Art

Making climate data ‘more human’ — drone footage inspires Fiona art exhibit

Published

1 year ago

May 15, 2023

A drone’s eye view of P.E.I.’s shoreline has served as the inspiration behind a new exhibit of handwoven art, including two pieces depicting damage to the Island’s coast caused by Fiona.

The drone port at UPEI’s Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation in St. Peter’s Bay is not far from the gallery where the art is on display.

Shift is a solo exhibition by artist Rilla Marshall, who for over a decade has explored the Island’s changing coastlines through her artwork.

“2010 was when I really got into mapping,” Marshall said. “Part of it was just growing up on P.E.I. always interested in the shoreline as this liminal space that’s in a constant state of transition not only in a physical way… but also on a metaphorical level.

“I find the shoreline is a very rich subject to explore.”

A woven piece showing an island with red around it — This piece was based on a drone image showing erosion around Ram Island after Fiona. Marshall says it looked like ‘the island was bleeding.’ (Shane Hennessey/CBC )

An island with red soil eroded into the water around it — This photo of Ram Island inspired the piece above. (Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation)

“There’s a lot of artists working with climate change right now. I feel like more and more it’s just become part of our common knowledge, our cultural zeitgeist,” Marshall said.

“I think art can play a really important role in engaging people with the subject of climate change, and making it more accessible and personalized.”

Changing shorelines

Waves around an island in a woven piece of artwork — This piece shows waves caused by Fiona crashing to the shore near Park Corner. (Shane Hennessey/CBC)

The artist was given access to drone footage that’s been collected since 2018 as part of research into coastal erosion. She then translated those visuals into a series of handwoven pieces.

“Depicting these areas of shoreline that somebody’s familiar with but from a perspective that [you’d never] have unless you have a drone also creates these personal connections to people. [They’re] able to see how those changes affect the shorelines that we love over time,” Marshall said.

“I think all Islanders feel a strong sense of ‘Islandness’ and a connection to our Island. And I think using art to talk about climate change is a great way to pull on those heartstrings a little bit.”

Framed pieces of woven artwork hang on a wall — ‘I think all Islanders feel a strong sense of ‘Islandness’ and a connection to our Island. And I think using art to talk about climate change is a great way to pull on those heartstrings a little bit,’ Marshall says. (Shane Hennessey/CBC)

Marshall said the combination of science and art was also inspiring.

“Having a conversation between the ‘old tech’ of weaving, and the high-tech production of drone images is a very interesting conversation to have,” Marshall said.

[It’s] taking that hard data and being able to translate into something that’s a little bit more human.—Rilla Marshall

“[It’s] taking that hard data and being able to translate into something that’s a little bit more human.”

Shifting perspectives

A woman stands in front of two pieces of artwork — Alexis Bulman, curator of the Shift exhibit, says the exhibit’s name has multiple meanings. (Shane Hennessey/CBC)

Alexis Bulman is the artist-in-residence and curator of the centre’s art gallery.

“Shift as a title, it has two meanings,” Bulman said.

“One being the sort of shift of sediment from the shorelines into the water, the act of erosion. But it also is meant to represent our ‘shift’ in how we think about erosion. How we protect shorelines is changing, and how we learn about that information is changing as well.

How we protect shorelines is changing, and how we learn about that information is changing as well.– Alexis Bulman

“Like with this exhibition, you’re not just learning about it through the data collected through the UPEI Climate Lab, but through an exhibition by a local artist.”

Post-Fiona emotions

A man looks at a drone on the table in front of him — UPEI researcher and drone pilot Andy MacDonald says he was ‘blown away’ by the artwork. (Shane Hennessey/CBC)

UPEI researcher and drone pilot Andy MacDonald said he was “blown away” by the artwork.

“The imagery we get from the drones, I think it makes perfect sense to translate that into art,” MacDonald said.

“Prince Edward Island is a very unique place. We have unique coastlines, and I think documenting that in an artistic way is great. Very creative.”

MacDonald said the exhibit is also timely, as UPEI researchers continue to document the post-tropical storm’s damage to the Island.

“Obviously Fiona was a dramatic event, and I think a big part of what art can do is express all sorts of different emotions,” he said.

“I know a lot of people are feeling grief and sadness after Fiona and what it’s done, and art is a way to express that.”

A drone view of a cliff with rocks crumbled below — Savage Harbour is one of the communities where the UPEI Climate Lab’s drone crew found extensive Fiona-related damage. (Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation)

Marshall’s art will be on display until June 15 at the centre in St. Peter’s Bay, by appointment only.

There was a public opening on the weekend, but it’s mainly being viewed by people attending conferences there, or visiting on field trips.

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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.