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Rudy Giuliani’s 90s-era war on art and dancing shows he didn’t change — he was MAGA before MAGA

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9 months ago

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One New Year’s resolution that journalists need to start adopting right this minute: Stop saying Rudy Giuliani has changed. The latest iteration of this annoying truism comes to us courtesy of David French of the New York Times, who argues “Rudy Giuliani isn’t truly Rudy Giuliani any longer,” but has experienced a “long descent from a post-9/11 American hero to a mocked, derided and embattled criminal defendant .” French is a never-Trump Republican, but even liberals who should know better have embraced this “fall from grace” narrative. John Oliver on “Last Week Tonight” exclaimed Sunday that the modern iteration of Giuliani is “desperately trying to coast off of the guy that Giuliani was 20 years ago.”

There’s been some pushback against this line, most notably from Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times. Back in August, Bouie reminded readers that, decades before Giuliani was sued for defaming two Georgia election workers as part of a larger attempt to steal the 2020 election, he was a “scowling demagogue who stoked the flames of chauvinism and racial hatred.” The story that Bouie tells, of Giuliani participating in a racist police riot in 1989, is revolting. But wildly, it’s also just the tip of the iceberg that is Giuliani’s long and ugly history of being the absolute worst.

Two other stories from Giuliani’s time as New York City’s mayor have been largely forgotten, but should be revived in light of the MAGA movement going hard on book bannings and other attacks on artists, especially those who are queer or people of color. Before 9/11, Giuliani’s biggest national news story was his war on the Brooklyn Museum, who he threatened to shut down because they exhibited art he didn’t like. In a move so authoritarian that even Moms for Liberty might balk at it, he also functionally banned dancing in much of New York City.

In late 1999, the Brooklyn Museum scheduled an art exhibit titled “SENSATION: Young British Artists from the Saatchi Collection,” which had first been displayed at the Royal Academy of Art in London. Many of the pieces in the exhibit have become famous, in no small part due to Giuliani’s over-the-top histrionics in denouncing the exhibit and threatening to literally shut down the entire museum if they would not comply with his demands to cancel the show. Giuliani claimed to be especially outraged by Chris Ofili’s “The Holy Virgin Mary,” which Ofili described as “a hip-hop version” of the classic artistic subject.

Calling the painting “sick stuff,” Giuliani whined, “you can’t do things that desecrate the most personal and deeply held views of people in society.” He then spent months threatening the museum’s funding, using bureaucratic harassment, and of course screaming into every microphone he could find in his censorship campaign. The excuse for all these tantrums was the Ofili used elephant dung as part of his painting material, which Ofili explained is a “way of raising the paintings up from the ground and giving them a feeling that they’ve come from the earth rather than simply being hung on a wall.” Many commentators at the time noted that Giuliani’s rage probably had more to do with the fact that the Virgin in this painting is Black.

The museum sued Giuliani on First Amendment grounds, and eventually won with an out-of-court settlement forcing Giuliani to restore all the funding he’d withheld. But Giuliani had already gotten what he wanted out of the debacle: An opportunity to perform the worst kind of authoritarian politics. Everything about this was MAGA before MAGA. It was anti-free speech, unsubtly racist, anti-intellectual and hysterically sex-negative. It was also a precursor to the Christian nationalism of the current GOP, in that Giuliani treated it as the government’s job to shield Christianity from criticism, a stance that is wholly incompatible with the First Amendment.

The dancing ban under Giuliani is a good reminder that he hasn’t just always been a fascist at heart, but that he’s also always been a straight up weirdo. “As mayor of NYC from 1994 through 2001, Rudy Giuliani demonized nightlife as our city’s bastard child, trying to smooth it over in order to make things safe for tourists and co-op owners,” Michael Musto wrote in 2017 in a history of Giuliani’s war on dancing for Vice.

The main tool?  The “cabaret” law that literally been passed in 1926, “a bit of archaic legislation that decreed there couldn’t be more than three people dancing” in a bar or nightclub at a time, at least without the vanishingly rare and hard-to-obtain cabaret licenses. The law claimed to be targeting “vice,” but of course its main purpose was to give police an excuse to selectively target people of color or LGBTQ people. Of course Giuliani was going to bring this outdated law back, and for the exact same racist and homophobic purposes that the law was originally used for. But he was so aggressive about it that dancing became pretty much forbidden in nearly every place that served alcohol. I recall one time shaking my butt a little to a jukebox at a wood-paneled pool bar in New York and the bartender yelling at me, fearful that the place would be fined for even that.

This was a full decade after the movie “Footloose” came out. Even the Southern Baptists were more evolved, as Baylor University had repealed their dancing ban in 1996. But Giuliani so prioritized enforcement that it took years after he left office for the police to dial back enforcement. The law was finally repealed in 2017, under pressure from immigrant and minority communities who were sick of living in fear.

Many people in the 90s were full well aware that Giuliani was a bizarre authoritarian. Most New Yorkers opposed his attacks on the Brooklyn Museum, and it was largely viewed at the time as his attempt to get attention for his national ambitions. Writing for Salon in 1999, Cintra Wilson described Giuliani as having a “hubris-rotted cop-brain.” The band !!! wrote a song about the dancing ban calling Giuliani “the piggiest pig.”

Looking back, it’s not just the seeds of MAGA we see in Giuliani’s assault on the cultural vibrancy of New York City. The end of his tenure as mayor also had an alarming portend. Using 9/11 as an excuse, Giuliani reportedly reached out to then-Gov. George Pataki and asked for the 2001 mayoral election to be canceled, so that Giuliani could stay in power indefinitely. Giuliani denies the claim, but as he lies about everything, his denials are meaningless. It’s no wonder that Giuliani became a leader in Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and through a similar strategy of demanding that someone — the Vice President, the courts, Congress — swoop in and simply nullify the entire vote. Giuliani told everyone who he was decades ago. If only more people had believed him.

 

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Calvin Lucyshyn: Vancouver Island Art Dealer Faces Fraud Charges After Police Seize Millions in Artwork

Published

7 days ago

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September 13, 2024

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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

Published

2 weeks ago

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September 2, 2024

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Ukrainian sells art in Essex while stuck in a warzone  BBC.com

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Somerset House Fire: Courtauld Gallery Reopens, Rest of Landmark Closed

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1 month ago

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August 18, 2024

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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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