Art

We'd Just Get Our Art Fix Online, Right? Not So Fast – TheTyee.ca

Published

4 years ago

January 4, 2021

Looking back to those early “cancel everything” days of the pandemic, we can be forgiven for guessing the performing arts would transition to screens and find bored audiences in abundance. That was before we all came to understand the ravages of Zoom fatigue.

As our work and social lives shifted to digital interfaces, it seemed we had limited brain cells left over to watch something “live” but mediated by pixels. After staring at a computer for eight hours a day, the idea of sitting in front of a screen during your off hours felt like a strange form of imposition.

Some art forms fared better than others. Film, already streaming into people’s phones, computers and television screens, pivoted pretty easily. Festivals went digital, and major film studios soon followed, flooding the internet with more movies than any human person could watch in a single lifetime. The literary arts also did reasonably well; book sales were up.

But art galleries were running at a fraction of their usual capacity. Wandering through an empty gallery was something of a surreal and occasionally quite forlorn experience. And for art forms that relied on the frisson of live performance, things were even tougher. The notion of watching a three-hour opera or a dance performance on your laptop was often a hard sell.

Like most humans, the more guilt I feel about something, the less apt I am to want to do it. Events that on paper sounded interesting — a panel discussion or an art exhibition, on Zoom or some other form of digital format felt strangely enervating. After a few moments of talking heads on a small screen I just wanted to slink away. Which, online, is very easy to do. No barging past people, banging into their knees and whispered apologies. You simply blink out of existence and no one is the wiser.

Fortunately, the creative community is, well, creative. The imperative to discover innovative new ways of presenting shows was galvanizing for lots of organizations. Music on Main’s series “As Dreams Are Made,” which paired one audience member and one musician, was a genuine success story.

Some larger organizations didn’t even try the digital route. The Metropolitan Opera and Broadway simply closed up shop for the year and sent everyone home.

In Vancouver, the casualties have yet to become clear. Different organizations have adopted different strategies. Some may weather the storm and others may not. Personally, I am holding out hope for a renaissance of sorts. When the pandemic finally recedes and people are freed from solitary confinement, they might flood theatres and concert halls, desperate for the experience of crowded receptions, overpriced wine and long bathroom lineups.

I’ve read that when audiences watch a live performance together in a theatre, their heart beats synch up. Maybe it’s no surprise to see what the pandemic has taught us. There’s no digital substitute for real life.

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Art

A misspelled memorial to the Brontë sisters gets its dots back at last

Published

3 weeks ago

September 26, 2024

Anne Joseph

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.

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Art

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

Published

1 month ago

September 13, 2024

Harry Miller

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.