Victor Vasarely’s Op Art exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery is a feast for the eyes
Jaymie Marie // Contributor
Optical illusions are one of the first art forms we see as children, usually in books like Magic Eye. There’s a sense of wonder that comes from suddenly finding a picture where there was once only colours. Victor Vasarely’s abstract works in the field of Optical Art (Op Art) provoke the same awe-inspiring reaction with their mesmerizing patterns and bright contrasting colours. From Oct. 17, 2020 to Apr. 5, 2021, the Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG) is housing a large collection of Vasarely’s pieces encompassing his later works in the 1960s and 70s.
Bruce Grenville, a senior curator at the VAG, emphasizes how you don’t have to have an art background to engage with Vasarely’s art. “When kids come in, they come to look at Vasarely in ways that are a kind of a sophisticated way of looking, which is to marvel at how this thing can be constructed,” he reflected. The exhibition creates a game element that lets the viewer “play” with the world of Vasarely’s art and “create [their] own art based in [his] language.”
Vasarely was a Hungarian-French artist with a background in graphic design, who was born in 1908 and came into the public eye in the 1950s. Europe through 1950 to 1970 was undergoing enormous social change. “There is a tremendous amount of things that happened in that time,” said Bruce Grenville, who is a senior curator at the VAG. “This is an artist who came forward with what was in many ways a sort of radical vision, but was also very human,” Grenville explained.
OERVING, 1968, tempera on wood composite board. Courtesy of the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Vasarely’s experiences and desire to make art accessible relate and connect with some of the feelings our society is currently experiencing in this global pandemic. Grenville mentions how, “[Right now] we are given the opportunity to recognize the way that art can bring people together, where they can share their experience.” He elaborates that this idea is at the root of Vasarely’s art and how this “emerged out of [Vasarely’s] experience during [the Second World War], creating an understanding of the fragility of the culture that we live in.”
Vasarely was known for having a utopian vision for the Op Art movement, and for wanting to make his pieces as accessible as possible, though this idea of universality does not come without critiques. Grenville stated that we should approach the idea of universality with caution because, despite the fact that Vasarely’s work can be enjoyed and consumed internationally, those with “different cultural histories, different experiences, will approach [Vasarely’s art] differently.”
Tickets for Victor Vasarely can be purchased on the Vancouver Art Gallery’s website. The gallery is currently allowing visitors to book a time in advance and wear a mask while visiting. The Capilano Courier recommends proceeding with caution due to the worsening COVID-19 pandemic and the recent B.C. Public Health Order.
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.
