Art
The ‘compulsive’ power of Sharon Stone’s art
Greenwich, Connecticut
CNN
—
Sharon Stone throws herself into her art. For years, her chosen medium was performance, but since the Academy Award-nominated actor picked up a paintbrush in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, she hasn’t put it down.
“I just get in this kind of trance,” Stone said of her daily painting practice during an interview with CNN. This week, she displayed the fruits of that labor at her first East Coast exhibition, “Welcome to My Garden,” which is on display through December 3 at C. Parker Gallery in Greenwich, Connecticut.
The show shares a title with one of the 19 paintings on view, a 6–foot-high canvas featuring a ghostly serpentine form coiled around a pair of carefully rendered flowers. “The planet is our garden,” Stone said of the symbolism behind the work. “I think that many people are disrespecting the planet, pretending that there isn’t climate change, there’s no environmental climate crisis. And (they believe) if they just ignore it, that it will go away.”
Many of the works in the show draw on social issues, as well as personal experience. “I created these works to understand the essence of pure creativity that comes from heartfelt truth,” Stone said in a statement accompanying the exhibition. “To let go of the noise, the judgments, and the pollution of our societal pulls.”
One painting, “A State of Affairs,” shows a nest of bloody vipers that Stone compared to a patriarchal society that believes it can just “take and take,” whether it be natural resources or political power.
The contemplative “Jerusalem,” meanwhile, was inspired by a visit Stone made some years ago to the city’s Western Wall, where she prayed for peace. Including it in the exhibition, which opened just days after Hamas’ surprise attacks against Israel, was important to her, Stone said, because “every loss in war is some mother’s child.”
Painting has become a vital form of expression for Stone, who became a ’90s icon thanks to her roles in movies like “Casino” and “Basic Instinct.” The botanical painting, “It’s My Garden, Asshole,” for example, was made for a friend who had struggled to have a baby and suffered a miscarriage before giving birth in her 40s.
When the woman’s father-in-law commented on baby weight she was still carrying a few months later, she was “just devastated,” Stone recalled, adding that she told her friend to stand up to her father-in-law. Stone painted a raw, jaggedly-brushed canvas in her own response. “I was just so mad. I was like a cartoon character,” Stone remembered of the creative process, mimicking tears shooting out of her eyes.
The strong emotion behind Stone’s works is what appealed to gallery owner Tiffany Benincasa, who has been running the storefront gallery space in Greenwich for some 10 years after an earlier career on Wall Street. “You can feel the energy,” Benincasa said of Stone’s paintings. The commitment the actor has made to her art is also evident, the gallerist added. “She’s all in.”
Stone first started painting as a child, taught by her aunt Vonne, who was an artist and had filled the family’s home with murals. She studied art briefly at Edinboro University in her home state of Pennsylvania before quitting school to start modeling and acting in the late 1970s. But a friend’s gift of a paint-by-numbers kit during Covid lockdowns spurred a burst of creativity that led Stone to fill her bedroom with her artworks, before turning a guesthouse on her Los Angeles property into a home studio. Stone now dedicates several hours a day to painting; earlier this year, she staged her first show in Los Angeles, at Allouche Gallery.
Stone now spends much of her time in the studio trying to translate how she sees the world onto canvas. “Since I had a stroke, I started seeing color patterns on the wall,” she said. The stroke was caused by a massive brain hemorrhage, which led to her losing roles in Hollywood, she told CNN’s Chris Wallace earlier this year. But it also changed her visual perception. “I had to take medication to stop it, but I don’t think it ever really went away, because I still see all this extra color everywhere.”
She also experiments with different techniques and materials, from paint rollers to pickleball court tape, to achieve the effects she wants. “I use metallic paint a lot because I do really love that reflective quality,” she said. “I started incorporating spray paint into my paintings because I couldn’t get that kind of hyper-reflectiveness otherwise.”
An “obsession” with Modernist painters such as Wassily Kandinsky and Joan Miró influenced Stone’s more abstract paintings like “Amelia,” a diptych named after the legendary pilot Amelia Earhart. “I thought a lot about what it must have been like for her to be in the plane so long by herself, day after day, hour after hour.” Stone said. “And what she was thinking about and where she was going and what all these endless days and nights were like.”
The 8–foot-wide painting “Giverny” was based on a visit to Claude Monet’s gardens in the village of Giverny, in northern France, where Stone asked the young son of the site’s caretakers to show her all the locations the Impressionist painted from. “So we crawled around through the brush on our hands and knees. And he knew exactly where to get on the bridge and pull (the plants) aside,” she said. “I wanted to paint my own Giverny, and how it looked to me.”
Whatever the starting point, the process is always all-consuming for Stone, who admits that she can be “a little bit of a psycho” when ensuring an artwork matches the vision in her head. “It’s just compulsive,” she said.
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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