Salman Rushdie is the King of Swords, Edward Albee the Emperor, Jasper Johns the Hierophant, and Diane von Furstenberg is Strength.
He’s made Scarlett Johansson the Queen of Swords, Fran Lebowitz Justice, and his own wife Alba the Star.
Clemente himself is in the deck twice, once as the Ace of Swords, and again as the Fool.
Each piece is about nineteen by nine and a half inches, and done in watercolor, guache, ink, pastel and colored pencil.
I bet it’s amazing!! I’d love to see all 78 pieces. And if he ever makes it an actual deck, I want one.
