Art

In soup vs. art, climate change protesters lose, says activist

Published

2 years ago

November 18, 2022

As It Happens7:05Attacking paintings with soup isn’t an effective way to fight climate change, says activist

Hurling soup or some sort of damaging food at famous paintings has a become a popular trend among climate activists hoping for a brighter future, but Lucy Whelan says those demonstrations aren’t actually having the impact those activists would hope.

“It’s a kind of spectacle and nothing has really been harmed,” Whelan, a climate activist herself, told Nil Köksal on As It Happens. “The problem with climate change right now is that so many people know it’s scary, but we’re quite complacent.”

In October, protesters Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland made headlines by throwing soup on Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers in London’s National Gallery. But the soup caused no discernible damage to the glass-covered painting.

In an interview with As It Happens in October, Plummer said that the action she and Holland took was necessary in the shadow of the climate crises.

“Right now, there’s 33 million people displaced by floods in Pakistan. Thousands of people are dying of starvation in Somalia due to extreme famine from crop failure,” said Plummer.

This photo from Italian news agency Ansa, shows climate activists from Last Generation and a security guard by The Sower, an 1888 painting by Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh, after activists threw pea soup at it on Nov. 4. (ANSA/AFP/Getty Images)

“And it took two young people throwing soup at a painting to get more people talking about the climate crisis, [more than] the millions of lives have been destroyed by climate disasters.”

When Whelan first saw what Plummer and Holland had done, she was shocked. But she says, while she wholeheartedly agrees with the intention behind the protest, she feels it’s a lose-lose scenario.

“Either the soup or the acidic liquid that’s chosen is actually going to damage the artworks, in which case, I think that’s the tragedy. It makes the protesters look like hooligans who are not interested in preserving things for the future, which they obviously are,” said Whelan.

“Or it’s not going to damage the work … then what we have is something that looks shocking, but actually it just makes us all go, ‘Oh, it’s fine,’ …[which] is exactly the kind of thinking that we need to stop being quite so good at.”

Making a difference

Other famous pieces of art have been hit as well. In late October, mashed potatoes were chucked Claude Monet’s painting Les Meules, and someone smashed chocolate cake on a waxwork figure of King Charles.

In Canada, protesters with Stop Fracking Around, a group demanding an end to the Coastal GasLink Pipeline project, poured maple syrup onto Emily Carr’s 1934 painting Stumps and Sky at the Vancouver Art Gallery on November 12.

“Her painting Stumps and Sky … is a lament of ecological destruction and her art actually paid attention to Indigenous peoples. She cared about all that binds us to the world. She seemed just the wrong person,” said Whelan.

Protesters said they chose the painting because the fallen trees depicted the kind of environmental destruction they are trying to prevent. But Whelan says that instead, protesters should be more thoughtful about the pieces they target.

This photo provided to media from the group Stop Fracking Around shows Erin Fletcher, left, and Emily Kelsall, right, in front of the Emily Carr painting ‘Stumps and Sky,’ at the Vancouver Art Gallery on Saturday, Nov. 12. (Stop Fracking Around)

“At least think about making some seriously disruptive attacks on art that celebrates consumption and economic growth,” said Whelan.

“I think we need to be more thoughtful, not more art historical, about about what is the target of activism.”

Whelan says she is on the protesters’ side. As a climate activist herself, she’s tried to make meaningful changes and taken part in protests.

She’s spoken to her local politicians in Cambridge, England, and talked with neighbours about how they can do things differently to protect the environment.

“There will be so many people watching attacks like this saying, ‘oh, I support action on climate change. I really do. But just not this not attacks on art.’ And I would encourage anyone who says that to make that real, to translate that into action,” said Whelan.

“If you do support action on climate change, [and] you don’t want to see it like this, contact your counselors, do something you do approve of. Walk the talk.”

Produced by Kate Swoger.

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Art

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

Published

1 month 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

2 months 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.