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Art
Terrifying obsession: Cochrane gallery launches largest exhibit of Toller Cranston's artwork – Calgary Herald
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The epitaph of Toller Cranston’s gravestone in San Miguel, Mexico is fairly simple.
It reads “Toller Artist” and “Zero Tollerance.” There is no last name. There is no mention of his towering accomplishments on the ice, which earned him the description “the Nureyev of figure skating” in his New York Times obituary back in 2015.
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His sister, Phillippa Baran, thinks it’s an appropriate description. At his essence, her brother was an artist first and foremost.
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“That’s how he would have wanted to be known, just as an artist,” said Baran, in an interview with Postmedia from her home outside of Ottawa. “Certainly in Canada, you don’t even need the Cranston. Anybody who had anything whatsoever to do with skating, you just say ‘Toller’ and people know who you are talking about.”
Cranston died of a heart attack in 2015 after spending 23 years at his estate in San Miguel, which is known as a mecca for artists. His establishment-shaking legacy in figure skating is certainly secure. His innovative artistry made him a groundbreaking competitor in the 1970s and earned him six Canadian championships and a bronze medal at the 1976 Winter Olympics. But there is now an effort underway to give Cranston his due as a singular, visionary visual artist.
The campaign has been kickstarted with the largest exhibition of Cranston’s art, A Terrifying Obsession: Toller Cranston – the Legacy Paintings, at the Art Evolution Gallery in Cochrane. Sutherland House will release Toller Cranston: Ice, Paint, Passion (Baran’s book), in February of 2024. It features testimonials from Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and Alex Trebek, among dozens of others, about her brother’s legacy. Another book overseen by Christopher Talbot, Art Evolution president and CEO — and Cranston’s friend and agent — will be released in October of 2024. Talbot will continue to promote and present the artwork at his galleries in Alberta and Australia, and online, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Toller Cranston Foundation, which will focus on annual scholarships administered through the Canadian Olympic foundation.
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The exhibit itself has been a longtime coming. It follows a nine-year legal battle between Baran and her brothers (who are twins) over Toller Cranston’s estate, which was only recently resolved in Baran’s favour. She was reinstated as the executor of Cranston’s estate in February and was able to sell 400 of his paintings. One hundred were sold to Art Evolution, which had been representing Cranston since the early 2000s. The gallery also secured intellectual property rights that will allow the production of limited-edition artworks of 350 images. The name of the exhibition reflects Cranston’s tireless dedication to his art and perfectionism.
While Cranston’s reputation and achievements in the skating world have long been celebrated, his artwork has tended to fly under the radar in his home country, partly because he spent so much time in Mexico after his skating career. But Talbot thinks he should be regarded as one of the country’s great artists. His style was singular and his output astonishing, with Talbot reckoning his friend created and sold more than 20,000 artworks in his life. His colourful art is also as instantly recognizable as the work of Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall and Andy Warhol, he says.
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“We have about 100 paintings in stock,” says Talbot. ” A lot of those will be, ideally, destined for public spaces, whether it is within corporations, within hotel foyers, or office foyers or things like that and/or if the museums ever catch onto what has happened they will go, ‘Oh yeah, Toller Cranston. I didn’t think about that.’ Our mission is to establish and preserve his legacy, bring awareness to the greatness of what this man was doing.”
A Terrifying Obsession will feature 40 of Cranston’s works, both paintings and sculptures. Art Evolution, which also represents the work of Vilem Zach, actress Jane Seymour and Charles Billich, among others, has operated major exhibitions and public art installations around the globe. At its Australian gallery, its Salvador Dali sculpture exhibition is the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
In 2013, Talbot began planning for what was meant to be a travelling exhibit of Cranston’s work that would have gone to galleries across Canada. It was to be launched in 2015. Cranston was found dead at his home in January of that year.
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“He was very difficult to deal with,” says Talbot. “He was not an easy man but I always respected the talent. He was a real artist. When I say real artist, I mean this was a guy who you could not take out of the studio. If you took him out of the studio, it was like you were taking a fish out of the water. He would start hyperventilating. Half the time you couldn’t get through a dinner with him. You’d be ordering dessert and he would say ‘I’ve got to go.’ It would be straight back to the studio. He lived and breathed his art from morning to night.”
It was a long-held passion. Cranston’s sister says he began selling his art as a teenager in Ontario, partly to help fund his figure-skating career. Among the original artworks she has is a crayon drawing he gave her when he was only six years old. It was a self-portrait of a figure-skater in a puffy green suit doing a split jump.
“He definitely wanted to be taken seriously as an artist and he would have defined artist the way I do in the book,” Baran says. “It was really every fibre of his being: Not just a painter, not just a skater, but just artist period.”
A Terrifying Obsession: Toller Cranston – The Legacy Paintings will be on exhibit at Art Evolution Gallery, 208 1st St. W. Cochrane, until Feb. 28. Visit artevolution.com.
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Art
Calvin Lucyshyn: Vancouver Island Art Dealer Faces Fraud Charges After Police Seize Millions in Artwork
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
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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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