If you’ve noticed some new graffiti around Windsor, you’re not alone — and it seems that many aren’t fans.
“I’ve worked very hard at bringing some higher level artists and muralists to Windsor,” said Windsor artist Daniel “Denial” Bombardier. “Just to see something so lazy and so thoughtless and just destructive, it really bothers me.
“This is not a skill.”
Graffiti, featuring a silhouette with a thumbs up, has been popping up around Windsor — from Sandwich to Riverside. (TJ Dhir/CBC)
The silhouettes can be found all over the city, from Riverside to Sandwich, often on the sides of buildings. Each shows a person outlined in red making a thumbs up gesture.
Some of the pieces are signed “WAR” or “Whisky Alpha Romeo.”
Bombardier called the illustrations “lazy, immature and disrespectful.”
“It’s one thing to do vandalism that’s saying something, or speaking to an idea, or a disagreement even. But this isn’t saying anything to anyone other than I want to destroy the city … it’s just ignorant.
“It’s art, but it’s not good art.”
Artists working to show positive side of street art
Bombardier said he’s working to showcase the positive impact of street art.
Street artist Daniel “Denial” Bombardier said recent graffiti around the city, featuring a silhouette with a thumbs up, detracts from the real value of street art. (TJ Dhir/CBC)
His next big project will be a street art and mural festival, planned for September, called Free for All Walls. It would bring 30 artists, half from Windsor and half visiting from out of town, together to complete 30 murals within a 10-day span.
“With this festival and what we’re doing, we’re trying to show that people … what those murals do for a city and for a neighborhood, it’s just unquantifiable. The values of properties go up like people enjoy their communities more. It engages you.
Artist Daniel Bombardier talks about the latest artworks
6 months ago
Duration 1:36
The installations will be on Maiden Lane for the next month, according to Bombardier.
“Stuff like this, this guy with the thumb, it’s just not saying anything and it’s making what we’re trying to do with the art form look really bad.”
Street artist registry, proposed street art committee all ideas downtown
Billie McLaughlin is a local artist and teacher who works with Bombardier. She said she’s asking the city to create a street art committee to better document local street art.
Billie McLaughlin is a Windsor artist and teacher. She said she encourages artists, including the person behind recent silhouette graffiti, to think about what message they’re trying to convey. (TJ Dhir/CBC)
McLaughlin said the history of graffiti art comes from protest and “wanting to be heard.” Especially with a signature like “WAR,” she cautioned the apparent artist to be clear on their message.
“[Graffiti] is the people’s art for the people outside of the institution,” McLaughlin said. “If you want to be valued as an artist, you have to make sure that you’re you’re championing a cause and making the city better, not worse.”
Chris MacLeod is the chair of the Downtown Windsor BIA. He said the BIA does not condone graffiti, but does support street art like the work done by Bombardier. (TJ Dhir/CBC)
The chair of the Downtown Windsor BIA said it can’t condone graffiti – but they have supported other street and public art projects in the downtown.
“It’s vandalism. It costs property owners money to repair and to repaint. It’s no different than smashing a window or doing any other kind of damage downtown,” said Chris MacLeod.
“That being said, we are supportive of street art.”
MacLeod said the BIA recently sponsored WIFF Alley, a collection of murals and street art downtown, and also have a registry of street artists they can call upon for projects downtown.He said they’d encourage any artists to join.
MacLeod noted another local street artist — Kalvin Mercier, known as Kurs — who was charged by police before eventually trying to make amends and hosting an art exhibit.
“I would just really hope that this individual finds a pathway to expressing themselves positively within the community,” he said.
“Other downtown artists are great examples of how we can positively beautify our city with with street art and not randomly vandalized buildings.”
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.
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.
