Art

‘Glass Onion’ Stumbles as It Parodies Art Collecting to Eat the Rich

Published

2 years ago

December 29, 2022

Every joke has a grain of truth in it, and the central one in Glass Onion, Rian Johnson’s new celebrity-bedecked murder mystery now streaming on Netflix, contains more than a bit of honesty.

The gag revolves around the Mona Lisa, which appears not in the Louvre but in an Elon Musk–like billionaire’s house, where the Leonardo da Vinci painting can be found encased in a transparent frame, bearing witness as a group of moneyed friends and foes squabble over who killed one of their own.

Herein lies the irony: the Mona Lisa, a painting considered to be so valuable that its monetary worth is not known, becomes less important than what happens in front of it, as has periodically happened in real life. In the film, the painting, like all the other art alongside it, is quite literally the backdrop to a crime scene. One museum’s crown jewel becomes a rich man’s window dressing.

Miles Bron, the fictional mogul whose $450 million house in Greece acts as the main setting for Johnson’s film, has obtained the painting because of the moment’s unique circumstances. (Edward Norton plays him.) It is May 2020, and everything has shut down. Amid a spell of boredom, he’s invited, via a set of puzzle boxes, a group of old acquaintances to his gaudy seaside manse, for reasons that remain shadowy until they get there. All of the guests, minus the private eye Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), know Miles personally.

After everyone convenes on the island and is inoculated against COVID-19 with what may or may not be snake oil, they assemble in the house’s atrium, where they stand before the Leonardo painting, which is shown amid a grouping of postwar abstractions, figurative paintings, and chintzy sculptures.

“This place is the Tate Modern,” says Connecticut Governor Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), champagne flute in hand. “Why would you hang a print of the Mona Lisa front and center? It’s like hanging a Che poster in your dorm room.”

Miles smirks and lets his guests figure out that the painting is the real deal. “The Louvre was closed, France needed money, and so I bought myself a little short-term loan,” he says. “You know, it turns out the transport and the security was most of the cost. Check this out.” He holds up a torch lighter and flicks it on, and a shield suddenly covers the painting as everyone looks on agog.

For Miles, the painting is merely a prop used to flaunt his wealth. He doesn’t seem to care much about the Mona Lisa‘s history, and when he does briefly touch on its significance, he claims that Leonardo “invented a technique for brushstrokes that leaves no lines.” That technique is known as sfumato, and Giorgio Vasari, an art historian born nearly a decade after Mona Lisa was painted, even attributed its origins to the Flemish painters, not Italians like Leonardo. Whether that error is the fault of Miles or Johnson himself is unclear.

The Mona Lisa may be the centerpiece in Miles’s home, but there are also a number of other art historically significant works—or, at least, riffs on them. There’s a smeary red abstraction that’s clearly an allusion to the work of Cy Twombly, whose vast paintings can actually be seen right now in the real Tate Modern. There’s a painting of a tear falling out of a woman’s eye, a nod to Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein’s images of crying women. There’s a canvas showing a cyclopean figure who looks at an entanglement of piping, guts, and hands; it’s similar in style to art by Philip Guston, who’s right now the subject of a traveling retrospective.

Riffs on work by masters, like Philip Guston (back left), appear throughout *Glass Onion*.

A man in a dapper jacket appears shocked while a woman with a red cup in a more casual dress and another woman in an elegant suit stand behind him. They appear amid glass sculptures on raised pedestals. — Riffs on work by masters, like Philip Guston (back left), appear throughout *Glass Onion*.

No one seems to pay much mind to these works, which may not approach the Mona Lisa in value but, within the film’s world, are bona fide masterpieces unto themselves. Or are they?

There is, for example, no Guston painting that looks exactly like the one in Miles’s collection. It’s a lie that seems just barely convincing, and a false lead just like the ones Blanc investigates during the film’s second hour, after one partier falls through a coffee table while choking on a poisoned cocktail.

Even the paintings that are more closely modeled on real ones are deliberately not given their due. There’s a rendition of Mark Rothko’s 1961 painting Number 207 (Red over Dark Blue on Dark Gray), which features a fiery crimson mass hanging above a barely-there swatch of navy blue. In Miles’s home, the painting is hung upside-down, so that it’s dark blue over red. “I love the idea that Miles has no idea,” Johnson told the Wall Street Journal.

Miles is meant as a dilettante—a smalltime collector with big-time ambitions who wouldn’t know the first thing about Abstract Expressionism, even if a torrent of Clement Greenberg essays rained down upon him. The film suggests he’s not an anomaly in that regard. All rich people, Johnson seems to say, are obsessed with fancy things. They just don’t want to think when they show off their belongings.

But who gets the last laugh here, the viewers of Glass Onion or the wealthy being targeted by the film? Johnson seems to want it to be the former group, as suggested by the ending, in which—spoiler alert—Helen Brand (Janelle Monáe) sets the Mona Lisa aflame upon the revelation that Miles killed her sister and murdered one of his guests. (It’s all part of a conspiracy intended to grow Miles’s fortune that’s too complicated to explain here.) As the Mona Lisa’s smile is reduced to embers, Miles cries out in existential pain, and Nat King Cole’s “Mona Lisa” plays on the soundtrack.

There’s one shot in which Mondrian and Bacon lookalikes can be glimpsed burning too, but the focus here is really the Mona Lisa, which gets her own movie-star closeups and the requisite reverse shots with an anguished Norton. This implies that Johnson was always most interested in the Leonardo, too, and that that painting is really the most valuable one in Miles’s collection, all the other art on view be damned.

The painting worth the most money gets the greatest attention in Glass Onion, enacting the same misguided art-historical dynamic that Johnson himself wants to subvert. Miles’s place is the Tate Modern. Why would Johnson put the Mona Lisa front and center?

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Art

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

Published

17 hours 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.

Art

Ukrainian sells art in Essex while stuck in a warzone – BBC.com

Published

2 weeks ago

September 2, 2024

Harry Miller

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Ukrainian sells art in Essex while stuck in a warzone BBC.com

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Art

Somerset House Fire: Courtauld Gallery Reopens, Rest of Landmark Closed

Published

4 weeks ago

August 18, 2024

Harry Miller

The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House has reopened its doors to the public after a fire swept through the historic building in central London. While the gallery has resumed operations, the rest of the iconic site remains closed “until further notice.”

On Saturday, approximately 125 firefighters were called to the scene to battle the blaze, which sent smoke billowing across the city. Fortunately, the fire occurred in a part of the building not housing valuable artworks, and no injuries were reported. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.

Despite the disruption, art lovers queued outside the gallery before it reopened at 10:00 BST on Sunday. One visitor expressed his relief, saying, “I was sad to see the fire, but I’m relieved the art is safe.”

The Clark family, visiting London from Washington state, USA, had a unique perspective on the incident. While sightseeing on the London Eye, they watched as firefighters tackled the flames. Paul Clark, accompanied by his wife Jiorgia and their four children, shared their concern for the safety of the artwork inside Somerset House. “It was sad to see,” Mr. Clark told the BBC. As a fan of Vincent Van Gogh, he was particularly relieved to learn that the painter’s famous Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear had not been affected by the fire.

Blaze in the West Wing

The fire broke out around midday on Saturday in the west wing of Somerset House, a section of the building primarily used for offices and storage. Jonathan Reekie, director of Somerset House Trust, assured the public that “no valuable artefacts or artworks” were located in that part of the building. By Sunday, fire engines were still stationed outside as investigations into the fire’s origin continued.

About Somerset House

Located on the Strand in central London, Somerset House is a prominent arts venue with a rich history dating back to the Georgian era. Built on the site of a former Tudor palace, the complex is known for its iconic courtyard and is home to the Courtauld Gallery. The gallery houses a prestigious collection from the Samuel Courtauld Trust, showcasing masterpieces from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Among the notable works are pieces by impressionist legends such as Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, and Vincent Van Gogh.

Somerset House regularly hosts cultural exhibitions and public events, including its popular winter ice skating sessions in the courtyard. However, for now, the venue remains partially closed as authorities ensure the safety of the site following the fire.

Art lovers and the Somerset House community can take solace in knowing that the invaluable collection remains unharmed, and the Courtauld Gallery continues to welcome visitors, offering a reprieve amid the disruption.

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