Art
‘It’s not possible!’ The crazy tightropes and dangling pianos of art daredevil Catherine Yass
Catherine Yass was out on her bike one day when she made a most unusual discovery. She had already journeyed far from the beaten track – down a little-known nature trail through the bowels of Barking. After passing an establishment recently called “the most isolated pub in London”, she pedalled along a “very industrial road”, reached a patch of abandoned grass, and then began to feel nauseous.
“It often really stinks around there,” says the artist, “because it’s right next to Beckton sewage works.” But the journey was worth it, because in front of her was Barking Creek Barrier, a towering concrete structure built over the River Roding in 1983 to prevent flooding in the east London borough. This structure, which became the focus of her new project, is a huge square arch with a barrier on top which is lowered once a month for maintenance purposes. “When you watch this blue blade coming down,” says Yass, “it’s like a guillotine. It seemed like a symbol for our collective guilt about the climate crisis and potential flooding.”
Flood Barrier is a film work commissioned by Create London to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the North Sea flood of 1953, which left Creekmouth – the village that once stood here – destroyed. Yass wanted to study the barrier from different perspectives, but chiefly that of the local bird population, once the barrier is lowered. “I was interested in the idea that they alone can flow through the arch, unlike the river,” she says, speaking by phone from the French countryside. “Then I began wondering what it must look like if you don’t know its function and if it wasn’t made for you. Birds would be seeing it from all sorts of angles we could never view it from.”
How others experience the world has long been a concern for the Londoner – and it’s a fascination that has ramifications for the environment, too. “If we don’t start recognising that all views are equally valid, then we are going to be stuck with the systems we have now, which have all been generated by a particular viewpoint: man as the centre of the Earth.”
Yass recalls a life-drawing class she took when she was young. “The teacher told me to always look at my drawings upside down or in the mirror. Then you really see what you’ve done, because you don’t view them through your habitual perspective.” Since then she has become accustomed to viewing the world in topsy-turvy. In 1986, when she was studying at Slade School of Fine Art in London, a friend gave her a 1950s camera that she still uses today. Its viewfinder shows the world upside down. “I became very acquainted with seeing the world that way,” she says.
At first Yass wasn’t sure about photography as a medium, keen to avoid mainstream perspectives. So she took to “solarising” her pictures, by overlaying an image’s negatives with its positives. In Flood Barrier, light leaks have added unusual colours to the film, a nod to the fact that birds can detect more colours than humans.
In the early 00s, Yass was offered the chance to travel down the side of a skyscraper on a crane in London’s developing Canary Wharf area. This was for Descent, a work that tracked (upside down of course) an adjacent building as she dropped. The unsettling, vulnerable perspectives in her work were so unique, she was nominated for the 2002 Turner prize. Her films can make your stomach churn, not least 2008’s High Wire, in which Yass documents Didier Pasquette’s attempts to traverse a wire between two tower blocks among Glasgow’s since-demolished Red Road flats.
That must have been a scary experience. “I don’t think I would do it again,” she admits. Pasquette had said he did not need a safety harness as he knew how to save himself – and besides, it might crush his ribs. “Right until the last minute,” says Yass, “we were desperately looking for solutions to this. And then he just went across without any safety gear. It was very frightening.”
Pasquette only made it a third of the way across before stopping and shouting: “C’est pas possible!” (“It’s not possible!”) But he did return safely and High Wire became, says Yass, an analogy “for a dream that can’t be realised. I think that dream of building cities in the air, that whole idealism of high-rise building, was such a utopian one.”
Yass’s anxiety over what would have happened if Pasquette had fallen led to another project involving high rises: this time she wanted to drop a piano from the top of London’s Balfron Tower, to record the sounds it made as it descended and to make a comment on the housing crisis. But the project proved controversial. There was already a fight going on between the housing association and local residents. “And I just stepped right into it,” says Yass. “The residents completely misunderstood the project. Before I knew it, it hit the headlines and I hadn’t had a chance to meet them properly.” The whole thing ended up being canned.
Yass did, however, get to record the sound of the wind working a piano’s wires for her 2017 film Aeolian Piano, in which she attached the instrument to a crane and let it swing around inside the former HQ of the BBC at White City. “It became a kind of swan song for the BBC because they were leaving the building,” she says.
Yass is now working on a different kind of music, finessing the soundtrack to Flood Barrier with the help of some local people: sound artist Martin Osman and students with special educational needs – again part of her drive to include people who experience the world in ways that aren’t often heard about. Gusts of wind, noises recorded underwater and the gurgling of a waste pipe will all feature on the soundtrack.
The project has also prompted Yass to look afresh at her own career. Ahead of this interview, she looked over past projects and realised concrete was often a theme. She filmed the Israeli separation wall in 2004 and later the Three Gorges Dam on China’s Yangtze River for her 2006 film Lock. “We have this desperation to control nature through concrete, which is a pollutant,” she says. “The more you need to defend yourself, the bigger the structure. But is it ever going to be enough?”
Art
Calvin Lucyshyn: Vancouver Island Art Dealer Faces Fraud Charges After Police Seize Millions in Artwork
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.
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Ukrainian sells art in Essex while stuck in a warzone BBC.com
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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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