With themes and images drawn from motion picture posters, Theo Angell’s Cinema Pandemico pop-up art show at the Patricia Theatre provides abstract posters for viewers to explore.
Angell, who is himself a filmmaker, has been keeping himself busy during the COVID-19 pandemic creating new posters out of old.
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“Each art piece in this unique show is a collage made entirely of old movie posters donated by the Patricia Theatre,” said Angell. “It takes the idea of the Hollywood dream machine one step further and reassembles it into a glorious mashup of unintended plots and subtext. New narratives are born.
“Often revealed is Hollywood’s complicity in promoting violence and social conditioning. Are you safe enough? Are you too safe? All the subject matter was readily available in the messages from these posters.”
Angell said strong themes of Armageddon and pandemonium abound, as well as the occasional glimpse of spiritual renewal and harmonious humanity.
“This is the dream within the dream,” said Angell.
All the art was made during these last few months of the COVID-19 period and the entire show is set up in the Patricia Theatre windows facing out to the sidewalk and the public, taking advantage of the theatre’s natural exterior showcase for passersby.
“All ages are welcome,” said Angell. “Bring your own popcorn and a prayer for the Patricia Theatre.”
He said his inspiration for the art show, in part, came from living in New York City and seeing movie posters in the subway, posted on top of each other.
“Folks, when waiting for their trains, had knives come out, pens come out,” said Angell. “People end up cutting into the movie posters and other posters are revealed under the top layer. The layers get deeper and more complex. It’s an influence and an inspiration for me.”
He said he also goes to Portland, Oregon, to visit family, and posters on telephone poles get “fat” because there are so many of them.
“Those get ripped off so I’ve been photographing them, and I’ve ripped off chunks and brought them home,” said Angell. “I just love the idea of something being out in the public, rearranging it and diving into the mythology.”
Angell said he moved to Powell River, discovered the Patricia Theatre and got to know Ann and Brian Nelson, the owners.
“I got to go to the balcony and I saw bags and bags of movie posters and I got really excited,” said Angell. “I asked if I could bring some home and they said, ‘sure.’”
Angell’s collection of Patricia Theatre posters was the foundation for his latest art show.
“There’s a lot of themes and they come from a bunch of different films,” said Angell. “I had more than 100 posters and I started organizing them by theme, by colour, or other factors. It’s amazing, for example, how many posters had guns in them. Every third poster must have had one.”
The newly configured images provide fodder for the mind to wander and plenty of opportunity for individual interpretation, according to Angell. Some of the reconfigured posters on display at the Patricia Theatre even capture some of the dreams he has had.
Angell said with the pandemic, he has been a stay-at-home dad, so he’s had time to be at home, with his children, keeping busy with his art.
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.
