Art

Adventures in Space – The whimsical world of folk art

Published

2 years ago

October 29, 2022

Full disclosure: I am an enthusiastic fan of folk art. I love how it addresses the need of ordinary people to express themselves, to create and represent the world around them. It is an enthusiasm I share with local folk art collector James Joyce, whose home is decorated with folk art.

“I like its simplicity, its honesty,” he says. “It resonates with me.”

Words, as well as images, are Joyce’s forte, which he used to great advantage in the corporate communications business he and his wife Terry Sweitzer ran prior to his retirement. They continue to serve him well as the Dunvegan correspondent for the Glengarry News and on his blog https://www.dunvegan-times.ca/.

The couple has accumulated more than 40 pieces of museum-quality folk art over the years. All are displayed in the many rooms of their log house, with its board and batten addition.

Folk art is generally defined as works that are handmade – usually from fairly simple elements. The artists may be formally trained, but are often self-taught. The work can be decorative or useful, traditional or individual, wacky or grim, as in Joyce’s piece of a man butchering a pig.

The couple first caught the folk art bug when Sweitzer met Claude Lamontagne, a Québecois bird carver at the Lachute Flea Market. They ended up purchasing many of his bird pieces. While keeping some, they also featured his work in the shop, Bird On a Wire, they had set up in their barn. It sold bird feed, feeders and accessories.

Additional pieces came from the Maritimes, long a hotbed of the folk art movement.

“Part of the appeal of folk art was that it was affordable back then, before it became highly collectable,” Joyce says.

Although the market has increased in value, folk art is still affordable relative to fine art.

Another part of the attraction of folk art for Joyce is the opportunity to meet and form relationships with some of the artists. One of his favourite artists is Leo Naugler, a carver from Camperdown Nova Scotia, who has created several of the pieces Joyce and Sweitzer own, including a Whimsical Rooster and Two Seagulls. Ron Stephens’ rusted metal work Moose is another favourite, as is Nova Scotian Peter Rafuse’s Red Fish and White Tail Deer. Rafuse and his wife Lisa are both deaf and work together, with Peter doing the carving and Lisa, the painting.

Collecting comes naturally to Joyce and Sweitzer. Their home is filled with antiques, art and collectibles. For years, Joyce collected Coca-Cola memorabilia, amassing a number of interesting finds until the two decided they no longer wanted to live in an advertisement.

The couple still occasionally add to their collection, stopping at flea markets, craft sales and roadside stands. On a recent Apples and Art tour, Joyce dropped in on Glengarry artist Sylvie Juteau, who uses a plasma metal cutter in her work. Joyce bought a carved waste paper basket.

Joyce sums up the appeal of all folk art when he says, “I just wish I could do it.”

Me too.

This family of tin chickens was acquired in Mexico. Photo Greg Byers

Not all folk art is whimsical. Here is a tableau of a man butchering a pig. Photo: Greg Byers

A large pig sculpture carved by Nova Scotia artist Peter Rafuse painted by his wife Lisa. Photo Greg Byers

A rusted metalwork moose by sculptor Ron Stephens. Photo Greg Byers

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Art

A misspelled memorial to the Brontë sisters gets its dots back at last

Published

3 weeks ago

September 26, 2024

Anne Joseph

LONDON (AP) — With a few daubs of a paintbrush, the Brontë sisters have got their dots back.

More than eight decades after it was installed, a memorial to the three 19th-century sibling novelists in London’s Westminster Abbey was amended Thursday to restore the diaereses – the two dots over the e in their surname.

The dots — which indicate that the name is pronounced “brontay” rather than “bront” — were omitted when the stone tablet commemorating Charlotte, Emily and Anne was erected in the abbey’s Poets’ Corner in October 1939, just after the outbreak of World War II.

They were restored after Brontë historian Sharon Wright, editor of the Brontë Society Gazette, raised the issue with Dean of Westminster David Hoyle. The abbey asked its stonemason to tap in the dots and its conservator to paint them.

“There’s no paper record for anyone complaining about this or mentioning this, so I just wanted to put it right, really,” Wright said. “These three Yorkshire women deserve their place here, but they also deserve to have their name spelled correctly.”

It’s believed the writers’ Irish father Patrick changed the spelling of his surname from Brunty or Prunty when he went to university in England.

Raised on the wild Yorkshire moors, all three sisters died before they were 40, leaving enduring novels including Charlotte’s “Jane Eyre,” Emily’s “Wuthering Heights” and Anne’s “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.”

Rebecca Yorke, director of the Brontë Society, welcomed the restoration.

“As the Brontës and their work are loved and respected all over the world, it’s entirely appropriate that their name is spelled correctly on their memorial,” she said.

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Art

Calvin Lucyshyn: Vancouver Island Art Dealer Faces Fraud Charges After Police Seize Millions in Artwork

Published

1 month ago

September 13, 2024

Harry Miller

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Vancouver Island art community, a local art dealer has been charged with one count of fraud over $5,000. Calvin Lucyshyn, the former operator of the now-closed Winchester Galleries in Oak Bay, faces the charge after police seized hundreds of artworks, valued in the tens of millions of dollars, from various storage sites in the Greater Victoria area.

Alleged Fraud Scheme

Police allege that Lucyshyn had been taking valuable art from members of the public under the guise of appraising or consigning the pieces for sale, only to cut off all communication with the owners. This investigation began in April 2022, when police received a complaint from an individual who had provided four paintings to Lucyshyn, including three works by renowned British Columbia artist Emily Carr, and had not received any updates on their sale.

Further investigation by the Saanich Police Department revealed that this was not an isolated incident. Detectives found other alleged victims who had similar experiences with Winchester Galleries, leading police to execute search warrants at three separate storage locations across Greater Victoria.

Massive Seizure of Artworks

In what has become one of the largest art fraud investigations in recent Canadian history, authorities seized approximately 1,100 pieces of art, including more than 600 pieces from a storage site in Saanich, over 300 in Langford, and more than 100 in Oak Bay. Some of the more valuable pieces, according to police, were estimated to be worth $85,000 each.

Lucyshyn was arrested on April 21, 2022, but was later released from custody. In May 2024, a fraud charge was formally laid against him.

Artwork Returned, but Some Remain Unclaimed

In a statement released on Monday, the Saanich Police Department confirmed that 1,050 of the seized artworks have been returned to their rightful owners. However, several pieces remain unclaimed, and police continue their efforts to track down the owners of these works.

Court Proceedings Ongoing

The criminal charge against Lucyshyn has not yet been tested in court, and he has publicly stated his intention to defend himself against any pending allegations. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 10, 2024.

Impact on the Local Art Community

The news of Lucyshyn’s alleged fraud has deeply affected Vancouver Island’s art community, particularly collectors, galleries, and artists who may have been impacted by the gallery’s operations. With high-value pieces from artists like Emily Carr involved, the case underscores the vulnerabilities that can exist in art transactions.

For many art collectors, the investigation has raised concerns about the potential for fraud in the art world, particularly when it comes to dealing with private galleries and dealers. The seizure of such a vast collection of artworks has also led to questions about the management and oversight of valuable art pieces, as well as the importance of transparency and trust in the industry.

As the case continues to unfold in court, it will likely serve as a cautionary tale for collectors and galleries alike, highlighting the need for due diligence in the sale and appraisal of high-value artworks.

While much of the seized artwork has been returned, the full scale of the alleged fraud is still being unraveled. Lucyshyn’s upcoming court appearances will be closely watched, not only by the legal community but also by the wider art world, as it navigates the fallout from one of Canada’s most significant art fraud cases in recent memory.

Art collectors and individuals who believe they may have been affected by this case are encouraged to contact the Saanich Police Department to inquire about any unclaimed pieces. Additionally, the case serves as a reminder for anyone involved in high-value art transactions to work with reputable dealers and to keep thorough documentation of all transactions.

As with any investment, whether in art or other ventures, it is crucial to be cautious and informed. Art fraud can devastate personal collections and finances, but by taking steps to verify authenticity, provenance, and the reputation of dealers, collectors can help safeguard their valuable pieces.