Environmental group Stop Fracking Around says two activists splashed maple syrup on Emily Carr’s painting “Stumps and Sky,” which is on display at the Vancouver Art Gallery. (Stop Fracking Around)Stop Fracking Around
Oh no, not this again.
Trigger the very bad feelings. The shock – if not exactly surprise, by this point. The knowledge that this will not make anything better. That it could make things a lot worse.
I am not referring to Donald Trump (although this applies).
This is about Emily Carr. And Gustav Klimt, Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet. And the climate catastrophe.
And how throwing stuff at art will not put a dent in saving the planet. By causing deep divisions, it is actually a damaging practice.
Last weekend, two climate activists tossed maple syrup on an Emily Carr painting at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Stumps and Sky, circa 1934, can be viewed as a lament over the commercial exploitation of old-growth forests, the gallery says in its audio-guide description.
The gallery quickly issued a condemnation of the act, almost as if a statement was ready to go.
One of the protesters, Erin Fletcher, told the CBC: “We knew that it would lead to publicity and we knew that it would be disruptive and transgressive and that that would cause a shock for people and we wanted that so that we can talk about the climate emergency.”
I have some news for any copycat vandals-with-a-cause: We are already talking about the climate emergency. There has been a lot of coverage. And these actions are only distracting from that urgent conversation. Now we have people on the same side of the issue, the right side of it, debating whether the maple syrup and mashed potatoes tactics are worthy. This is not what we should be talking about.
Civil disobedience should be appropriately targeted. Art and art galleries – including the people who show, preserve, make and love art – are not the right targets. What these well-meaning but misguided fame-seeking activists are doing is creating divisions in a world where we should all be allies against the forces that are causing the climate destruction.
What would Ms. Carr have thought of this, some have wondered? Well, she had a deep love for nature and the B.C. forests. She called the stumps she depicted “screamers.” She wrote in her journal: “These are the unsawn last bits, the cry of the tree’s heart, wrenching and tearing apart, just before she gives that sway and the dreadful groan of falling. It’s a horrible sight to see a tree felled.”
But she also worked very hard to make this picture, and gosh the thrill it would have given her to know that it hangs proudly in the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Anyway, we cannot know what Ms. Carr would have thought; there’s no point speculating. But we do know that this act against her painting and others could have consequences that will be bad for art.
Museums, worried, are surely going to put more works under glass – which is not always the best way to view art. They will consider increasing security, maybe bag checks: any guns, knives, cans of soup in your backpack?
You might be shocked to read this, but art galleries are generally not flush with money. The cost of this extra security could come at the expense of other programs. Perhaps the cost of admission will have to go up, creating a barrier of access.
Also, I can’t help but feel for the poor security guards who are on the clock when this kind of thing happens. Do they get in trouble? Are they worried about their jobs? Do they go home at night, feeling responsible?
I know, I know, many of you are thinking: What will art matter when the world is on fire? This is true. But there are more productive ways to protest. And better ways to use art to further the cause.
I watched a documentary this week, The Last Stand by Vancouver-based filmmaker Peter von Puttkamer, which premiered at the NGO International Film Festival in Nairobi last month and is now streaming on Ecoflix. It is a devastating examination of what is happening to old-growth forests, including Fairy Creek on Vancouver Island, and chronicles the B.C. protest against old-growth logging.
Some will strongly disagree with the tactics taken by these protestors. But they care deeply, putting themselves in harm’s way to protect the environment from forces they feel are endangering it. They are not throwing condiments on paintings.
There is a proper way to use art to provoke discussion about the climate disaster. This film lays it out beautifully (literally, the shots of B.C. could make you weep at the beauty that is being destroyed) and provides all kinds of food for thought.
The film ends with suggestions about what we can do as individuals. Defacing art with foodstuffs is not among them. Viewers are advised to bank with institutions that respect the Earth, support green-tech businesses, avoid crops that destroy forest ecosystems. To treasure the earth.
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.
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