Art

ART SEEN: Urban videos light up screens at Robson and Granville – Vancouver Sun

Published

5 years ago

February 26, 2020

After 18 years, the two LED screens at Robson and Granville are worn out. They’ll be replaced with bigger screens that are 25 per cent more energy efficient.

Still from Girl in the City by Diyan Achjadi, which is one of the videos commissioned by the Vancouver Public Art Program for the outdoor screens at Robson and Granville. The image above shows Girl carrying the Steam Clock and the Gassy Jack statue as she continues collecting the city’s landmarks.

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There’s more than advertising on the outdoor screens at the northeast corner of Robson and Granville.

About 10 per cent of the airtime is dedicated to community programming which includes video art works commissioned for the Platform Series by Vancouver’s public art program.

Being screened through to the end of the year are 12 videos by local artists including Laiwan, Nicolas Sassoon, Carol Sawyer and Jeremy Borsos.

They’re mostly short videos – the longest is three minutes – about Vancouver as a coastal city, reconciliation, and the city’s 125th anniversary. If you looked up at the screen over the years you might recognize some of them which were originally shown in 2011, 2014, and 2016.

When I walk by that part of town, I always make a point of looking up to see what’s playing. I pass on if it’s advertising but more often than not, the video works make me stop and look at what’s playing.

The schedule of videos through to the end of the year is below which may be interrupted by replacement of the two screens. After 18 years outdoors, the LED screens have come to the end of their lives. At some point in the next few months, property owner Bonnis Properties will replace them with bigger screens (581 sq ft versus 301 sq ft) that are 25 per cent more energy efficient.

Here’s the schedule (go here for links to the individual video art works):

*Her Story by Krista Belle Stewart (still below) draws on archival CBC footage from 1967 about Stewart’s mother and her journey from residential school to the University of BC and the city: Feb. 17 to March 15.

Still from Her Story by Krista Belle Stewart.

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*Girl in the City by Diyan Achjadi (still shown at top of this blog) sets an animated Girl on a tour of the landmarks of Vancouver that she picks up and collects: March 16 to April 12.

*Barnacle City by Laiwan (still below) combines oceanic metaphors with Vancouver scenes and structures: April 13 to May 10.

*(A Sense of Place) by Emilie Crew captures the personality of Vancouver by bringing together natural and human-made elements of the city: May 11 to June 7.

*RIPPLES by Nicolas Sassoon uses digital animation to create contemplative visual environments: June 8 to July 5.

*The Place Between Us by Jason Nielsen explores Vancouver’s social isolation and the shifting boundaries between individuals: July 6 to Aug. 2.

*Tidal Pool by Curtis Grahauer focuses on New Brighton Park as a point between natural adaptation and global industry: Aug. 3 to 30.

*Harbeck Homage by Lisa g. Nielsen crates a time-lapse of the urban coastline from the Downtown Eastside to Spanish Banks from the perspective of a bicycle: Aug. 31 to Sept. 27.

*Canoe by Donna Szoke foregrounds a digitally altered image of a silhouette of a canoeist becomes a fluid visual extension of the moving water and sky: Sept. 28 to Oct. 25.

*Wood Work by Carol Sawyer presents fragmentary glimpse into the history of logging and lumber in B.C.: Oct. 26 to Nov. 15.

*Reconciliation by Jeremy Borsos explores a hand-written excerpt from the official apology to Indigenous people for residential schools: Nov. 16 to Dec. 6.

*Making Circles: The Chilkat Dancing Blanket by Emilie Crewe documents the restoration/conversation, mending and repair of indigenous art work and historical objects at the U’Mista Cultural Centre in Alert Bay: Dec. 7 to 27.

Still of Barnacle City by Laiwan on the screens at Robson and Granville.

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Art

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

Published

4 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.