Art

In HBO’s ‘Master Of Light,’ Grappling With Art World Gatekeeping

Published

2 years ago

November 17, 2022

As an Academy Award-winning director, Roger Ross Williams is used to people asking him to take a look at a film they’ve been working on. He’s a good sport and often agrees, not always expecting anything.

When Rosa Ruth Boesten approached Williams at an event in Amsterdam, he politely agreed to look at a teaser for her film, a documentary called Master of Light. What he saw blew him away. “I watched the teaser, and it was just the most incredible story,” he says. “It was beautifully shot and powerful, and I’d never seen anything quite like it.”

The Dutch director had been filming the life of classical painter George Anthony Morton. A gifted artist and devotee of the Dutch masters like Rembrandt, Morton was trying to break into the art world following a 10-year stint in prison for dealing drugs.

Williams was sold. He called Boesten, they went to lunch, and he asked to produce the film—a pretty big deal for a first-time director. “She started crying,” he remembers. “She couldn’t believe it after struggling for so long to gain funding. I brought her to New York, and we took meetings and got the film into festivals.”

The documentary, which debuted on HBO on Wednesday and on HBO Max last week, didn’t just get into festivals—it cleaned up at them. Master of Light received the Grand Jury Prize at SXSW
XSW
, Best Documentary Feature at the San Francisco International Film Festival and Best First Feature at the UK’s Sheffield DocFest. The vulnerability displayed in the film resonated with viewers, something Morton feels proud of.

“We didn’t want it to be unrealistic or fake. It shows the honesty of my day-to-day struggles, ultimately wanting to inspire that younger George,” the artist says.

Boesten captured Morton’s push to gain a professional foothold in art as well as repairing relationships with his family. Part of that healing process involved painting his family members in the style of the Dutch old masters. Morton says he sought to show people watching the film a path they could walk if they had similar experiences. “I wanted to prevent people from maybe walking into some of the traps that I walked in,” he says.

Morton notes that while growing up, he always felt drawn to artistry and had a natural talent for painting. But it took him years to realize that represented a viable career path. While in a juvenile detention center, he met a math teacher who helped him get his GED.

“She promised that once I got out, she would find me and take me to the museum. And she took me to see a Rembrandt the first time when I was 16 years old. I wasn’t able to latch on to fine art painting as a professional at the time, but it sparked something inside of me that would end up blossoming later,” Morton says. “And when I got incarcerated, I saw that as my opportunity that was just brilliantly disguised in that setback.”

Morton has an incredible ability to do that—to see setbacks as opportunities. As a Black man pursuing a career in a white-dominated industry, he certainly had chances to become discouraged by racism and the doors that remained closed to him. Instead, he prefers to think that his efforts will make it easier for the next person of color or person who has been incarcerated.

“Gatekeeping is just part of our human story. You know, we’re kind of transitioning out of an old world, maybe old views, and I’m super grateful to help us through some of that,” he says. “ What I’m finding is that good and bad things often appear together. And so I try not to speak in absolutes about one thing you know, but what I hope to change ultimately is these stereotypes that may come as a result of a lack of representation.”

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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.