Six Inuit and three Korean artists have been selected to share their drawings as part of a Canadian pavilion during the 15th annual Gwangju Biennale in Korea. It’s the first Canada-Korea collaboration of its kind and is a feature of the 2024-2025 Year of Cultural Exchanges between the two nations.
It’s the second time Inuit artists from West Baffin Cooperative have shared their artwork at the biennale, and builds on the growing relationship between Kinngait Studios and its counterparts in Gwangju, Korea.
Kinngait Studios
Earlier this year, West Baffin Cooperative hosted two Korean cultural delegations in Toronto, Ottawa, Iqaluit, and Kinngait. During the visits they learned more about each other’s cultural practices and found a genuine fascination about the places in which each other respectively live.
Those preliminary cross-cultural exchanges served to inform this year’s pavilion, which ultimately led to the exhibition’s main theme that explores definitions of home.
In some cases, interactions between the artists were observational, about landscape, climate, or traditional attire. Other conversations were more nuanced, about linguistics and speculations around ancient Asia-Arctic migration. There were also intimate moments between the two groups, including demonstrations of identity through cuisine; exchanges of maktaaq and kimchi, palauga, and soju.
Maktaaq- a traditional food of Inuit and other circumpolar peoples, consisting of whale skin and blubber.
There were also political discussions about the still complex and often strained relationship between the government of Canada and Inuit people and those paralleled histories in Korea.
The exhibit features a set of six framed drawings taken from the 2023 pavilion, as a nod to the previous exhibition and a collaborative lithography commissioned for this project.
The six Kinngait artists include: Saimaiyu Akesuk, Shuvinai Ashoona, Qavavau Manumie, Pitseolak Qimirpik, Ooloosie Saila and Ningiukulu Teevee. The three participating Korean artists are Sae-woong Ju, Joheum Lee and Seol-a Kim. For the Silo, Paul Clarke. Featured image- 핏설악 퀴미르픽, 무제(고향과 또 다른 장소들), 2024, 종이에 잉크 Pitseolak Qimirpik, Untitled (Home and Other Places) 2024, ink on paper.
All of modern life is a spectacle. Much of what contemporary man experiences in Western society is a false social construct mediated by images.
These mediated images create desires that can never be fulfilled; they create false needs that can never be met. “Many of our daily decisions are governed by motivations over which we have no control and of which we are quite unaware” (Berger 41). The constant spector of the mediated image creates an endless cycle of desire, consumption, and disinterest, fueling a banality in life that feeds the commodification of life.
Increasingly life itself becomes a commodity and the image more important than the reality it represents. This commodification infiltrates every aspect of human production, including the arts, and finds its pinnacle expression in the work of Damien Hirst. Hirst has carefully crafted a brand identity that has far surpassed the value of his art work in importance and worth. Working in tandem with former advertising executive turned art dealer Charles Saatchi, the spectacle of the Hirst image becomes the commodity. “Reality unfolds in a new generality as a pseudo-world apart, solely as an object of contemplation. The tendency towards the specialization of images-of-the-world finds its highest expression in the world of the autonomous image, where deceit deceives itself” (Debord 143).
No longer is the work of art itself a commodity, but rather the image of the artist (his/her/cis brand) that becomes the commodity.
It is this spectacle that drives the consumer to identify with a particular artist or brand. “The astronomical growth in the wealth and cultural influence of multi-national corporations over the last fifteen years can arguably be traced back to a single, seemingly innocuous idea developed by management theorists in the mid-1980s: that successful corporations must primarily produce brands, as opposed to products” (Klein 4). The image has increasingly infiltrated and dominated the culture and the whole of society and has become “an immense accumulation of spectacles” (Debord 142).
Butterfly by Damien Hirst
Where once the products of labor were the commodity, now it is the spectacle that has become the commodity.
A prime example of this spectacle is Damien Hirst’s sculpture, “For the Love of God.” The sculpture consists of a platinum skull covered with 8,601 diamonds. The sculpture valued at over $100 million usd/ $129.361,000 cad [exchange rate at time of publication] is clearly out of the reach of almost any collector. The sculpture itself is not the art product, rather it is the spectacle that is the product. “Mr. Hirst is a shining symbol of our times, a man who perhaps more than any artist since Andy Warhol has used marketing to turn his fertile imagination into an extraordinary business” (Riding, nytimes.com). Acknowledging that the sculpture is out of reach for the majority of collectors, Hirst offered screen prints costing $2000 usd/ $2,587 cad to $20,000 usd/ $25,870 cad ; the most expensive prints were sold with a sprinkling of diamond dust.
Karl Marx argued that the value of the commodity arose from its relationship with other commodities; its ability to be exchanged for other commodities. Marx used the the production of a table to illustrate his thesis: “…by his activity, man changes the materials of nature in such a way as to make them useful to him. The form of wood, for instance, is altered if a table is made out of it. Nevertheless the table continues to be wood, an ordinary, sensuous thing. But as soon as it emerges as a commodity, it changes into a thing which transcends sensuousness.” (Marx 122)
Hirst’s diamond encrusted skull remains mere diamonds, valuable yes, but still diamonds. However, when coupled with the spectacle of Damien Hirst’s identity, the skull becomes a fetishized commodity capable of selling screen-prints valued in the thousands. The argument can be made that diamonds on their own carry value, and could be commodities themselves, however that doesn’t account for the fact the Hirst was able to sell prints of the skull for over $2000 usd/ $2,587 cad. Nor do the diamonds alone account for the spectacle surrounding the art work; it is Hirst’s brand, his image that creates the spectacle.
“The mystical character of the commodity does not therefore arise from its use-value. Just as little does it proceed from the nature of the determinants of value” (Marx 123). The value of a commodity arises from its spectacle, its ability to be desired. In Marx’s day that desire was its ability to be traded for other commodities; today that value is derived from its association to a brand, an identity, a spectacle. “Art reflects the illusory way in which society sees itself, it reflects the bourgeoisie’s aesthetic ideas as if they were universal” (Osborne 79).
The spectacle feeds itself through the mediating of the image to create desire for status and recognition, through associations.
“The ends are nothing and development is all – though the only thing into which the spectacle plans to develop is itself” (Debord 144). The spectacle’s main objective is self perpetuation. Its aim is totality. It must be noted that Hirst himself did not even create the work of art, but rather employed a studio full of jewelers to execute the sculpture, and printers to produce the prints.
Hirst exemplifies the bourgeoisie capitalist employer who retains ownership over the fruit of the employees’ labor. He is in many ways more akin to a captain of industry than he is to the romantic notion of an artist. “In the early twenties, the legendary adman Bruce Barton turned General Motors into a metaphor for the American family, something personal, warm and human” (Klein 7). Hirst has also turned himself into a metaphor, however, metaphors aren’t always true. This falsehod is at the heart of the issue. The spectacle isn’t concerned with what is true, rather it is concerned with what can be made to appear true. It is this appearance of truth that makes a commodity valuable. This fetishism of the commodity is why gold and silver have value, it is because people gave them value. It is the reason Damien Hirst, or any other brand, has value, because people gave it value.
Damien Hirst cannot be blamed for commodifying art, he is simply following a long tradition of turning objects and products into commodities. The fact that his commodity is his own image doesn’t seem to matter. “Hirst is just playing the game. It is a game played by collectors and dealers at art fairs throughout the year; it is a game finessed as never before by Sotheby’s and Christie’s; it is a game in which, in the words of Nick Cohen, a rare British journalist to trash Mr. Hirst’s publicity coup, ‘the price tag is the art’ ” (Riding .nytimes.com).
That final statement beautifully summarizes the commodification of art, ‘the price tag is the art.’ The fact that the art is obscenely priced, and out of the reach for the majority of collectors, the fact that it is made of diamonds, a precious stone known as the blood stone because of its association with brutal and oppressive regimes, merely adds to its allure, to its spectacle. Damien Hirst is merely playing the game, like many before him. He is a part of the growing culture industry that sells image. Images are the new commodity fetish. Images are the new mysterious commodities exchanged for more the more durable and enduring commodities. The bourgiousie sell their images, which have no real value, to the public which consumes them, in exchange for goods of real value.
“The $200 billion usd/ $270 billion cad culture industry – now North America’s biggest export – needs an every-changing, uninterrupted supply of street styles, edgy music videos and rainbows of colors. And the radical critics of the media clamoring to be ‘represented’ in the early nineties virtually handed over their colorful identities to the brand masters to be shrink-wrapped.” (Klein 115)
Nick Cohen said of Hirst, “[he] isn’t criticizing the excess, not even ironically … but rolling in it and loving it. The sooner he goes out of fashion, the better.” What Cohen fails to realize is that the spectacle is a fashion. And when one image goes out of fashion, another takes its place. Hirst may indeed go out of fashion, but another art brand will take his place, perpetuating the commodification of the arts in increasingly bombastic ways.
Perhaps art has always been a commodity?
In the past patrons would hire artists to paint them into scenes from the gospels. Patrons could be seen on the outskirts of paintings piously praying, thus creating an image of themselves as good and pious Christians. By association with the sacred art, the patron was creating a mediated image. Rulers did this all the time. The Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius is a perfect example. Its a mediating image that communicates power and authority.
But none of these examples reach the level of spectacle and fetishism that is Damien Hirst. While art may have been a commodity in the past, it was never commodified. In other words, while the art itself may have been exchanged for other goods, the artist himself was not treated as a commodity. The art of the past may have served a purpose, it may have contained a mediated message, but it was still a product, and it was the product that was valued, not its brand identity.
The commodification of art creates a unique problem in history. If it is the spectacle that matters, and the artist’s identity that has value, then what value is left in the art itself?
What then separates art from ordinary objects? Is there any aesthetic emotion that remains in the work of art itself, or does the aesthetic emotion dwell completely within the spectacle? These are questions that cannot easily be answered, and ultimately will require the lens of history to answer completely. But they are a pressing concern, for when art is commodified, it may cease to be art and instead become celebrity, product, or worse, advertising. For the Silo, Vasilios Avramidis
Works Cited Berger, Arthur Asa. Seeing is Believing: An Introduction to Visual Communication. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 2008. Print. Debor, Guy. “Showing Seeing: A Critique of Visual Culture.” The Visual Culture Reader. Ed.Nicholas Mirzoeff. New York, NY: Routelage, 1998. 142-144. Print. Klein, Naomi. No Logo, No Space, No Choice, No Jobs. New York, NY: Picador, 2000. Print. Marx, Karl. “Showing Seeing: A Critique of Visual Culture.” The Visual Culture Reader. Ed.Nicholas Mirzoeff. New York, NY: Routelage, 1998. 122-123. Print. Riding, Alan. Alas, Poor Art Market: ‘A Multimillion Dollar Headcase.’ The New York Times. June 2007, Damien Hirst and the Commodification of Art http://www.visual-studies.com/interviews/moxey.htm
An RCMP officer and a worker look on the demolition of the temporary installation for refugee claimants at Roxham Road Monday, in St. Bernard-de-Lacolle, Que., on Sept. 25, 2023. The Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz
The closing of the unofficial border crossing Roxham Road last year stemmed the flow of asylum-seekers into Quebec from New York state, but overall numbers are rising in Canada with a spike in those arriving by air. The rise has many reasons behind it and can’t be accounted for by the growing scope of global conflict alone, immigration experts told The Epoch Times.
A major contributor is likely an increase in travel visa approvals.
The government has recently ramped up its visa processing to eliminate a backlog from the pandemic, Montreal immigration lawyer Stéphanie Valois told The Epoch Times. After arriving on travel visas, many people proceed to claim asylum.
Fewer travel visa applicants have been asked to prove they will return home in recent years, said lawyer and York University international relations professor Michael Barutciski in an email. This is also likely contributing to an increase in air arrivals, he said.
From January to June this year, Canada processed just over 92,000 asylum claimants. That’s a lot more than the roughly 57,000 claimants in the same period last year—and 2023 was already a record-breaking year.
By contrast, from 2011 to 2016, the number of claimants Canada received each year ranged from around 10,000 to 25,000. The numbers began to climb thereafter, and Canada’s per-capita intake of asylum-seekers is now comparable to that of Germany, the European Union’s largest host country, according to Barutciski’s analysis of EU figures for a Macdonald-Laurier Institute paper published in July.
Nearly 28,000 claimants arrived via air in the first half of this year, compared with roughly 8,000 by land. This is a reversal of a long-standing trend of land arrivals being far more common, even before Roxham Road became a heavily used route.
The total number of asylum claimants processed by Canada Border Services Agency and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada during the first six months of 2017–2024. For 2011– 2016, only annual data is available, so we cut the annual total in half to give a rough estimate for comparison. The Epoch Times
From Land to Air
Roxham Road is an unofficial border crossing between New York and Quebec used by more than 100,000 migrants since 2017. Its use waned after Canada and the United States closed a loophole in their bilateral Safe Third Country agreement in March 2023.
The agreement says anyone seeking asylum must file their claim at the first of the two countries they enter. But the loophole was that this requirement applied only to official border crossings. Now it applies anywhere along the border: Asylum-seekers will be turned back to the United States to make their claims there.
Most of the asylum-seekers in 2023 were from Mexico—about 25,000 of all claimants that year, according to the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) of Canada.
The federal government further tightened restrictions on migrants from Mexico in February 2024 by requiring Mexicans to have travel visas.
“This responds to an increase in asylum claims made by Mexican citizens that are refused, withdrawn or abandoned,” said the federal government’s announcement at the time. “It is an important step to preserve mobility for hundreds of thousands of Mexican citizens, while also ensuring the sound management of our immigration and asylum systems.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in June, after meeting with Quebec’s premier, that his government would “improve the visa system“ in general, but he did not elaborate and it was not a major point of discussion.
The Epoch Times asked Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for any update or specific plans but did not receive a response as of publication.
“When people apply for a visa, it’s almost impossible to know what their intentions are when they arrive in Canada,” immigration lawyer Valois said. They may be planning to seek asylum, or sometimes the situation changes in their homeland—if a war starts, for example—and they decide to make a claim, she said.
The same is true of international students who file asylum claims, she added. Federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller has expressed alarm regarding international student claims.
The number of international students claiming asylum at Seneca College increased from about 300 in 2022 to nearly 700 in 2023. Claims from Conestoga College students rose from 106 to 450 during that same period.
These increases are “alarming” and “totally unacceptable,” Miller said in February.
As the method of entering Canada to claim asylum has changed, so have the most common countries of origin and the destinations within Canada.
Countries of Origin, Destination
The highest number of claimants so far this year have arrived from India. IRB data on country of origin is only available for January through March. It shows approximately 6,000 claimants from India. The next greatest are those from Mexico (about 5,800), Nigeria (5,061), and Bangladesh (3,016).
Given that the data is limited to only three months, it’s hard to tell how the annual total will compare to 2023. But if the number of Mexican applicants remains steady, Canada may see numbers similar to last year.
However, the number of Haitians and Colombians—which were among the highest in 2022 and 2023—appears to be on the decline. These are also groups that would have come in large numbers through Roxham Road.
The new claimants coming in now are from countries that differ from the top source countries for refugee claims worldwide, Barutciski said, referencing data he analyzed from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Canada’s spike is not following global trends, he said, which suggests it may have to do with a perception that Canada’s asylum policies are especially lenient. In other words, Canada is attracting claimants who feel they may not successfully seek asylum elsewhere.
Asylum-seekers are specifically people who arrive in the country without pre-approved refugee status. For example, although Canada has taken in many Ukrainian refugees, Ukraine is not a top source of asylum-seekers.
The majority of claimants so far this year have arrived in Ontario, whereas for years, Quebec was at the centre of the asylum issue.
Quebec has received more claimants than Ontario almost every year since 2016. The only exceptions were 2020 and 2021, but Ontario’s numbers were only slightly higher during those years (a difference of approximately 700 people in 2020 and roughly 1,600 in 2021).
In the first half of this year, Ontario received approximately 48,000 claimants and Quebec received 33,000. British Columbia and Alberta were the next highest recipients, with roughly 5,200 and 4,500 respectively.
How to distribute claimants, along with the federal funds for helping settle them, has been a hot topic.
Quebec received a pledge of $750 million in federal funds in June, and B.C. Premier David Eby was most outspoken about other provinces wanting help as well. Minister Miller replied in June that British Columbia needs to take on more asylum-seekers if it wants more money.
Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador have said they are willing to take on some of Quebec’s asylum-seekers.
The Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) in May put together an estimate of federal costs associated with each asylum claimant from a visa-exempt country.
The average cost for each claimant is $16,500 cad in 2024, the PBO said.
Asylum-seekers are eligible for a work permit, with the processing time to get it about six to eight weeks, according to the Quebec government.
The claims themselves can take years to process. The current projected wait time, according to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, is two years for a refugee claim and one year for an appeal. The backlog of cases has grown over the years to more than 186,000 as of March 31 this year. For comparison, the backlog was approximately 10,000 in 2015.
The proportion of claims that are approved is rising. The data available for 2024 so far, from January to March, shows 82 percent approved—or some 11,000 out of around 13,500 claims ultimately assessed—not counting others that weren’t assessed as they were either abandoned or withdrawn by the claimant.
Similarly, in the 2023 calendar year, roughly 79 percent were approved. That was a steep increase from the 69 percent figure in 2022, and the 71 percent in 2021. If we jump back to 2013, the number was 60 percent, which increased to 64 percent in 2014 and continued to climb.
For the Silo, Tara MacIsaac/The Epoch Times.The Canadian Press contributed to this report.Featured image via alipac.us : A group that stated they were from Haiti line up to cross the U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford, Quebec, from Champlain in New York, Aug. 21, 2017.
Few Canadians are immune to the rising cost of living, according to a new report from Statistics Canada, with 9 percent of those in the highest income quintile considering using a food bank.
Data from spring 2024 shows that while 42 percent of Canadians are concerned over rising food prices, about 9 percent of those in the highest income bracket report they may have to turn to a food bank or similar community organization for help. That number rises to 14 percent for those in the second-highest income bracket, StatCan said.
A cart is filled with bags of food during a Thanksgiving food drive for the Ottawa Food Bank, at a grocery store in Ottawa on Oct. 7, 2023. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang
Nearly half of Canadians report struggling to meet day-to-day expenses, up 12 percentage points from 2022 to 45 percent.
The survey found that the number of Canadians who feel “quite a bit” or “extremely” stressed over financial issues increased slightly since 2022, from 33 percent to 35 percent this year.
Families with children and those living with a disability are struggling the most, StatCan said.
Fifty-five percent of families with children say rising costs have impacted their ability to cover daily expenses, compared to 42 percent of households without children and 37 percent of single Canadians.
Shrinkflation– a sneaky way of charging more by giving less. General Mills shrunk its “family size” boxes from 19.3 ounces to 18.1 ounces. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Those with disabilities are also more likely to be facing financial difficulties, with 57 percent saying they are struggling to meet daily costs, compared with 43 percent of those without a disability.
Housing is one of the biggest concerns Canadians cite, with nearly four in 10 saying they are concerned about their ability to afford a home because of rising prices. The number has risen from 30 percent in 2022 to 38 percent this year.
StatCan found that renters are more uneasy about increasing prices than homeowners, with nearly two-thirds of renters “very” concerned over housing affordability compared with about one-third of homeowners.
Food prices are another top concern for those surveyed, with more than one in five Canadians saying they may not be able to afford groceries. The number has risen to 23 percent, up from 20 percent two years ago.
Of those worried about food prices, 8 percent say they are very likely to need help from an organization such as a food bank. Another 15 percent say they are somewhat likely to need community help.
More than one in four families with children say they expect to turn to food banks and similar organizations, compared to one in five for other household types, StatCan said.
About one-third of Canadians with a disability say they expect to get food from a community organization in the next six months, compared to one in five of those without a disability, the agency said. For the Silo, Chandra Philip / The Epoch Times. The data was collected between April 19 and June 3.
Melding the varied flavors of vegetable-focused cuisine with the nuanced profiles of fine—and even budget—wines can transform a simple meal into an extraordinary dining experience. From the earthy undertones of roasted vegetables to the vibrant zest of fresh herbs, each vegetable dish holds a unique flavor profile that, when paired with the right wine, can be elevated via enhancing flavors and overall meal complexity. Below are expert tips for harmonizing garden-fresh and vineyard-driven delights.
When Garden Meets Grapes: Elevating Vegetable Dishes with Perfect Wine Pairings
Have you ever wondered why a glass of wine tastes so much better when paired with the right dish?
While it’s true for any cuisine, wine pairing for vegetable dishes in particular can be a game-changer—and not just benefitting those living a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, but rather everyone who enjoys gastro gifts from the garden.
The art of wine pairing, once thought to be reserved for meat and seafood dishes, has evolved to embrace vegetarian cuisine. Understanding how to pair wine with vegetarian dishes is an art that can elevate your dining experience to new heights. Here, we delve into the nuances of wine pairing with vegetarian food, considering ingredients, cooking methods, and seasoning. Whether you are hosting a dinner party or enjoying a quiet meal at home, these tips and examples will help you choose the perfect wine to complement your vegetarian dishes.
Understanding the Ingredients
Vegetarian dishes often feature a variety of vegetables, grains, legumes, and plant-based proteins. Each ingredient brings its own flavor profile, from the earthy tones of mushrooms to the sweetness of roasted bell peppers. When pairing wine, consider the dominant flavors of the dish. For instance:
Mushrooms: Earthy and umami-rich mushrooms pair well with Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. For example, mushroom risotto’s creamy texture and deep umami flavors of a well-made mushroom risotto are beautifully complemented by a Pinot Noir, whose earthy undertones enhance the dish’s richness.
Tomatoes: The acidity and sweetness of tomatoes complement well with Sauvignon Blanc or Chianti. The savory and slightly tangy tomato sauce used in eggplant parmesan pairs excellently with Chianti. Its bright acidity and red fruit flavors balance the dish’s robust flavors.
Greens: Leafy greens like spinach and kale, with their slight bitterness, match nicely with crisp whites like Pinot Grigio or Grüner Veltliner. Take Kale and Apple Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette as an example, the fresh, slightly bitter kale, combined with sweet apple and tangy lemon vinaigrette, pairs beautifully with Grüner Veltliner. The wine’s crispness and slight peppery notes enhance the salad’s flavors.
Root Vegetables: Sweet and earthy root vegetables, such as carrots and beets, pair wonderfully with wines like Merlot or Zinfandel. The sweet, earthy flavor of roasted beets pairs harmoniously with the smooth, fruity notes of Merlot.
Cooking Methods
The way a dish is prepared can significantly influence its wine pairing. Here are some common vegetarian cooking methods and corresponding wine suggestions:
Grilling: Grilled vegetables often have a smoky, charred flavor. Pair them with robust wines like Syrah or Malbec. The smoky, charred flavors of the grilled vegetables find a perfect match in Malbec, whose robust fruit flavors and tannins stand up to the boldness of the dish.
Roasting: Roasting enhances the sweetness of vegetables. Consider wines with a hint of sweetness or spiciness, such as Riesling or Grenache, like Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. The sweet, creamy flavors of roasted butternut squash soup are complemented by the slight sweetness and acidity of Riesling, balancing the richness.
Stir-frying: Stir-fried dishes, especially those with Asian influences, pair well with aromatic whites like Gewürztraminer or light reds like Gamay. The aromatic and slightly spicy flavors in stir-fried tofu or vegetables are enhanced by Gewürztraminer. This wine’s floral and lychee notes, along with its slight sweetness, balance the dish’s flavors.
Raw: Fresh, raw dishes such as salads or crudités benefit from crisp, light wines like Sauvignon Blanc or Rosé. The fresh tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella in a Caprese salad pair nicely with a crisp Rosé, whose acidity and light fruit flavors enhance the dish’s freshness.
Seasoning and Sauces
Seasonings and sauces can dramatically alter the flavor profile of a dish, impacting the wine pairing. Here are some examples:
Herbs: Fresh herbs like basil, cilantro, and mint call for wines that enhance their freshness. Think of Sauvignon Blanc or Vermentino for your favorite Pesto Pasta. The fresh basil in a vibrant pesto sauce pairs beautifully with Vermentino, whose citrusy and herbaceous notes complement the herb’s freshness.
Spices: Spicy dishes, whether it’s a dash of chili or a complex curry, pair well with slightly sweet wines like Riesling or off-dry Chenin Blanc. The heat and aromatic spices in a chickpea curry are balanced by an off-dry Chenin Blanc, whose slight sweetness tempers the spice.
Creamy Sauces: Creamy or cheesy sauces, often found in vegetarian pastas or casseroles, pair excellently with full-bodied whites like Chardonnay or Viognier. The rich, creamy sauce in fettuccine Alfredo finds a perfect match in Chardonnay, whose full body and buttery notes complement the dish’s richness.
Tangy Sauces: Tangy sauces, such as vinaigrettes or lemon-based dressings, match nicely with high-acidity wines like Albariño or unoaked Chardonnay. The tangy lemon and fresh herbs in a quinoa salad pair well with the high acidity of Albariño, enhancing the dish’s bright flavors.
Pairing wine with vegetarian dishes is a rewarding endeavor that opens up a world of flavors. By considering the ingredients, cooking methods, and seasonings, you can create harmonious pairings that elevate your meals. Whether you’re enjoying a simple weeknight dinner or hosting a lavish gathering, these wine and vegetarian food pairings will impress and satisfy you. For the Silo, Sylvia Ba.
Wine consultant Sylvia Ba is a vinicultural expert with the “VinoVoss” AI Sommelier wine search engine and recommendation system developed by BetterAI.
Poutine. Mac n cheese. Cup cakes. Hot dogs. Grilled cheese. COMFORT.
Once upon a time when you thought of these foods you thought of the basic cup cake mix, a pack of Ball Park Frank’s or a box of KD. But now restauranteurs and chefs everywhere are adding their own unique gourmet touches – and it’s catching on.
Poutine originated in Quebec consisting of french fries, fresh cheese curds and brown gravy.
Today it is found all across Canada and has turned into an almost regional food. One of the most extreme I have found was on the east coast; lobster claw and a white seafood gravy. It’s no longer just “pub grub” either, high end restaurants have discovered adding more fat in the form of foie gras boosted flavor and their bottom line with an average price in the mid 20’s.
Same goes with grilled cheese.
When I was a kid it was Kraft Singles and two slices of Wonder bread. Now it’s full flavored brioche and smoked gruyere with options like fire roasted peppers and house cured back bacon.
Mac n cheese is definitely getting a lot of attention and, in my opinion, is one of the most customized dishes of this new gourmet classics trend. From the meat lover to the vegetarian you can add almost anything you like. And why stop with cheddar? Chefs are adding all kinds of new dairy delights including cheeses that are soft, hard, smoked, brined, imported and are made from more than just cow’s milk.
So why are we so bent on changing the classics?
Have these comfort foods lost their ability to please or are we just looking to liven things up a bit? Why not take some of these classics and add your own personal touch? It can be something as simple as adding a fried egg to your hamburger. Even a single ‘extra’ can turn your regular comfort food choice into something extra special.
Be your own comfort food connoisseur or perhaps you’ve whipped up something really outside-the-box recently. Let us know in the comments below. For the Silo, Graeme Desjarlais. Feature image is AI generated.
In what might have been the best New York real estate deal since the Dutch bought Manhattan in 1626 for $24 usd/ $33 cad in trinkets, one of New York’s historic properties, which includes a 38-room Victorian mansion, a 10,000-square-foot guest home, a stone bowling alley, a carriage house, a gatehouse, and much more on 2,078 acres, has hit the market for $65 million usd/ $ 89,101,000 cad. The property last sold for just $500,000 usd / $685,600 cad in 1963, when Standard Oil president Walter C. Teagle sold the long-neglected property to brothers Billy and Tommy Hitchcock, heirs to the Mellon family fortune. If it gets its asking price, it will more than triple the record for a real estate sale price in the Millbrook area, which currently stands at $19 million usd/ $26,053,000 cad.
The Hitchcock estate, also known as Daheim (“at home” in German), became infamous in the 1960s as the domain of Harvard psychologist-turned-LSD-evangelist Timothy Leary, who used the property for psychedelic experimentation for five years. Nina Graboi, an influential figure in the psychedelic movement, described the scene as “a cross between a country club, a madhouse, a research institute, a monastery, and a Fellini movie set.” Considered “the most dangerous man in America” by Richard Nixon, Leary hosted such counterculture luminaries as Allen Ginsberg and attracted frequent raids by the FBI, which eventually caused him to leave. The estate fell into disrepair but has undergone extensive renovations in recent years that have restored it to its former glory. Photo Credit Tyler Blodgett/ Heather Croner Real Estate Sotheby’s International Realty
We all live busy lives. When it comes time to shuffle things around on the schedule, your sleep is often the first place to take a hit.
However, nothing is more frustrating than trying to be good and turning in early to finally get a good night’s sleep. You toss and turn for a few hours, looking at the clock, wide-awake. Why did you bother going to bed early? You might as well have stayed up late to watch a movie or get some work done.
Even though we’ve all been sleeping our entire lives, most of us are doing it wrong. Our sleep habits and our bedtime routines are preventing us from getting the deep rest we need.
Here are a few of them:
1. Your Mattress
Let’s start with the obvious, your mattress. We often hold onto a mattress much longer than we should. The reason is simple: mattresses are expensive to replace. Or at least they used to be.
You no longer have to squeeze as much life as you can out of your current mattress to save enough money to buy a new one. Now, you can discover the benefits of buying your mattress online for a fraction of the price that we’re used to paying at furniture shops and big-box stores.
This way, you get a far more comfortable mattress, and you can sleep better knowing it didn’t cost you a fortune.
2. Your Devices
This is such a hard habit to break. For most people, the phone or tablet is the last thing they put down before bed and the first thing they look at when they wake up.
You might find it relaxing to read on a tablet or lazily scroll through your social feed before bed, but it’s actually keeping your body awake.
There are a number of reasons that experts point to when it comes to digital devices robbing people of their sleep. However, on a physiological level, the light from the phone hurts your body’s natural melatonin levels, which keeps you awake for longer.
3. You’re Away From Home Too Much
Ever notice how tired you feel when you’re on the road a lot?
This nice big king-sized hotel bed has crisp and clean sheets. So, why can’t you wake up feeling refreshed in it?
It’s because the human body isn’t designed to sleep well when it’s not in a place is sees as “home.” In fact, only half of your brain is asleep, while the other half stands on guard to protect you from unfamiliar threats.
It’s not just that you’re travelling, active and busy. It’s that half your brain is still awake.
These are only a few reasons that you’re having trouble falling asleep or waking up feeling rested. Of course, there are always lifestyle factors that can hurt your sleep patterns.
However, you could be doing all the right things when it comes to diet or exercise, but still have trouble sleeping if you’re struggling with any of the issues we mentioned above.
Your body wants to sleep and knows how to sleep. Don’t get in its way!
With August already ushering in temptations laden with pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg and other fall flavor favorites, it’s the perfect time to explore spiciness in wine–a multifaceted characteristic adding depth and excitement to the vinicultural experience. Whether it’s the peppery punch of a Syrah or the warm and gingery notes of a Gewürztraminer, spicy wines elevate the complexity of wine and enhance the overall tasting experience.
Earthy, mineral, spicy … these terms are commonly used to describe wine.
The spiciness in wine is like the spiciness in food, it is not a flavor, but a sensation. Spiciness in wine is one of those intriguing characteristics that can elevate a wine and add complexity to it. It’s a sensation that parallels the heat from a chili pepper or the warmth from a touch of cinnamon. But what exactly makes a wine spicy? How can we identify it, and more importantly, how can we enjoy a spicy wine with food?
But what exactly is a Spicy Wine?
When we talk about spicy wine, we’re referring to wines that evoke a sensation of warmth and tingling on the palate, much like certain spices do. This spiciness can manifest in various forms.
For instance, a wine with a peppery character can remind one of the sharp bite of black pepper or the more subtle heat of white pepper. On the other hand, a wine that exudes baking spices flavors might reveal the sweetness and warmth of cinnamon or nutmeg, adding a familiar touch to its profile. Other wines might bring to mind the slightly sweet and woody heat of cloves or ginger, offering yet another layer of spiciness.
Certain wines are particularly known for their spicy profiles.
Syrah, for example, is the most common spicy wine, known for its black pepper notes, especially in wines from regions like the Rhône Valley in France or the Barossa Valley in Australia. Meanwhile, Grüner Veltliner, the iconic Austrian white wine, displays a white pepper spiciness, setting it apart among white wines.
Gewürztraminer, with its exotic and aromatic profile, often carries a ginger-like spiciness, along with floral and lychee notes. In fact, “Gewürz” means “spicy” in German. On the other hand, Zinfandel, a robust and often fruity red, can express a range of spicy characteristics, from cinnamon to cloves, depending on the region and winemaking style.
Why Does My Wine Taste Spicy?
The spiciness in wine can be attributed to several factors, primarily the grape variety and the winemaking process. The inherent spiciness in certain wines often comes from the grape variety itself due to specific chemical compounds present in the grapes.
Rotundone is the primary aroma compound responsible for peppery notes in wine.
Found in grape skins, rotundone is particularly prominent in varieties like Syrah and Grüner Veltliner, making the wines feel peppery and adding a layer of complexity to their flavor profiles. Similarly, 4-vinylguaiacol is known for contributing clove-like aromas and flavors. It’s more commonly found in wines made from grapes that have a higher phenolic content, influenced by the grape variety and growing conditions.
No those aren’t pacman characters. From researchgate.net – Synthesis of 4-vinylguaiacol (4-VG) or 4-vinylphenol (4-VP) from ferulic acid (FA) or p-coumaric acid (p-CA) using E. coli harboring phenolic acid decarboxylase from B. licheniformis (BlPAD) on the cell surface.
Beyond the grape variety, the winemaking and aging processes can also play a significant role in developing spiciness in wine. One of the key factors here is the use of oak barrels. When wine is aged in oak barrels, it can take on additional spicy characteristics. The type of oak, the level of toasting, and the length of aging all influence the final profile. American oak, for example, tends to impart more vanilla and coconut notes, while French oak can contribute subtle spices like clove and cedar. The interaction between the wine and the wood allows for the development of complex flavors that enhance the wine’s overall spiciness.
What Food to Pair with Spicy Wine?
When it comes to wine and food pairing, the key is to complement and balance the wine’s spicy notes with the right dishes. Just like light foods with crisp wines, sweet dishes with sweeter wines, one approach is to pair spicy wine with spicy food. Similar flavor profiles can create a harmonious match where the flavors complement each other.
For example, pairing Syrah with pepper-crusted meats can enhance the black pepper notes in the wine, creating a cohesive and robust flavor experience. Grüner Veltliner pairs wonderfully with spicy Asian cuisine, balancing the heat of dishes like Thai green curry or Sichuan cuisine with its fresh acidity and white pepper spiciness. Gewürztraminer can be a great match for dishes that have a touch of sweetness and mild spice, such as Indian curry. The ginger-like spice in the wine enhances the overall richness of the dish. Similarly, Zinfandel pairs well with hearty, smoky dishes like barbecue ribs, where the clove and pepper notes in the wine complement the smoky, tangy flavors of the ribs.
In addition to the dishes with similar taste profiles, it’s helpful to think about broader categories of foods that pair well with spicy wines. Meats, particularly those with rich, robust flavors, often match well with spicy reds like Syrah or Zinfandel. The spiciness in the wine can stand up to the bold flavors of the meat.
For white wines with spicy notes, like Grüner Veltliner or Gewürztraminer, consider lighter fare that still offers complex flavors. Asian and Mexican cuisine, with its intricate balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy elements, can be an excellent match, as can dishes with a touch of sweetness or mild spice, which help to highlight the spicy characteristics of the wine.
Spiciness in wine is a multifaceted and enchanting characteristic that adds depth and excitement to the wine.
Whether it’s the peppery punch of a Syrah or the warm, gingery notes of a Gewürztraminer, spicy wines offer more complexity to the wine and pleasure to the overall tasting experience. For the Silo, Sylvia Ba.
Wine consultant Sylvia Ba is a vinicultural expert with the “VinoVoss” AI Sommelier wine search engine and recommendation system developed by BetterAI. The user-friendly online platform picks the perfect wine every time, for any occasion courtesy of a highly advanced artificial intelligence assist.
When Dr. John Salerno – a protégé of “Atkins Diet” creator Dr. Robert Atkins – testified before the U.S.D.A. about plans for its most recent Food Pyramid revision, he spoke his mind: The food industry is corrupt and has supported recommendations that do not support the population’s health.
“Hidden sugar, preservatives and highly processed white starch are what are really causing our health epidemic in the United States and Canada, Mexico, Australia and the United Kingdom,” says Salerno, author of “The Silver Cloud Diet,” (www.thesilverclouddiet.com). “Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease are killing this country, and it’s not because people are eating too much organic natural fats.”
Since the initial popularity of the Atkins food plan some years ago, however, there have been critics of the low-carbohydrate diet.
The science was and is sound, says Dr. Salerno, who worked closely with Atkins on research. The problem was that the diet itself was not sustainable.
After the terrorist bombings of September 11, 2001, Dr. Salerno served as the Medical Director for the World Trade Center Landfill, a position that earned him a commendation from then-mayor Rudy Giuliani. In this capacity, he was charged with monitoring the health of the public workers assigned to manage the landfill where debris from the World Trade Center was transferred.
“The basic principles needed revision both to make the diet sustainable and to take into account the foods available today,” he says. How does a low-carb diet work? Salerno answers the most frequently asked questions:
• How is a low-carb diet today different from the Dr. Atkins plan? Thirty years ago, the food supply was less degraded. Now, low-carb dieters have to be more proactive about selecting chemical-free foods that are not highly processed. There are many more farming techniques today that introduce unnatural elements into our meats and vegetables, and there are many, many more highly processed foods on store shelves. We need to be vigilant about preservatives and additives; hormone-infused meat can wreak havoc on a body.
• What’s the first step? The Fat Fast Detox quickly puts one’s body into fat-burning mode. Adhering to the carb-free diet for two weeks will have participants losing five to 15 pounds and two inches from the waistline. Breakfast, for example, could include two large organic eggs and a side of bacon, sausage or ham, which can be washed down with coffee or tea with cream and sweetener. • What about eating out? Sustaining a low-carb diet is pretty simple when eating at restaurants. Take the burger out of the bread and skip the French fries. You’re good to go with grilled fish, roast chicken, pot roast, pork tenderloin, shrimp, scallops and pates.
• How can you eat on the run? A small amount of planning goes a long way. Boil eggs and keep them on hand for long car trips and office snacking. Add to that list jerky salmon, nuts and string cheese. These foods are dense with nutrients.
• Where can you find “clean” foods? Buy as “close to the ground” as possible, meaning choose organic produce, eggs and dairy. Inquire at farmer’s markets where they grow crops. Find a local provider for meats and fish if possible.
• Can you eat cake on a low-carb diet? As your health and vitality improves with lost weight and increased activity, you can introduce more carbohydrates into your diet.
• Are low-carb meals safe for family members who do not need to lose weight? What’s good for you – a broad and varied diet of unprocessed foods – is good for your family!
• When is the diet over? Eating foods that are healthy, unprocessed and natural is something you should never stop doing. However, if you feel you’re starting to gain excess weight, go on a detox regimen by cutting out carbs completely for one week.
• So, fat is good for you? Natural fat is the most nutrient-dense food there is. It’s lubricates your joints and helps your brain function at its best. It also keeps your hair shiny and helps prevent wrinkles. When you cut out processed carbs from your diet, you don’t need to worry about natural fat, which is an appetite suppressant. For the Silo, Dr. John Salerno.
Report via friends at thepochtimes.com. A Canadian warship was deployed to the Bering Strait in July to keep an eye on a Chinese polar research vessel as it navigated the passage between Russia and Alaska, underscoring Beijing’s growing interest in the region.
HMCS Regina in camouflage paint scheme used to confuse or obscure enemy’s visual observation.
The HMCS Regina shadowed the Chinese Research Vessel Xue Long 2 (China’s first domestically built Arctic research vessel) sometime between July 7 when it left its home port of Esquimalt, B.C., and July 25 when it returned.
China has called itself a “near-Arctic state” and has two icebreaking polar research vessels in service, the Xue Long and the Xue Long 2. The latter, delivered in 2019, has a displacement of 15,421 tons and is capable of breaking polar ice with both its bow and stern.
polarjournal.ch “On the scientific side, several research station and two Polar research vessel (here: Xue Long) underline China’s ambitions as an Arctic power. However, the plans of the Chinese government go far beyond research and science as outlined in the White Paper presented in 2018.” Image: Timo Palo- Own work, CC By-SA 3.0, via Wikicommons
Although the federal government did not publicize this part of HMCS Regina’s trip to the Arctic Ocean, a National Defence spokesperson confirmed the encounter in an email to The Epoch Times Aug. 1.
National Defence media relations officer Andrée-Anne Poulin also confirmed a Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) naval task group was in the area.
cbc.ca : “The shadowing took place just days ahead of Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly’s surprise visit to China. The minister went to Beijing in an attempt to repair the frosty diplomatic relationship between Canada and China.”
“The ship and its embarked CH-148 Cyclone Air Detachment interacted safely and professionally with the Chinese Research Vessel Xue Long 2 throughout its transit through the Bering Strait,” Poulin said, adding that the Chinese task group vessels “remained in international waters at all times” and had “no encounters with HMCS Regina.”
canada.ca : “The CH-148 Cyclone is one of the most capable maritime helicopters in the world. It is Canada’s main ship-borne maritime helicopter, and it provides air support to the Royal Canadian Navy.”
National Defence declined to give further mission details, citing security protocol.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported the detection of Chinese navy vessels July 6 within the country’s exclusive economic zone that stretches 200 nautical miles from the coastline of Alaska.
The HMCS Regina left port in B.C. the following day. Commander of the Canadian navy’s Pacific fleet Dave Mazur said in a July 28 social media post the ship deployed “on short notice for a brief but impactful deployment.”
The U.S. Coast Guard said the Chinese vessels replied to radio communications, saying their purpose in the vicinity was “freedom of navigation operations.”
“The Chinese naval presence operated in accordance with international rules and norms,” Coast Guard District commander Megan Dean said in a July 10 press release. “We met presence with presence to ensure there were no disruptions to U.S. interests in the maritime environment around Alaska.”
The Coast Guard said it kept the Chinese task group under surveillance until all ships had crossed back into the Pacific Ocean.
Security Issues
The risk of foreign actors invading Canadian waters is on the rise as the region becomes more accessible, Poulin said.
Competitors are “exploring Arctic waters and the sea floor, probing our infrastructure and collecting intelligence,” she said. “We are seeing more Russian activity in our air approaches, and a growing number of Chinese dual-purpose research vessels and surveillance platforms collecting data about the Canadian North that is, by Chinese law, made available to China’s military.”
Despite not being an Arctic nation, China has aspirations of becoming a “polar great power” by 2030, according to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).
Poulin said China is increasingly growing its navy, including its nuclear-powered submarine fleet, as well as its investments, infrastructure and “industrial scientific influence throughout the Arctic region.”
Chinese encroachment in the Arctic is not a new issue. The country’s Snow Dragon icebreaker completed its first-ever voyage through Canada’s Northwest Passage in 2017.
A China Shipping Line cargo ship sails sails off the coast of Alaska past the Finnish icebreaker MSV Nordica on Tuesday, July 11, 2017. (David Goldman/The Associated Press)
China’s Xinhua News Agency described the voyage as one to test the viability of sailing Chinese cargo ships through the Arctic waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Joly Visit
Canada’s monitoring of the Chinese ships occurred when Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly was preparing for an official visit to China to reinforce bilateral ties.
The minister met with Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi on July 19 “to discuss Canada-China relations as well as complex global and regional security issues,” Global Affairs Canada said.
The meeting happened as there is heightened attention in Canada to Beijing’s interference in Canadian affairs, with an ongoing public inquiry investigating the issue.
Past Hostile Encounters
Beijing has also shown hostility to the Canadian military in other encounters.
Last year, a Canadian military helicopter operating in the South China Sea was buzzed by Chinese fighter jets, putting Canadian personnel at risk, the Department of National Defence (DND) said at the time.
A year before that, in international airspace in Asia, Chinese fighter jets also buzzed Canadian planes on a U.N. mission to support sanctions against North Korea.
A similar incident again happened in 2019, where Chinese jets buzzed Canadian ships in the East China Sea. For the Silo, Jennifer Cowan.
Claudia is drawn to regions which are borderlands, geographically and psychologically and have been rendered throughout history by artists. Her work is process driven and deeply shaped by its relationship to daily life, a passion for history and art made by women.
Claudia talks about her process; ‘When I get going, there is a certain energy, and impulse within me and picking up from the residues of leftovers from previous sessions, remnants that I have been living with since. One of the main ingredients that informs my decisions seems to be reacting to impulse to distil [UK spelling. US spelling ‘distill’] and repair something. Even though I don’t know what that is.’ (From Obscure Secure, exhibition catalogue, in conversation with Hayley Field and Jacqueline Utley, 2014.)
Culture, mixed media, 70cm x 80cm, 2018
CBP: Your abstract paintings feel like individual identities, each with an independent relationship with you, rather than products of a series. Can you introduce something about your approach to painting?
Claudia Böse: I very much like your first paragraph as nobody ever pointed this out to me. It is kind of obvious to me that each painting is very separate from the others and never part of a series.
I never know what I am going to paint. Painting is bigger than me.
When I start to get into the painting it is out of this world and right in it too.
Das sich zu Erwartende, oil on canvas, 2022
CBP: Describe a typical starting point for one of your paintings?
CB: I get paints, brushes, palette knives, plenty of time, rags, and quiet space. I sit for quite a long time just looking and listening. I am waiting to start. I begin at some moment and that is it. I am on auto pilot. Sometimes there are older panels in the studio which I might also work on. I might just give one painting one coat of new colour or scrape off the middle of an older work. Anything can happen.
For the past 10 years I painted in this Church on the second floor. Our allotment is also near. During Covid I had this place for two years to myself which was an amazing experience. When do we get any thing like this as a painter? I wonder this might also be the only time I have ever sold so many paintings. There was a special integrity at work for a short time and has not happened again.
February, oil on board, 24cm x 18cm , 2015
CBP: Erasure and removing paint is a fundamental process of yours and other painters. Can you talk more about scraping away?
CB: Scraping away and moving paint, it is not about the surface only I think about, but as important is the below and next to it and underneath it, with its own structure and beauty and rules – on one level it is not decorative, there is a reason, giving it space also to its own being. I am German and British, but too much to get into it here.
Frame, oil on panel, 24cm x 18cm, 2015
CBP: You discuss your pull to borderless regions that have been interpreted throughout history by artists and writers. This is a very evocative connection between the feeling, process and scholarly to paint research. Could you talk about this connection in more detail?
CB: Perhaps this is something painters do to find out about visual existence and expression of finality. I moved for three years to the island of Ruegen where Caspar David Friedrich lived and worked. I moved there to see with my own eyes what he saw and painted then. Constable and Sebald interest me for similar reasons.
Green on white, oil on panel, 12cm x 12cm, 2011
CBP: You’ve talked in past articles about decisions about when and how you use paint are strongly guided by your empathy for work which has been created by other women painters. Is this through mark making appropriations or another type of approach and sensibility? Has this changed for you more recently?
CB: This is a very different question now. Things have changed and come to an end in Europe. Women and men are equal. It will take time and all will get used to it. For six years I was part of Obscure Secure1 and we were not sure if change will really come. I am so glad that things have changed forever.
Letting go, oil on canvas, 89cm x 70cm, 2018
CBP: Can you talk about how you work with colour to build mood and space in your painting?
CB: This question is amazing for all painters. There are growing moods supported by colours we use in a personal way. I have always painted with the same ambition, origin and style and mood. I also always use in painting white, yellow, earth colours and pink to have a presence. There are so many different colours of each. I wonder how many colours I touch in my life?
Loki, mixed media, 50cm x 50cm
CBP: How prolific are you as a painter in terms of routine and successful completion of works verses the abandonment of paintings?
CB: I am aware how few phases I have left to paint in my life. This is a very interesting time. I recently started getting rid of art things I really won’t need anymore. New things will come too, I am sure.
Mother, mixed media, 90cm x 90cm, 2018
CBP: What are you working on right now?
CB: I am painting new work. I am also getting my studio open for September.
1. Obscure Secure is an artist-led collaborative project focusing on work by 20thc women artists, initiated in 2013 by Claudia Böse, Hayley Field and Jacqueline Utley with a practice based research exploring the visibility of women artists in collections. The name Obscure Secure was taken from one of The Hawstead Panels at Christchurch Mansion, most available writing about the panels say they were probably painted by Lady Drury in 1610. The panel ‘Obscure Secure’ has an image of a bear in a cave with the text beneath it. We decided to use this title because the words and image resonated with working with collections, where work is often hidden but kept safe.
Sandra Blow, mixed media, 30cm x 30cm, 2022Staying alive, oil on canvas, 100cm x 100cm, 2012Trabant, oil on paper, 91cm x 116cm, 2011Vater, watercolour, 11cm x 10cm
Claudia Böse was born in Nueremberg, Germany in 1963 and trained at Central St. Martins and the Royal Academy Schools in London. Her awards include the International Bursary, Arts Council Ireland and the Travel Grant, European Cultural Foundation for residencies in Ireland and Poland. She was also the recipient of the Something useful project in India as well as being a collaborative artist of ‘Obscure Secure’, a project supported by the Arts Council England. Her paintings have been exhibited England, Ireland, Germany, Poland, Spain, Florida and India. She is working in a church tower and has been based in Suffolk since 2002.
Recent exhibitions include: 2024; Slow Painting, Contemporary British Painting & Guests, Studio KIND at the Cornstore & The Plough Arts Centre, Exeter, 2022-3; Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, Saxmundham, Suffolk, 2022; Wells Art Contemporary, Vitalistic Fantasies, Elysium, Swansea, Paradoxes, Contemporary British Painting, Isle of Wight, Quay Arts Centre, A Generous Space, Hastings Contemporary.
Featured image- Bathroom by Claudia Böse. Watercolour, spray paint and acrylic paint.
The Digital Keyboards Inc Synergy II+ is a digital additive/FM synthesizer that sounds like no other. Somewhat similar to the extremely popular Japanese Yamaha DX7, its tone is mellower and warmer. The Synergy appealed to many performers and composers in that it was, like the Synclavier (one of Michael Jackson’s famous early synthesizers) , made in USA.
It’s estimated that only 700-800 Synergy keyboards were made and that less than 100 are in operation today.
Due to it’s rarity and lack of many working examples, it is not easy to garner modern day opinions and user experiences and so it makes sense to paste some stuff from wiki:
“Analog synths of the same era (the late 1970s and early 1980s when the Z-80 computer chip ruled the electronic world) were subject to environmental changes in the input controls that meant every performance, even after a short delay, would be different. The tuning capacitors would drift due to performance venue temperature changes or recording studio humidity and temperature changes making it very difficult to stay in tune with other instruments and especially other electronic instruments.
One way around this was to spend huge sums of money on the latest high end digital synthesizers that held their tunings digitally. Famous electronic artist Wendy Carlos (her originally soundtrack for The Shining remains unused to this day and I have yet to hear it. If you have a link please share in the comments below) owned a Crumar General Development System, or GDS, that was released in 1980 and sold at that time for $30,000USD / $41,544 CAD or $114,300 USD / $158,271 CAD in today’s prices after adjusting for inflation . “
The GDS was used famously on the Tron soundtrack.[9] She was also one of the instrument’s most devoted users, and still uses it to this day.
Digital Keyboards Synergy
The GDS Leads to the Synergy
With microchip prices falling including the Z-80 and with further work on the same basic concept of the GDS (additive synthesis, a system microcomputer, programmable sound generators, and a number of different input devices) the lower-cost Synergy was released in 1981.[10] More affordable and more powerful computer chips meant that The Synergy was able to remove earlier expensive design parameters that would have required a separate stand alone computer component, and re-packaged the entire system into a case with a 77-key keyboard.
Due to it’s high price, the GDS did not sell well, allowing the Synergy to find some market share. However, when the famous Yamaha DX7 was released in 1983, it quickly took over the market. The DX7’s FM synthesis offered the same basic control over output sound as an additive synth, but could duplicate the effects of many ganged oscillators in as few as two.[11] Its $2,000 usd/ or around $7,000 usd in today’s money when adjusted for inflation. This price point eliminated any competition from the additive synths and production of the Synergy ended in 1985.
Mulogix Slave 32
A final version of the original Synergy machine was produced after Digital Keyboards was shut down in early 1985. More on this below. Digital Keyboards’ chief designer, Mercer “Stoney” Stockell, decamped and formed Mulogix with Jim Wright and Jerry Ptascynski. The Mulogix Slave 32 was a Synergy re-packaged into a 2U rack-mount module with a MIDI interface. The Slave 32 could read and write EPROM cartridges from the Synergy.[12]
Final Version
Later models of the Synergy, known as the Synergy II+, feature MIDI implementation, 24 user voice RAM, and an RS-232 computer port. This allowed support for Kaypro II portable computer systems running Synergy voicing software to open up the possibility to finally edit the sounds of the Synergy as well as to save patch and sequence data on to floppy disk. (via vintagesynth.com)
If you are searching for one of the most desirable synthesizers ever, fear not, because our friends at ToneTweakers just fully serviced a unit and it’s working great and its a desirable II+ model. Check out the video below to hear the preset sounds. For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.
Monaco, French Riviera – A couple of months ago on Saturday, June 8th, artworld history was made during the prestigious auction “L’Astarossa” organized by Monaco Car Auction at the Grimaldi Forum.
A photographic work by artist Philippe Shangti reached a new peak.
The photograph, a unique piece titled “Luxury Pollution Car, Signature Masterpiece,” was sold for the hammer price of €290,000 / $435,000 CAD, a world record- making Philippe Shangti the highest valued contemporary French photographer.
The event “L’Astarossa” was primarily dedicated to Ferrari collector cars but also featured artworks related to the Ferrari theme.
The centerpiece of this artistic sale, “Luxury Pollution Car,” is a composition featuring the La Ferrari car with models in Shangti’s inimitable style. The print, called “Signature Masterpiece” by the artist, is printed on museum certified paper and traced with a hologram, signed, and numbered 1/1 on the back by Shangti himself. It measures 259 x 110 cm, and 267 x 128.5 cm with its baroque wood frame and molding.
This record comes just a few months after Shangti had already broken his own record.
Indeed, on March 8th, one of his photographs titled “Luxury Fifth Dinner,” a print numbered in an edition of 7, sold for €54,000 / $81,000 CAD at Drouot Paris. The auction of the photograph “Luxury Pollution Car” marks a historic milestone, being the highest ever recorded for a living French photographer, held before by Gerard Rancinan. This recognition strengthens Philippe Shangti’s position on the international art scene and highlights the growing appeal of his works among collectors and art enthusiasts.
This past Saturday, it was back to the Aero at Santa Monica, California for more Ultra Cinematheque 70 Fest.
So far, every one of these screenings have been preceded by a short film titled “Six Tons of 70MM”, in which we follow Matt Burris, an employee of the American Cinematheque, driving around L.A., picking up the prints that will be played throughout the festival. He talks about the work and costs involved in booking, transporting, and projecting these big, heavy-ass prints — this year’s festival totals 40 films — and explains how the higher resolution format makes for a more theatrical experience, quoting Martin Scorsese with “Seventy-millimeter hits different”.
Because this short plays before every one of these 70mm screenings, I was ready to call Burris the Nicole Kidman of the American Cinematheque — if the son-of-a-bitch hadn’t already beat me to the punch during his intro to Saturday afternoon’s screening of 1996’s HAMLET, Kenneth Branagh’s *unabridged* adaptation of the Bard’s play, which was shot in Super Panavision 70. During Burris’ intro, we were told about how the length of the film — over four hours — meant that the *two* projectionists on hand for this screening would be dealing with 20 reels, each weighing about 30 lbs each, totaling about 600 pounds of movie.
I’ve only seen the play performed once, and I’ve never seen any of the film adaptations, neither the Olivier, Gibson, not even the Ethan Hawke one — but I have seen STRANGE BREW, if that counts.
So I can’t compare flicks, but really liked this pumped-up version of the play, which isn’t surprising considering Branagh’s tendency as a director to just Fuckin’ Go For It on some over-the-top shit. That approach might be off-putting to some, but I didn’t have an issue with it, just as I didn’t have an issue with it during his HENRY V. (I still want to see his FRANKENSTEIN movie, for morbid curiosity’s sake, if nothing else.) It didn’t feel like four hours, more like two-and-a-half, if I’m being honest.
I knew of this film during its original release, but totally forgot about the cast, which includes welcome-but-not-surprising appearances by Kate Winslet, Derek Jacobi, Julie Christie, Brian “Gordon’s alive!” Blessed, John Gielgud, Rufus Sewell (giving me Purple Rain-era Prince visual vibes here), and many other of the usual respected suspects for this kind of film.
But then every once in a while, someone like Jack Lemmon or Robin Williams or Charlton Heston or fuckin’ Billy Crystal will pop up and it kind of took me a bit to get acclimated to the sudden Yank-ifcation of the atmosphere; of these Special Guest Stars, I felt Crystal (no, really) and especially Heston gave the best performances.
The print looked good, some lines here and there, but there was an odd inconsistency in the rear surrounds with echoing voices in the interior scenes, some parts had it, others didn’t.
But the main thing is that it was a great looking film, shot on 70mm, shown in 70mm, and unlike say, certain foot-fetishizing filmmakers, Branagh and cinematographer Alex Thomson took full advantage of the format, filming in big, wide spaces, both interior and exterior. They do a lot of talking here, but make no mistake, this is a goddamn Movie.
There was a ten-minute intermission a little after two hours, which allowed some of us in the audience to use the restroom, get snacks, or in my case, run four blocks down to feed the meter (which by that point, had expired about ten minutes earlier) because this was a 2PM afternoon show and those Montana Ave. parking enforcers don’t get off the clock until 6pm.
Later that evening, I was back inside the Aero for STREETS OF FIRE, directed by one of my Mount Rushmore directors, Walter Hill. I had actually seen this 70MM print before at the Aero in ’17 — it starts with a British Board of Film Classification at the beginning — and both viewings were equally loud and pristine, both viewings rocked my world.
It’s not even so much a Style Over Substance deal here, it’s more like Style *Is* Substance — the music, the clothes, the attitudes, the neon-lights, the wet streets, the cars (oh my god, the cars), the bikes, the guns, and badasses of both genders.
(And Diane Lane too. I mean, wow.)
Diane Lane in Streets of Fire
Let me mention the music yet again, because both the mix of rock & roll, doo-wop, Ry Cooder score, and Jim Steinman’s breathlessly passionate rants and screeds and laments set to melody, well, they shouldn’t blend so well, and yet they do, kinda like how the film’s world of 1950s meets 1980s shouldn’t blend so well, and yet it does.
During this viewing, I focused more on the dynamic between Michael Paré’s Cody and Amy Madigan’s McCoy. I love how they don’t flex or flaunt, they’re just casually ultra-competent, it’s just what they do when called upon to do it, and I wish I lived in the timeline where we got to see them do more of it together in follow-up films. I’d have followed them anywhere.
One of the things I love about Hill is just how meat & potatoes and no-frills his stories are, they’re real cut-to-the-quick tales that don’t overstay their welcome, populated by characters that are old-school types rather than fleshed-out collections of hopes, dreams, anxieties, etc. (Hell, he didn’t even give the characters of THE DRIVER names, just designations.) He gives you the good guys and the bad guys and that’s it, that’s the Walter Hill way, and his way is an increasingly fresh — and dying — breath of air in today’s chatty and jokey “he just like me fr fr”/“so that just happened” world of action cinema. (Not that I’m against that kind of movie — I enjoyed THE FALL GUY — I just don’t want to see *only* that kind of movie.)
Give me men and women of few words and more actions, is what I mean, or to quote McCoy, “Are we gonna do it, or are we gonna talk about it?”
Hell yeah, McCoy — you can watch my six and sleep on my couch any time.
Great crowd for this showing, a packed house full of both fans and first-timers alike who clapped and laughed at all the right moments. I overheard a lot of excited reactions after the film by people who had no idea what they were in store for, but were very happy they got to experience it. Which in turn made me even happier.
On the walk back to my parking spot, I passed by a car blasting the soundtrack — this also happened when I saw this in ’17, as well as after a 35MM screening at the New Beverly Cinema in ’10. I just thought you should know that. For the Silo, E.F. Contentment.All photos by the author.
Not since the British boarded the USS
Chesapeake off the coast of Virginia in 1807 had an American Naval
commander surrendered his ship in peacetime.
The ship was the USS Pueblo (AGER-2), a
177-foot Technical Research Ship (TRS) with a crew of 83 officers and
men. It was seized in international waters off the coast of North
Korea on January 23, 1968. The ship’s captain was Commander Lloyd
M. “Pete” Bucher, and his superior officer, with headquarters in
Japan, was Rear Admiral Frank L. Johnson, USN. The President at the
time was Lyndon Bayes Johnson.
At the time of the seizure, the Pueblo was disguised as a hydrographic vessel of the AGER (Auxiliary, General Environmental Research) type. Along with $1.5 million USD (about $11.9 million USD / $16,300,000 CAD in 2024 dollars when adjusting for inflation) in highly-classified SIGINT (signal intelligence) cryptographic equipment, the Pueblo also carried hundreds of pounds of U.S. Navy, Naval Security Group (NSG), National Security Agency (NSA), and other documents; also on the spy ship was a position devoted to monitoring Soviet telemetry.
The Pueblo was spying mainly on North Korean radar and the Soviet fleet.
One crewman died, and several others
were wounded, when North Korean gunboats opened fire on the
lightly-armed reconnaissance ship. After eleven months of sometimes
brutal detention and an American confession that was quickly
disavowed, the crew was released, along with the body of Fireman
Duane Hodges, USN.
During Richard M. Nixon’s 1968 presidential campaign, he swore there would never again be a “Pueblo Incident.” Five months after election day, however, President Nixon faced his own North Korean crisis, when, for the second time in fifteen months, a small, isolated North Korea, which Nixon had described as a “fourth-rate power,” attacked a U.S. Navy EC-121 spy plane, killing everyone onboard.
Mission BX-6847 Flight Path — January 26 1968
On April 15, 1969, North Koreans celebrated the birth of Kim Il-sung, the leader and founder of the “Hermit Kingdom.” Birthday cheers were quickly replaced by the familiar shouts of “Down with U.S. imperialism” and “Liberate the South” when it was announced that MiG fighters had shot down a U.S. Navy EC-121 spy plane which North Korea claimed had intruded into its airspace. The shootdown, by one or two air-to-air missiles, took the lives of 31 Americans. Some of the debris also had what was reported as “shrapnel holes.”
Due to the EC-121’s proximity to Vladivostok, USSR, the main naval base of the Pacific Fleet in the Soviet Far East, the first vessels on the scene were Soviet; so the Nixon administration requested Soviet assistance to locate debris and possible survivors.
This four-day joint U.S.-Soviet search and rescue operation became a rare example of cooperation between traditional Cold War adversaries. In Air Reservist (magazine), the official publication of the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, the Russians were described as “improbable allies.”
Pueblo in Wonsan Harbor — close-up
One of the first Soviet vessels to arrive was the Steregushchiy, a large anti-submarine (ASW) ship; another was the Soviet destroyer Vdokhnovennyi. A lengthy version of this story, which will appear under the title “Improbable Allies,” relies heavily on the first-hand accounts of three Russian sailors aboard the Vdokhnovennyi, including Felix Gromov, the ship’s executive officer. Later, Admiral Gromov became the Commander-in-Chief of the entire Russian Navy! For the Silo, by Bill Streifer.
Bill Streifer is a freelance journalist on North Korean history and related topics. His co-author, Irek Sabitov, is a journalist and former newspaper editor in Ufa, Russia. Their article on the subject will appear in the Autumn 2019 issue of the U.S. Navy War College Review. He is also the only American on the Editorial Board of Vostok (“East” in Russian), a journal on the Orient, published by the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow.
Today, the aftermath of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump: a breakdown of the assassination attempt, and initial theories about the gunman. Via our friends at the Associated Press & The Epoch Times.
Highlights
A Breakdown of the Assassination Attempt Against Trump
It started at 6:02 p.m. with former President Donald Trump taking the stage in Butler, Pennsylvania. Ten minutes later Mr. Trump was lying bleeding on the stage and shielded by Secret Service agents.
Why It Matters: An attempted political assassination of a former and potential U.S. president impacts the world.
FBI Found ‘Suspicious Device’ in Shooter’s Car, Investigating Attack as Domestic Terrorism
The FBI has provided background on its investigation of the would-be killer of former President Trump and what else he may have been trying to do. Officials said they don’t have a motive yet, but did find a suspicious device in the dead gunman’s car and continue to work with his family as the investigation continues.
Why It Matters: Many questions need to be answered, including what the shooter’s motive was, and how he was able to nearly kill a former president.
FBI Investigating Attack as Act of Domestic Terrorism
The FBI said a ’suspicious device,’ which was later defused, was found in the assailant’s car.
State and local police block off roads surrounding the home of the suspected shooter of former President Donald Trump, as the FBI carries out an investigation, in Bethel Park, Pa., on July 14, 2024. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images) Joseph Lord
FBI officials say they believe the would-be assassin of former President Donald Trump acted alone.
The agency is investigating the attack as both an attempted assassination and an act of domestic terrorism, officials told reporters in a call with news media on July 14.
The new details emerged less than 24 hours after the United States saw its first major assassination attempt of a president or presidential candidate since President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981.
Authorities have identified the shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, a resident of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. At a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, the assailant fired several shots from an elevated position near the venue. Witnesses saw a man with a rifle on the rooftop of a nearby building.
Former President Trump’s right ear was pierced by one of the bullets before he was rushed to his car by Secret Service agents. However, one of the attendees at the rally, 50-year-old firefighter Corey Comperatore, was killed. Two other rally attendees—identified by Pennsylvania State Police as David Dutch and James Copenhaver—were injured.
Both of the injured attendees are in stable condition, according to Pennsylvania State Police, which did not provide further details on their injuries. A GoFundMe effort established by the Trump campaign for the victims and their families had raised more than $3 million usd/ $4,090,000 cad as of the evening of July 14.
FBI Investigation
The FBI has not yet identified a motive. The assailant’s family is cooperating in the investigation, officials said.
Biden Says He’s Directed an Independent Review of Security at Trump Rally
Attorney General Merrick Garland called the assassination attempt on the former president “an attack on our democracy itself.”
“[The Justice Department has] no tolerance for such violence, and as Americans, we must have no tolerance for it,” Mr. Garland told reporters. “This must stop.”
The agency said a “suspicious device” was located during a sweep of Mr. Crooks’s car. It was later defused by bomb technicians.
FBI Director Christopher Wray vowed that his agency would “leave no stone unturned” in its investigation of the attack.
“An attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate can only be described as absolutely despicable and will not be tolerated in this country,” Mr. Wray told reporters.
Earlier on July 14, President Joe Biden said he asked that the investigation be “thorough and swift.”
FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies about the bureau’s budgetary needs during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing in Washington on June 4, 2024. (Allison Bailey/Middle East Images via AFP via Getty Images)
Prior to the attack, officials said, the perpetrator wasn’t on the FBI’s radar as a potential threat.
The FBI’s screening of the shooter’s social media presence has so far revealed no ideology or political beliefs that could have been his basis for the attack, officials said.
The FBI has received more than 2,000 tips so far, they said.
Officials believe that the rifle used in the attack was a semi-automatic rifle similar to an AR-15.
Kevin Rojek, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office, told reporters that the weapon belonged to the shooter’s father, who purchased it legally. It’s still unclear how Mr. Crooks got his hands on the rifle, or if his father was aware that he had taken it.
“These are facts that we’ll flesh out as we conduct interviews,” Mr. Rojek said.
Speaking from the White House, President Biden said the assassination attempt was “contrary to everything we stand for as a nation.”
“It’s not who we are as a nation, it’s not America, and we cannot allow this to happen,” he said.
The president said that he had a “short but good conversation” with former President Trump on the evening of July 13.
The former president, meanwhile, was due to arrive in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention on July 14, as originally planned. He said in a social media post that he had wanted to delay the travel in the immediate aftermath of the attack, but ultimately decided against it.
Secret Service officials confirmed on July 14 that no changes have been made to security at the convention, which starts on July 15, noting that the event has already been given the highest-grade security.
“Currently, there are no known articulated threats against the RNC or anyone visiting the RNC,” Michael Hensle, special agent in charge of the FBI for Wisconsin, said at a news conference.
The Secret Service has refuted claims that the 45th president’s security team requested additional security for the July 13 event and was denied.
“This is absolutely false. In fact, we added protective resources & technology & capabilities as part of the increased campaign travel tempo,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi wrote in a July 14 post on X.
Former President Trump, in a statement on July 14, thanked his supporters, saying of the attack that it was “God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening.”
The former president made a call for unity, saying, “In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans.”
Former First Lady Melania Trump, in her own statement, called on Americans to “ascend above the hate” and “simple-minded ideas that incite violence.”
“When I watched that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized my life, and Barron’s life, were on the brink of devastating change,” Ms. Trump wrote.
She said that she was “grateful to the brave Secret Service agents and law enforcement officials who risked their own lives.”
Over on Capitol Hill, lawmakers are vowing their own investigations into the matter.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Congress will probe if there were security lapses at the rally.
“We need to know: How could an individual be at that elevation that was seen by apparently bystanders on the ground—how could that not be noticed by Secret Service?” Mr. Johnson told NBC’s “Today” on July 14.
In a July 14 letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) revealed several pieces of information, including the security plan that was in place on the day of the shooting. The Secret Service falls under the umbrella of DHS.
A DHS spokesperson confirmed receipt of the letter.
“DHS responds to congressional inquiries directly via official channels, and the Department will continue to respond appropriately to Congressional oversight,” the spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email. For the Silo, Joseph Lord.
On her fridge door, along with numerous family pictures, Danielle Brandt has a handwritten quote by Dr. John Trainer: “Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.”
A proud Calgary mother of three boys (Aiden, 10, Theodore, 4, and Silas, 2), Mrs. Brandt is a homemaker. Her husband, Adam Brandt, is the breadwinner. At the core of their parenting philosophy is the belief that strong families make strong societies, Mrs. Brandt says.
She was a music teacher before becoming a stay-at-home mom, but when she returned to work shortly after giving birth to her first child, she says she realized she wanted to be fully involved in raising her children.
“The idea that your identity is found at home with your family and not out in the world with your peers, and that your parents and your family are what matters first … that’s the reason I wanted to be home with my children.”
While Mrs. Brandt persists in adhering to her traditional role in the family, there is declining interest among young Canadian women to pursue the same path.
Canadians are “increasingly less likely” to form families, and if they do, they are choosing to have fewer children, if any at all, according to a May 2024 report jointly published by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute (MLI) and the Centre for the Study of Living Standards.
The same report, based on evidence from existing data and literature, found that traditional families enjoy more prosperity and better health.
Adults who are in a couple tend to earn more money per person than singles of the same age and, if married, they tend to live longer, have healthier lifestyles, and are less stressed. Similarly, children benefit from being raised by their two biological parents in a stable marriage, appearing to have a higher standard of living and educational attainment, and being less likely to engage in risky behaviour, the report found.
But a significant fraction of Canadian children will see their families break up by the time they are 14, and more than a quarter live in one-parent families, the report said. The author, Tim Sargent, deputy executive director of the Centre for the Study of Living Standards, concluded that the rates of family dissolution in Canada are higher than those in the United States and the UK, culturally comparable countries.
Janice Fiamengo, a retired University of Ottawa English professor who now gives talks on the role of women in society, says the downward trends in family formation are largely due to how women’s priorities are being redefined in Canada.
“Their primary goal in life is to be independent, to have a career, and to regard marriage and childbearing as secondary, if not undesirable in general,” Ms. Fiamengo told The Epoch Times, describing the trends and messages aimed at young women today.
Trends Among Canadian Women
Women are now taking longer to complete their higher education. From 2000–2022, the participation in education of women aged 20 to 24 rose by 12 percent (to 51 percent), according to Statistics Canada.
Only 37 percent of men in the same age range participated in education in 2022, and that rate grew by just four percentage points since 2000. Similar trends are seen among men and women aged 25 to 29.
Women’s participation in the labour market has also increased dramatically in recent decades, with fewer and fewer women choosing to be stay-at-home moms.
Employment among women aged 25 to 54 has almost doubled from 40 percent in 1976 to about 80 percent as of May 2024, according to Statistics Canada. Employment rates for women in general remain higher than they were prior to the pandemic in 2017 and 2019.
In addition, more women aged 25 to 34 now delay living with their partner. The proportion of those who live with their parents increased by 3.3 percentage points, from 12.8 percent in 2011 to 16.1 percent in 2021.
Marriage rates are on the decline while divorce rates are increasing, and women are waiting until later to have children.
At the same time, Canada’s fertility rate has been declining persistently for the past 15 years, with the national rate hitting an all-time low in 2022 at 1.3 children per woman.
A study by the think tank Cardus found that the top factors that diminish a woman’s desire to be a mother are wanting to grow as a person, wanting to save money, focusing on a career, and believing that kids require intense care.
“Any woman who decides that what she primarily wants to do is to marry and to have children, that woman is seen as having failed, having let down other women, and having failed herself,” says Ms. Fiamengo.
She says the prevalence of feminism in Canada has played a role in shaping these views.
Changing Views on Traditional Family Roles
It wasn’t until the second-wave feminism of the 1980s that an idea with communist roots took hold—the dissolution of the traditional family structure, Ms. Fiamengo says.
Feminism takes many forms and contains different ideas—in the 19th century, it was about women’s suffrage. The idea that the traditional family is at odds with gender equality and women’s fulfilment has its origins in communist ideology.
In his 1884 book titled “The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State,” Friedrich Engels, based on notes by Karl Marx, made the first allusion to the monogamous family as “the world historical defeat of the female sex,” in which the woman was reduced to servitude and turned into an instrument for the production of children.
He thus advocated for the liberation of the wife, the abolishment of the family, and for the care and education of the children to become a public affair.
“[Engels] explicitly makes that connection, that the man—the patriarch—is the capitalist oppressor. The woman is in the situation of being the oppressed worker or the sex slave in the family,” says Ms. Fiamengo.
“He saw no distinction between prostitution, in which a woman is bought by a man to have her body used for the man’s pleasure, and the situation of a woman in a marriage.”
Betty Friedan’s 1963 book “The Feminine Mystique,” a precursor of feminism as a struggle between genders, urged women to break free from the domestic sphere and find their own identity outside the home. Friedan promulgated that fulfillment could not be found through marriage and motherhood alone.
Ms. Fiamengo says feminism’s lack of encouragement for women to start a family makes them miss out on what she thinks is one of the greatest joys of human life—childbearing.
“The fact that our government doesn’t encourage marriage … or encourage couples to stay together for the good of their children, is doing a terrible disservice to the future generations,” she says.
Peter Jon Mitchell, program director for Cardus Family, says the prevalent view of marriage in Canada is that “it’s nice, but unnecessary.”
“We don’t really talk a lot about marriage and the benefits of marriage in our culture.” Mr. Mitchell also that, compared to the United States, where the two-parent privilege—the fact that children fare better in two-parent rather than single-parent households—and the benefits of marriage are part of the public discourse, Canada lags behind.
The May MLI report cites some studies showing that children in two-parent households fare better. One published by the National Library of Medicine in 2014 found such children do better physically, emotionally, and academically.
Likewise, in a 2015 research paper, David Ribar, honorary professor at the University of Melbourne, found that children who grow up with married parents enjoy more economic and family stability. Mr. Ribar argues that the benefits of marriage for children’s wellbeing are hard to replicate through policy interventions other than those that support marriage itself.
Consequences of Putting Family Role Second
Sociologist Brigitte Berger noted in her book “The Emerging Role of Women” that work is important for both sexes. Yet liberation through work means different things to different people.
To the working-class women and the poor, for whom work is a necessity, liberation means freedom from financial burden and the freedom to devote time to things that matter outside of work, such as family, community, and hobbies. Among women for whom work is not a necessity, modern thinking has led them to find identity and liberation through paid labour.
According to a 2021 survey by the Canadian Women’s Foundation, 28 percent of mothers reported difficulty keeping up with work demands, and half of mothers felt exhausted trying to balance work and childcare responsibilities.
“I think most mothers would prefer to be part-time,” says Mrs. Brandt. “They don’t actually want to leave their kids 100 percent of the time with someone else.”
She says the widespread notion that women can do it all is not realistic and can lead many to burnout. “I can’t fully parent my children well and fully do another job [outside the home], at least not the way I want to,” she says. “Something has to give; there’s not enough of me.”
Mrs. Brandt says she is not worried about her chances of returning to work at some stage.
“We live a long time nowadays. You can’t always have kids, you can’t always be with your kids when they’re young or get that time back when they’re young,” she adds. “But you could do a career later, and that’s the amazing thing about our culture, too.”
Last year, a study by the think tank Cardus found that half of Canadian women are not having as many children as they would like, and that this group reported lower life satisfaction than women who achieved their fertility goals.
Cardus senior fellow Lyman Stone noted low fertility rates are not because women want few kids, but the timeline most of them follow for school, work, self-development, and marriage leaves too few economically stable years to achieve the families they want.
One of the most striking findings of the May MLI report is that Canada has seen a marked deterioration in the mental health of young women over the last decade.
More than three-quarters of women aged 15 to 30 reported excellent or very good mental health between 2009 and 2010. Throughout the following nine years, that figure dropped 22.5 percentage points, to 54 percent. For women aged 31 to 46, mental well-being also declined, but only by 10.1 percentage points.
Source: Canadian Community Health Survey, 2003 to 2019. (Chart: Carolina Avendano/The Epoch Times)
Motherhood and Women’s Happiness
A Cardus 2023 study concluded that women’s happiness and fertility are linked. The think tank surveyed 2,700 women aged 18 to 44 about family and fertility, and found that mothers are happier than non-mothers everywhere (except when they are under 25 or living in poverty).
“The role of the mother really is to nurture and to develop children,” says Mrs. Brandt. “My husband is a wonderful nurturer, he’s fantastic at it, but my boys, even the ones that have the closest relationship with him, they still need mom … I’m still the safe place.
“I am not saying that men can’t do it, but sometimes women are built for it, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Danielle Brandt with her youngest son, Silas, at her Calgary home on June 1, 2024. Mrs. Brandt homeschools her oldest son, Aiden, because she saw he was falling behind in class. Seeing the positive response, she now plans to also homeschool her other two children. (Carolina Avendano/The Epoch Times)
She draws inspiration from her mother, who was also a teacher turned homemaker. Mrs. Brandt says her mother was always available for her and her three siblings, and would show up at their most important moments, including sporting events, school functions or field trips. “We felt like we were the priority because we were,” she says.
But being a stay-at-home mom is also demanding, Mrs. Brandt adds. Although it’s rewarding, she says the challenge is that there is no time off. “But at the end of the day, when I look at my children and see them peacefully sleeping, [I think to myself] ‘That’s it, that’s what this is about,’” she says. “They are the future generation. I want to pour into that, and there is no more valuable work than that.” For the Silo, Carolina Avendano.
Featured image- Danielle and Adam Brandt with their sons Silas (L), Aiden (C), and Theodore at their home in Calgary on June 1, 2024. (Carolina Avendano/The Epoch Times)
(New York, July, 2024)—This summer, The Metropolitan Museum of Art will present the exhibition Mary Sully: Native Modern, opening July 18, 2024. Born Susan Mabel Deloria on the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota, Mary Sully (1896–1963) was a little-known, reclusive Yankton Dakota artist who, between the 1920s and 1940s, produced highly distinctive work informed by her Native American and settler ancestry. The exhibition is part of The American Wing at 100, a series of gallery reinstallations and exhibitions marking the wing’s 2024 centennial.
Image: Mary Sully (Dakota, 1896–1963). Alice (detail), ca. 1920s–40s. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase, Morris K. Jesup Fund and funds from various donors, 2023
The exhibition is made possible by the Barrie A. and Deedee Wigmore Foundation.
“This compelling exhibition celebrates how Mary Sully’s cultural sensibilities influenced her unconventional body of work,” said Max Hollein, The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and Chief Executive Officer. “Sully translated her life and experiences into a unique graphic language, culminating in an intensely creative perspective from which to consider Indigenous cultures and imagery.”
This first solo exhibition of Sully’s groundbreaking production highlights recent Met acquisitions and loans from the Mary Sully Foundation, works that call into question traditional notions of Native American and modern art.
Working without patronage, in near obscurity, and largely self-taught, Sully produced approximately 200 intricately designed and vividly colored drawings in colored pencil, graphite, and ink on paper that captured meaningful aspects of her Dakota community mixed with visual elements observed from other Native nations and the aesthetics of urban life. Euro-American celebrities from popular culture, politics, and religion inspired some of her most striking works, which she called “personality prints”—abstract portraits arranged as vertical triptychs.
Panel from Titled Husbands in the USA by Mary Sully (1896–1963), 1927–1945. Colored pencil on paper, 12 7/8 by 18 inches. None of Sully’s pieces are dated, but it is estimated that they were all created between 1927 and 1945. Except as noted, all objects illustrated are in the collection of Philip J. Deloria. via themagazineantiques.com
Featuring 25 rarely seen Sully compositions—primarily her “personality prints”—as well as archival family material and other Native American items from The Met collection, the exhibition offers a fresh and nuanced lens through which to consider American art and life in the early 20th century.
Sylvia Yount, Lawrence A. Fleischman Curator in Charge of the American Wing, said: “We’re thrilled to present Mary Sully: Native Modern as a special feature of the department’s 100th anniversary in 2024. Born of particular Native and Euro-American cultural entanglements, Sully’s work is highly relevant and resonant for the American Wing, The Met’s historic department of a broadly defined American art by diverse makers, with a deepening concentration of work by women and artists of color.”
Portion of Mary Sully’s The Indian Church (around 1938-45)Collection of Philip J. Deloria
As a great-granddaughter of the successful 19th-century portraitist Thomas Sully (1783–1872), Susan Deloria expressly adopted the name of her mother, Mary Sully (1858–1916), daughter of Alfred Sully (1820–1879) and the Dakota woman Susan Pehandutawin (dates unknown), an artist in her own right. Deloria grew up in a distinguished family of Dakota leaders. Her sister Ella Cara Deloria (1889–1971), with whom she primarily lived, was a linguistic ethnographer trained by the esteemed Columbia University anthropologist Franz Boas. Her nephew, Vine Deloria, Jr. (1933–2005), was an author, theologian, historian, and activist for Native American rights. And her great-nephew, historian Philip J. Deloria, is the author of Becoming Mary Sully: Toward an American Indian Abstract (University of Washington Press, 2019), the only scholarly investigation of her art and life.
Related Presentation in Art of Native America Installation
In late June, the American Wing unveiled a new rotation of works by Native American artists focusing on intergenerational knowledge and their critical role as knowledge keepers. These include recent acquisitions by contemporary basket makers Jeremy Frey (Passamaquoddy) and Theresa Secord (Penobscot), in addition to painter Rabbett Strickland (Red Cliff Ojibwe).
Credits and Related Content
Mary Sully: Native Modern is curated by Patricia Marroquin Norby (P’urhépecha), Associate Curator of Native American Art, and Sylvia Yount, Lawrence A. Fleischman Curator in Charge of the American Wing.
The exhibition is conceived in partnership with the Mary Sully Foundation and the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Featured image– Mary Sully, “Good Friday” From Philip J. Deloria, “Becoming Mary Sully; Toward an American Indian abstract” (Seattle, University of Washington Press: 2019) ISBN 978-0-295-74504-6. Courtesy University of Washington Press.
Found Object, Recycled Art, Readymade or Junk Art?
Abstract
The phenomenon of found objects and waste transmutation into works of art, dominates contemporary African art ostensibly as the new continental creative identity. Majority of contemporary African artists experiment with waste as their preferred artistic medium and find in them (waste), potent metaphors for creative expressionism. However, although this art form is rapidly gaining prominence and international acclaim, it is surrounded by equivocations emanating from available literature sources.
Discourses have emerged which attempts to theorize this genre of art but such discourses have only created varying levels of ambiguities which impedes understanding of its history, conceptuality and context in contemporary art-space. This article reviews recent literature dealing with found object appropriation in Africa, to expose the obscurities inherent in such studies. Using discourse analysis, this review indicates the existence of ambiguities ranging from terminology devising and classification to issues of hegemonic exclusivity and problems of contextualization. On the premise of these existing gray areas, I propose an in-depth study into this modern African art type, such study should adopt a particularized system to investigate the methodology of African found object art, its ideology and cultural motivation as basic criteria to enable our understanding and establishing of this modern art form as traditional to Africa in form, content and context and subsequently differentiate it from those of European art conventions to which it is currently erroneously likened to.
Incorporation of materials from pop culture into African visual practice may have existed since the continent’s encounter with the west during slave trade and even earlier, as evidenced in the use of European spirit bottles assembled to build deities and shrines (Shiner 1994). But very little is found in literature that provides an account of any in-depth investigation into the historiography of this African art convention. This art genre (waste and found objects appropriation) has proliferated across the entire continent and now dominates contemporary art practice. As observed by Sylla and Bertelsen (1998), “found object art dominates modern African visual practice and very few are those who have not practice found object appropriation art in the continent”.
Numerous reasons are responsible for the fast propagation of this art type and subsequent adoption of ‘bricolage’ creative methodology by African artists, but the most noticeable factor is globalisation (Shiner 1994, Sylla & Mertelsen 1998). While through 21 st century advances in technology and innovations the world is becoming a global village, it conversely leads to increased consumption and accompanying generation of varieties of waste. These waste and found materials occasioned by modernity, become materials for artistic use (Kart 2009). Modern waste (the bye products of modernity and civilization) are employed by Africans as effective visual metaphors for creative explorations and expressionism. This interconnectivity between globalization, modernity and waste generation, accompanied by technological advancements in contemporary Africa, results in waste uniquely adapted into art to a high level it has even been argued that, discarded objects incorporation into art originated from Africa. Evans (2010, p.1) posited that, “through found object transformation, African artists have created a truly unique art form and have bequeathed a new art context to the world”. Reasons being that, for many contemporary African artists trained in western art education systems and equipped with such artistic conceptualism, interrogating the rich meanings locked in waste and found objects is considered quintessential for artistic self expressionism and creation of heighten multifarious layers of meanings since according to Aniakor (2013), “images and objects are plaited with meanings and only by interrogating them, that knowledge is extended and certain messages and ideologies expressed”. Thus, such artists tailor their creative experimentations towards achieving artistic self expressionism and higher codified meanings. This is because as observed by O.Connor, found object artworks are believed to be enriched with superlative double fluidity of meaning (Op cit 2013).
Mamiwata, 2006 Calixte Dakpogan
It is perhaps achieving that fluidity of meaning which has driven modern African artists to position themselves as material experimentalist to creatively interrogate waste and found objects, exploring their artistic qualities and meanings, as well as using such works to reflect societal circumstances and issues in contemporary Africa, as the basis for their art. They do so because, according to Fontaine (2010, p57), “by engaging with ready-mades from pop culture, the artist becomes an agency through which the inherent beauty and art qualities trapped in found/waste materials are brought to lime light via transmutation”.
From an African
Arts and Design Studies www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-6061 (Paper) ISSN 2225-059X (Online) Vol.12, 2013 42 trajectory, not just the beauty in waste is considered but the circumstances creating these waste (globalization, modernity and consumption) forms the ideological/conceptual framework for waste transformation into new art conventions. Whilst this genre of art is gaining prominence and widespread international recognition, it has stirred up scholarly interest from both African/western art historians and critics. Available literature with regards to this contemporary African art form, consist of numerous ambiguities which impedes understanding of its contextual artistic existence. Such literatures have sprang up in the 21st century by scholars [African and western] who, ignoring the historiography of this African art form, only problematically treat found object transmutation into art in Africa as a recent artistic endeavour.
A lot of hasty generalizations and confused contextualizations exist, pointing to the fact that no in-depth research has been conducted to provide clarity to existing gaps in this body of knowledge. Some scholars have struggled with devising a rubric for this art form that will define and categorize it as African. Others have adopted what may be considered a problematic discourse of likening this art form in parallel morphological and ideological terms with European Readymade, Dadaism, Surrealism and Found Object Art, indicating the extent to which scholars have grappled with this subject.
The rubric ‘Recycling in Contemporary African Art’ has been problematically adopted by scholars to holistically describe this African art form in the past two decades, a rubric which Binder (2008) argues that is “misleading”. Binders view point is supported by Van-Dyk who observed that “A lot of artists have made art out of found materials before the word ‘recycle’ was even known in our society… the term Recycling in African Art therefore is a misconception” (Van- Dyk, 2013. P2). This paper reviews recent articles and catalogues which deals with waste transmutation into art, in order to reveal the ambiguities surrounding this modern art genre in Africa, it goes further to posit that for proper understanding to be attained, an in-depth research into found object art is exigent.
Providing solutions to these existing gaps is beyond the scope of this paper, however, in the course of this discourse, insights will be provided into ways through which studies can be effectively directed using cultural perspectivalism of particularised methodological investigation which will enable the possible establishing of this contemporary art convention as African in form, content, and context and, distinguish it from those of western art culture.
2. Articles, Submissions and Gray Areas on waste ‘Upcycling’ into contemporary Africa art:
Four literature sources (three papers and a book) are reviewed in this section to bring to lime light gray areas and gaps in the body of knowledge with regards to found object appropriation in contemporary African art.
2.1 Globalizing East African Culture: From Junk to Jua Kali Art.
By Margaretta Swigert-Gacheru 2011 Swigert-Gacheru’s paper focuses on waste transformation into art practiced in East Africa, using Kenya as case study. The main idea from an economic and innovative view point purported by the author is that, Jua Kali Ingenuity which culminates into Kenyan Junk Art is a contemporary East African renaissance movement which not only defines a unique genre of art, but contributes to boosting the economy through its bricolage productivity. Also, the author pointed out that Jua Kali is the most dynamic contemporary art form in Kenya which exists as a heighten level of creative ingenuity inspired by the presence of global waste/throw-away and poverty (Swigert- Gacheru 2011. P129).
She further observed that, by virtue of its appropriation of global waste, Jua Kali Junk Art bridges the gap between African and western art worlds by creating a global flow through such hybridization which in turn defies the myth of tribal art and primitive order (Swigert-Gacheru 2011. P127). Another submission made by the author is that, through creative resuscitation of discarded materials deposited in East Africa from Europe, Jua Kali Junk Art combines makeshift creativity with entrepreneurship as a strategy for survival (Swigert-Gacheru 2011. P129). Thus, poverty is cited as the motivation for the innovation of Jua Kali Junk Art in Kenya, whilst various artists inspired by economic hardship are listed. Although Swigert-Gacheru presents evidence of how makeshift creativity in the arts can boost the economy of both the artists and the nation, and also brought to lime light the fact that this ingenuity in East Africa was relegated to the background before now by scholars, the authors classification of what constitutes junk and debris is very confusing and especially problematic because this classification is the proviso for her dubbing of this art form as Junk Art.
The author stated that Junk Art is made from electronic garbage and found natural objects, while environmental debris and old clothes are used in installation (Swigert-Gacheru 2011, p. 131). This classification brings about various unanswered questions which subvert this genre of contemporary African art. For instance, can all art made from junk in Africa be classified as Junk Art? How does natural found object like stones, sea shells etc which are not electronic garbage justify their inclusion in the categorisation Junk Art? Or, does the inclusion of discarded materials into an artwork in this case as the author enumerated (old clothes and environmental debris), automatically transform such works into installation art? Is discarded material Upcycling into art, the-same as installation art? By using media as the criterion for devising the rubric ‘Jua Kali Junk Art’, one will assume that all artworks in East Africa or Africa at large made from found, discarded or readymade
Arts and Design Studies www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-6061 (Paper) ISSN 2225-059X (Online) Vol.12, 2013 43 objects will ideally fall into this category (junk art) but this isn’t the case. Castellote (2011) observed that Olu Amoda uses discarded materials and junk which he prefers to call ‘Re-Purpose Materials’, and that his art be looked at as ‘Repurpose Material Art’. One observes that, Olu Amoda and other African artists even though make use of junk, devise different names for their waste materials and refuse that their artworks be called junk art. This is why Swigert-Gacheru’s adoption of the term junk art to generalize found objects transmutations in Kenya is problematic because other waste appropriation artists in Kenya have different names for their waste materials. Furthermore, by using numerous names for waste materials, devised by different artists as the main trust or generic mode of investigation to explore and interrogate this genre of African art, such line of enquiry as adopted by Swigert-Gacheru and other scholars has only lead to different confused classifications. Two issues stand out from Swigert-Gacheru’s study.
Firstly, the fact that the categorization of what constitutes waste and what falls into the typology debris is problematic means the terminology adopted for this art form is equally problematic. From the author’s submissions, it implies that natural objects, old clothes or environmental debris are excluded from the typology Junk art and by virtue of their waste composition, have become installation art. Also, classifying electronic garbage as the material used for making Junk Art, means they can’t be used in installation art by the author’s submission which makes her proposition very confusing. Secondly the author’s problematic waste categorisation culminates in an inability to differentiate junk art from Installation art. We are thus left with a rubric (Junk Art), which doesn’t even encompass all of Kenya’s found object appropriation, neither does it, reflect or encompass found object transmutation practiced elsewhere in East Africa, nor the entire African continent, and submissions which leaves us unaware of the boundaries between this art (Junk Art) and Installation Art. These unanswered questions and issues stated above, indicates the presence of more than a modicum of gray areas and uncertainties in Swigert-Gacheru’s paper.
2.2 Zimbabwe: The Lost and Found Art.
By Knowledge Mushohwe 2012 This article provides peripheral insights into contemporary African found object appropriation and possesses accompanying obscurities. The main purport of the article is the branding of art that utilizes available waste or ready-mades as ‘Found Object Art’, with the author positing that Zimbabwean artists use found object art as a way of finding meaning in thrash to communicate encoded messages. One major assertion made by the author is that, found object works of art are superlative to the more mundane forms of sculptures which are the old conventions. Arguing that, the punctuated coding system within found object art gives such sculptures a contemplative challenging quality which is an edge over traditional forms of sculpture (Mushohwe, 2012. P1). That additive aesthetic edge is born out of the complex creative process which the author describe as ‘Organised Vandalism’, a process which involves displacing old meanings and forms of objects to create and accord them new forms and meanings (Mushohwe, 2012. P1).
Whilst pointing to the fact that, found object art involves re-contextualisation of objects by dislocating them from their original context and locating them in higher realms of artistic existence, the author equally draws ones attention to the fact that its vandalising nature constitutes a cause for concern as critics question the legality of such practice. Most noticeably and ambiguously so too, is the fact that the author describes and associates found object art in Africa to those of western rebellious art movements. He stated that, “the rebel nature of this found object art is traced to Dadaism and its principal exponent is Marcel Duchamp” (Mushohwe, 2012. p2). Such a bold assertion however, is not proven with adequate facts which make it confusing and problematic as will be enunciated in the next paragraph. Although this paper provides some new insights into this genre of contemporary African sculpture, especially by branding it ‘Found Object Art’ and establishing the fact that, because this art form dislocates discarded objects from their original context to a new creative realm, it assumes contemplative/challenging qualities which accord them aesthetic/creative edge over traditional forms of sculpture such as modelled statues, carvings etc, the article notwithstanding, constitutes further ambiguities and raises various questions.
The author’s likening of this African art convention to Dadaism and purporting that Marcel Duchamp is the founder of Dadaism is shrouded in obscurities without sufficient scholarly evidence to support such claims. Firstly, in as much as Duchamp, Ricaba and Man Ray started anti art in America, Duchamp is not the founder of Dadaism.
Dadaism began in Zurich with artist like Tristan Tzara, Marcel Janco, Jean Arp, etc credited for stemming the process that lead to Dadaism (Hans 1965, Uwe M 1979, Sandqvist 2006). However, Duchamp a pioneer member of anti-art in America originated the ‘Readymade’ which varies from Dadaist Surrealistic objects in various respects. Therefore, his linking of Duchamp’s Readymade and Surrealistic Found Object in same category is problematic. This is because, he implies by such proposition that Duchamp’s Readymade and Surrealist found objects are same art types which from literally evidence is not the case. Duchamp’s Readymade is a conceptual art style arrived at through his disinterested art ideology and experimentation with his ‘Creative Order and Infrathin’ [aesthetics of indifference] emphasizes the intellectual/conceptual content of an artwork over its visual form, to question what defines/constitute art and the entire art institution. Furthermore, such Readymade were unaltered by the artist and only assumed the dignity of art through ‘Dislocated Contextual Description’ (Read 1985, Obalk 2000, Arts and Design Studies www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-6061 (Paper) ISSN 2225-059X (Online) Vol.12, 2013 45 El Anatsui’s works and practice methodology.
Her main submission is that Anatsui’s works frequently interpreted principally in relation to clothe, should instead be read as conceptual contemporary sculpture, and a localized reading be adopted in discussing his practice of incorporating locally available or sourced materials into his art. The author also argues that the rubric ‘Recycling in Contemporary African Art’ used to describe all modern African art involving material reclamation is misleading. Also, the term Found Object Art is said to be inappropriate and a wrong reflection of Anatsui’s practice and works since the artist himself chooses to refer to his materials and works as “Objects the Environment Yielded” (Binder 2008, p.27). Thus, she refers to Anatsui’s works as ‘Transformations’ instead of Found Object Art on the premise that the term ‘Found Object’ was born to art history of a particular European movement not relating to Africa, so the term ‘Transformation’ is more appropriate and not only signifies ownership but also an elevation of the material form of Anatsui’s art.
Citing Dilomprizulike (The Junk man of Africa) who works with discarded materials and always requires his works whether they are transformed or not to be called ‘Junk’ as an example, Binder argues that although many artists in Africa work with discarded materials, they are dissimilar in many ways thus, the dubbing of this art type “Recycling in Contemporary African Art” is cloaked in misconceptions. Another valid contribution in this paper is the advocating for a ‘Localized Reading’ of discarded material appropriation in modern African art as the most appropriate method of investigation for understanding its individual cultural peculiarities, since studies and categorizations with emphasis on material rather than practice methodology is inadequate. (Binder 2008, p.35)
By proposing a ‘Localized Reading’, the author indicates that dissimilarities exist between African artists practicing found object appropriation and between this African art convention and those of western art cultures. This view is supported by Olu Oguibe who observed that “the found object for Anatsui was not complete in and of itself, but required the transfiguring intervention of human agency in order to be translated into sculptural form thus, his works differ from others” (Oguibe 1998, p.48). This is why Binder proposed a localized reading into individual’s practices to be able to understand this art phenomenon.
What this reiterates is the fact that, the individual/cultural ideology, methodology and motivation behind found object creative manipulation are key to understanding the works produced and determines the way we perceive and appreciate such oeuvres. This is because “ones aesthetic responses are often functions of what one’s beliefs and perceptions about an object are” (Danto 1981. p99). Furthermore, the suggestion for a localized reading into this genre of contemporary African art is one that will provide a possible vantage point towards really understanding its modern art qualities and conceptuality. If a localized methodological reading is adopted perhaps alongside cross cultural comparison, then Binder’s argument that the adopted rubric ‘Recycling in Contemporary African Art’ for this art genre by western and African scholars is ambiguous and misleading will properly be understood and addressed.
This is because, only by understanding the practice methodology, cultural inspiration and ideology upon which these works derive the potency for their artistic being that the point of departure can be established that will lead to a comprehensive understanding as to why this art form may be peculiarly African. This said, propositions in Binder’s article raises a lot of issues that further contribute to the obscurity ubiquitous on this subject matter. The author classifies Anatsui’s artworks as ‘Transformations’ and her decision to adopt this terminology as appropriate for this style of art, hinges on two hypothesis; on the one hand is the fact that the found materials are manipulated creatively and the degree of such manipulation is employed as a vital coefficient and on the other hand, the ideology and intended codified messages locked in the piece to be expressed or communicated to the general public.
This paradigm of thinking though insightful, leads to the following lines of questioning; If the degree of manipulation of the discarded is the basis for devising the rubric and classification ‘Transformation’, how is Anatsui’s works different from Jua Kali Junk Art which adopts even deeper levels of material manipulation? By adopting the degree of artistic manipulation of the discarded as the sine qua non for classification, it is apparent that Anatsui’s assemblages or constructions are not different from Kenyan Junk art nor are they different from those of other Nigerian and African artists who work with found objects. On this premise, can those other works be classified too as Transformations? Or, the other way round, Anatsui’s works as Junk Art? Furthermore, by citing technique of making (Construction) as the basis for differentiating Anatsui’s works from others, does it mean that artworks made with this same technique (Assemblage/Construction) using different materials are or not qualified for this sobriquet Transformations?
Another trajectory in Binder’s investigation is the use of intent/metaphoric content (ideology) behind the works as a criterion and reason for underpinning the exclusive categorization of Anatsui’s works as Transformations. If the conceptuality, and metaphoric content are central to terminology devising for art types, then it becomes very confusing why Anatsui’s art should be treated as exclusive from others nor is there any need for discussing and differentiating found object appropriation in Africa under numerous terminologies by scholars because, almost all African artists who engage in this practice uses their art for same purposes; which according to Peek (2012), “is to create aesthetic objects for appreciation or to comment on the present condition of modern societies”. Issues relating to over consumerism, socio-economic and political ills and cultural/moral decadence are regular Arts and Design Studies www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-6061 (Paper) ISSN 2225-059X (Online) Vol.12, 2013 46 themes associated with this art genre in Africa, which is equally the conceptual feature in most postcolonial art.
Which is the aesthetics of humanity that engages with the current and transforming state of human race and defined by such extend of engagement with these concerns (Young 2010). As this is the case, based squarely on ideology and messages conveyed like in most post colonial African art, there are no major differences between Anatsui’s art and those of other African artist who work with waste and convey same contemporary concerns in visual form.
Conversely, will it then be a misplaced submission, if Anatsui’s art is called Junk or Found Object art? Or can Jua Kali Junk Art or that of Zimbabwe, those of Delomprizulike or the works of Olu Amoda qualify to fall under the typology Transformations? While Binder’s article provides great insights into Anatsui’s practice, as well as pointing out the fact that, attempting to generalize this genre of African art under the rubric ‘Recycling in Contemporary African Art’ as is often the case is misleading, and further observing that, adopting Euro-American terminologies and likening African found object art tradition to those of the west is a faulty proposition, her assertions in this article equally bellies lots of uncertainties observed above which hasn’t help provide clarifications needed on this subject.
3. Ambiguities Identified
This brief survey indicates the presence of gaps in the knowledge and discourse of found object appropriation in modern Africa. Thus, various issues emanating from the reviewed literature sources are categorised into the following problems subheadings:
3.1 Muddle Terminologies and Classification Problem
From the foregoing, it is apparent that the first ambiguity is the problem of classification. Terminologies such as Junk Art, Trash Art, Found Object Art, Recycled Art, Transformations, Readymade, Objects the environment yielded, Re-purpose Material Art, etc have all been adopted by scholars and artists alike to exclusively discuss and describe their art as products of individual ingenuity even though their artworks like those of others, equally involves the use of same creative methodologies and ideologies for waste and found object appropriation from pop culture into art in Africa. This trenchant attempt at carving out a unique individualistic identity or for ethnic groups or gilds working in this modern African art convention as is the main purport in many literary discourses, is an evidence of classification ambiguity which constitutes into grappling with devising or coining a suitable terminology for this art form which will effectively categorize it as individually exclusive or holistically encompassing to accommodate all African art forms made from readymade or found materials into one typology.
3.2 Hegemonic Exclusion of the Historiography of African Found Object Appropriation
There is also the problem of hegemonic exclusion which is made manifest in the writings of western scholars on African contemporary art. In an attempt to co-opt other art traditions into western art mainstreams, these scholars have refused to investigate or make any references to the origin of found object art in Africa and have concentrated in treating this art form as a recent artistic endeavour. In doing so over the years, that is ignoring the historiography of this African art convention, western scholars have fashioned a discourse on African found object transmutation art, which problematically excludes its historic context (origin). The resultant effect is evidenced in the fact that, even African scholars and critics have adopted this paradigm and thus, problematically treats African found object appropriation as simply an extension of European modernism rather than an art form with any cultural particularities/inspirations or determined by traditional philosophies.
So long as this remains the case and the origin of this art convention in Africa hegemonically excluded from contemporary discourse, the ambiguities surrounding it will continue to impede any comprehensive understanding of its contemporary artistic existence.
3.3 Problem of Contextualization
“There has been much debate surrounding the applicability of Euro-American terminology and classification to systems of art production outside of that specific history. While I am in no way arguing that these terms are not also applicable to practices other than those in Europe and America, I am suggesting a considered application rather than a catch-all grouping of the work as either recycling or found object. The answer is to acknowledge the local while assessing the reciprocity of art practices in a global historical context” (Binder 2008, p36) Binder’s argument is on the premise that, Euro-American terminologies may not effectively reflect or apply to art traditions or styles that fall outside the specific history which generated such terminologies.
If this happens, that is, Euro-American terminologies applied to outside art traditions, it will deprive such art forms or traditions drawn into European art mainstreams, of their true cultural artistic value, identity and conceptuality. Binder’s observation exhibits another level of ambiguity surrounding found object appropriation art in Africa as equally observed in the studies surveyed earlier in this paper, which is the problem of contextualization. Most writers both African and western, have applied Euro-American terminologies to describe this genre of art and in the process contextualize it based on western art movements of the 1900s like Readymade, Found Object, Dadaism etc. This application has not proven to be exceptionally adequate because, the ideological and conceptual frameworks that gave birth to those art forms and movements in the west are not responsible for the innovation.
Arts and Design Studies www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-6061 (Paper) ISSN 2225-059X (Online) Vol.12, 2013 47 of this modern African art form. This means that such Euro-American terminologies cannot effectively reflect and encompass this art type in Africa. Other writers have invented terminologies to treat this art type as uniquely African yet they fall into the pit fall of making references to and likening this African art convention to western terminologies/theories and modernists art movements attempting to justify their course, but in the process, do not provide enough evidence to establish why this art form is uniquely African and different from those of the west. Such multifarious terminology devising and faulty contextualization for exclusivity purposes by these scholars and artists end up excluding others in the continent who work in same style convention and beclouding their art practices in ambiguities.
This problem exists because contemporary African artists and critics as well as their western counterparts have consciously and continuously engaged in the discourse of treating found object art in Africa as a very recent artistic endeavor and have avoided any trace of history to establish the origin of this African art form. If an in-depth research into the origin and growth of found object art in Africa is conducted, then the problem of contextualization of this art genre will be addressed.
4 Conclusion
Whilst found object appropriation into art in Africa has become the core of almost all contemporary creative experimentation, artist’s inventions of numerous rubrics to describe their materials in unison with some African and western scholars, has lead to problematic and obscured submissions. Such problematic propositions as this paper illustrates, has created various levels of obscurities (muddle terminologies/classification problem, problem of western hegemonic exclusion of the historiography of this art form in Africa and the problem of contextualization) which impedes understanding of this modern art convention.
Available literature sources reviewed in this discourse which contextualizes this art type in analogous aesthetic context with European art movements are misleading, while those that treat it as traditional to Africa provide insufficient information to underpin their assertions. Conversely, it is my opinion that for clarity to be attained, an in-depth research into found object transmutation into art in Africa is exigent. The point of departure firstly for such investigation will be to examine the origin and history of found object art in Africa. If the origin is established, it will determine if this art convention is inspired by traditional culture or occasioned by western influences.
Furthermore, such study should adopt a particularized reading system to examine the practice methodologies of African found object appropriation artists, the ideologies and cultural motivations behind this art convention. If a particularized reading is conducted into these three key aspects of African found object art, both the colonial, cultural and contemporary context of waste and found object appropriation into African art will be accorded much needed clarity and the problem of contextualization addressed. If this is done, it will effectively establish it (found object and waste appropriation genre of art in the continent), as African in form, content and context as well as differentiate it from European art movements/art cultures for which it is currently erroneously likened to. Providing solutions to these ambiguities is beyond the scope of this investigation.
Rather, what I have done is simply bringing to lime light the various obscurities surrounding this modern art type and suggesting directions for further investigations. For the Silo, Clement Emeka Akpang, School of Art and Design, University of Bedfordshire, Luton, United Kingdom.
Adewunmi, A. ed (2008) Art is Everything 7: International Waste-to-art Workshop Catalogue. Nigeria: Timex Press Aniakor, C. (2013) ‘Interrogation of Objects and Images as means for Postgraduate Visual Enquiry in Environmental Sciences’ [Oral Interview]. Cross River University of Technology Calabar-Nigeria. 20th June, 2013 Arthur, D. (1981) The Transfiguration of the Commonplace. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Breton, A (1938) Surrealist Situation of the Object, in Manifestoes of Surrealism, trans. R. Seaver and H. R. Lane Michigan: University of Michigan Press, 272. Breton, A. (1987) Mad Love, trans. Mary Ann Caws. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. Binder, L. M. (2008). ‘El Anatsui: Transformations’. African Arts, 41(2), 24-37. Castellote, J (2011) ‘Olu Amoda’ A View From My Corner [Online] Available at: http://jesscastellote.wordpress.com/2011/01/16/olu-amoda/ Accessed on: 10 th June 2013 Emgin, B. (2012) ‘Trashion: The Return of the Disposed’. Design Issues, 28(1), 63-71. Evans, B (2010) ‘Contemporary African Art’ Contemporary African Art Newsletter [Online],
Available at :http://www.contemporary-african-art.com/contemporary-african- art.html#sthash.wGlqQyzZ.dpuf….14 Accessed: 3rd June 2013 Hans, R. (1965), Dada: Art and Anti-art. Oxford: University Press. Iversen, M (2004) ‘Readymade, Found Object, Photograph’ Art Journal Vol. 63, No. 2, pp. 44-57 Kart, S. (2009). ‘The Phenomenon of Récupération at the Dak’Art Biennale’ African Arts, 42(3), 8-9. Mushohwe, K. (2012) ‘Zimbabwe: The Lost and Found Art’. The Herald [Online]
Available at: Arts and Design Studies www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-6061 (Paper) ISSN 2225-059X (Online) Vol.12, 2013 48 http://www.allafrica.com/stories/201210240435.html?viewall=1 Accessed: 8th April 2013. O’Connor, L., (2013) ‘El Anatsui: When I Last Wrote to You about Africa’ CAA Reviews [Online] p.1-3. Available from: Art Full Text (H.W. Wilson), Ipswich. Accessed June 5, 2013. Oguibe, O. (1998). “El Anatsui: Beyond Death and Nothingness,’ African Arts 21(1):48-55. Sandqvist, T. (2006) Dada East: The Romanians of Cabaret Voltaire. London: MIT Press Shiner, L. (1994) ‘`Primitive fakes,’ `Tourist Art,’ and the Ideology of Authenticity’, Journal of Aesthetics & Art Criticism, 52 (2), pp.225. Swigert-Gacheru, M. (2011) ‘Globalizing East African Culture: From Junk to Jua Kali Art’, Perspectives on Global Development & Technology, 10 (1), pp.127-142 Sylla, A., Betelsen, M. (1998) ‘Contemporary African Art: A Multilayered History’, Diogenes, 46 (184), pp.51- 70. Uwe M, S. (1979), George Grosz, His life and work: Universe Books Van Dyk, M. (2013) ‘The Transformer: Mine Hill artist Re-imagines Found Objects as Art’ Daily Report [Online].
Available at: http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20130509/GRASSROOTS/305090005/The- transformer-Mine-Hill-artist-re-imagines-found-objects-art?nclick_check=1 Accessed on: 29 th August, 2013 Young R. J. C. (2010) Explorations – What do we mean by Postcolonial Art [Video]. Edinburgh: British Council. Available Online At: http://vimeo.com/15559912 Accessed: 5th June 2013.
A charming read about quirky and rare Canadian built cars from our friends at Hagerty–
Less than a week ago, we all celebrated Canada Day, aka Fête du Canada, the anniversary of Canadian Confederation that occurred on July 1, 1867. It’s a day to “reflect on what it means to be Canadian, to share what makes us proud,” and it “highlights the richness of our land, our diversity, our culture, our contributions, but above all, our people,” according to our government’s official website. It’s a glorious day for Canada, and though we are a little tardy on the dateline, we’re looking at some of the popular classic vehicles to come from the Great White North, and how much they’re worth in today’s market.
Starting in the early twentieth century, the big Detroit automakers south of the border built factories in Canada to sell to Canadians, rather than ship U.S.-built vehicles north.
This was because of tariffs between the two countries, and while many Canadian-built Ford, GM and Chrysler products were similar to the ones driven by Americans, others were rather uniquely Canadian. There were Meteors (Ford), McLaughlin Buicks, Fargo (Dodge) trucks, and Plymouths trimmed out as Dodges, and Acadians and Beaumonts (both GM). After the Canada-United States Automotive Products Agreement in 1965, though, cross-border trade loosened up. The specifically Canadian models and marques gradually disappeared, although promising independents like the Bricklin SV-1 or Manic GT continued to pop up. Today they’re all interesting, somewhat obscure classics. Below are the Canadian vehicles we most often see on the market.
1960 Frontenac
Flickr/Michael
When Ford introduced its compact Falcon in 1960, Ford Canada brought out an all-new marque to bring the compact party up north. They called it the Frontenac, short for a 17th-century Governor General of New France (I guess Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac et de Palluau was too long to fit on a badge) and built it in Oakville, Ontario. Frontenacs were essentially a mildly restyled Falcon, and were available in two- and four-door sedan body styles as well as two- and four-door wagons. All were powered by the 144-cubic inch Thriftpower straight-six. Ford Canada sold over 9500 Frontenacs for 1960 but discontinued the brand after only one year, replacing it with the Comet for 1961.
Frontenac prices differ by body style, ranging from $13,100 (CAD 17,900) for a four-door wagon at the bottom to $23,000 (CAD 31,400) for a two-door wagon at the top.
1948–52 Mercury M-Series Pickups
Mecum
To American eyes, pickup trucks with a Mercury badge seem a little Twilight Zone, like a budget city car sporting a Rolls-Royce grille or Kia making a mid-engine exotic. But from the postwar years up until the late 1960s, Mercury M-Series pickups were a very real thing for Canadian buyers.
At the time, many parts of the country didn’t have a Lincoln/Mercury dealership and a Ford dealership, so the Mercury M-Series gave truck-buying customers an option even if there was no Ford store around. The first-generation 1948-52 M-Series followed the same format as the first-generation Ford F-Series. Mercury M-Series trucks came in most of the configurations available on the Ford versions down south, but with fewer engine options. Currently, we only have the 1/2-ton, 239-cid eight-cylinder M-Series in the Hagerty Price Guide, and their #2 values range from $44,600 (CAD 60,900) for the earlier 1948-50 M-47 to $40,800 (CAD 55,700) for the 1951-52 M-1 model. Condition #3 values currently sit in the mid-$20K (CAD 27,300) range.
1968–69 Beaumont
Mecum
Of all the special Canadian market versions of Big Three vehicles, General Motors’ Acadian and Beaumont lines were arguably the most distinctive.
In 1962 GM launched Acadian, referring to the 17th- and 18th-century French settlers of eastern Canada, as its own brand. Its first model was based on the Chevy II/Nova compact but with different grille and trim, and different models included the mid-tier Acadian Invader and the range-topping Acadian Beaumont. In 1964 when the mid-size Chevelle came out, then Acadian added a Chevelle-based model to the lineup, recycling the Beaumont name. Then, in 1966, Beaumont became its own brand. When the second-generation Chevelle arrived for 1968, Beaumont followed suit. This was short-lived, however, as GM Canada axed the Beaumont brand after 1969 in favor of the Americanized Chevelle and Pontiac LeMans.
Built in Ontario and sold at Pontiac/Buick dealers, the 1968-69 Beaumont looks like a Chevelle with a few scoops of Pontiac mixed in, and generally followed the Chevelle in terms of trim and powertrains, which included 283, 307, 327, 350 and 396 cid engines as well as three- and four-speed manuals or Powerglide and Turbo Hydramatic automatics. Equivalent to Chevrolet’s Super Sport (SS) trim on the Chevelle was Beaumont’s Sport Deluxe (SD).
The average condition #2 value for a 1968-69 Beaumont is $24,200 (CAD 33,000) but, like their Chevrolet-badged cross-border cousins, prices vary widely depending on drivetrain and body style. The cheapest V-8 model in the Hagerty Price Guide is the 1968 307/200 hp sedan with a #2 value of $9600, while the most expensive is the extremely rare 396/350 hp L34-powered convertible with a #2 value of $81,800 (CAD 111,700).
1974–75 Bricklin SV-1
Joe Ligo
Seven years before John DeLorean came out with his own ambitious but under-powered, ill-fated gullwing sports car, Malcolm Bricklin built one in New Brunswick, Canada. Bricklin, the serial automotive entrepreneur who brought Subaru to North America, imported Fiat sports cars under the Bertone and Pininfarina brands and was the man behind the Yugo, envisioned a small and reasonably priced sports car with gullwing doors when planning his next business venture in the early 1970s. As the concept developed, Bricklin snagged a few million dollars in funding from the government of New Brunswick and set up two facilities in Saint John and Minto. The company officially unveiled the production version of the Bricklin SV-1 at the Four Seasons in New York in 1974.
By its looks, one might think that SV-1 stands for “Sports Velocity-1” or something wild like that, but it actually stands for “Safety Vehicle”.
The frame of the Bricklin includes an integrated roll cage, and each bumper is designed to absorb 5-mph impacts, both forward-thinking steps at the time. The bodywork is color-impregnated (five shades available) acrylic resin bonded to fiberglass, and the famous doors raise via hydraulic cylinders in about 12 seconds.
When Bricklin went looking for a parts bin to raid, it settled on AMC, so the SV-1 borrows its suspension from the Hornet, and early SV-1s have AMC’s 360-cubic inch four-barrel V-8. Later ones got Ford’s two-barrel 351 Windsor. Most SV-1s got a three-speed automatic, but a few buyers selected a Borg-Warner four-speed manual. In the end, Bricklin suffered the same fate as a lot of upstart carmakers, including the later DeLorean, minus the sting operation and tired Back to the Future redemption arc. There were quality control problems and supplier hold-ups, while a ballooning price and Malaise Era V-8 performance in a nearly 3500-pound car made the SV-1 difficult to sell. Only about 3000 were built.
Canada’s sports car has never been particularly expensive, but some strong sales for clean cars have seen prices surge surprisingly to a current median condition #2 value of $38,000 (CAD 51,900).
The current #3 value sits at $23,000 (CAD 31,400) and the #4 value at $9,000 (CAD 12,300). The later Ford-powered cars would theoretically be easier to service, but the 351 was rated with lower grunt than the AMC 360 (175 hp vs. 220), so the two carry similar values. Add a few grand for the four-speed.
Hagerty maintains a Canadian version of our popular online valuation tool, complete with prices shown in Canadian dollars. It can be accessed here.
CAS ANVAR RELISHES HIS “VULCULAN” ROLE- Silver screen and small screen actor Cas Anvar couldn’t believe he was stepping onto a soundstage in a STAR TREK CONTINUES episode when he first emerged in costume as Sentek in Episode 10 (“To Boldly Go: Part I”).
After playing opposite Ben Affleck in Argo, an Oscar winner for Best Picture, Anvar has stayed busy with Hollywood in film and TV roles in productions like the Princess Diana biopic Diana, the sci-fi adventure Source Code and suspense thriller The Factory. He has also appeared in Steve Spielberg’s The Terminal and then there’s a long list of TV roles on Anvar’s resume, including appearances on NCIS:LA, In Plain Sight, Boston Legal, Castle, and 24.
But to emerge in full Romulan garb on a planet set in rural Georgia? That was one of his personal career highlights – so far.
“On my very first scene, they brought me to the planet set. And it was amazing. I’d never really seen a real STAR TREK set before. You don’t realize how those sets were constructed back then. This thing was so authentic with its fake boulders and sparkly mineral dust and the elevator on the surface of the planet. Then I had my first exposure to holding a disruptor and doing the big fight scene. It was everything you’ve ever imagined when you watch STAR TREK!”
Anvar is a Canadian born and trained actor whose big break came with his role 2003’s Shattered Glass with Hayden Christiansen, and his professional career began following graduation from Canada’s prestigious National Theatre School. Anvar is also a well-known voice actor, whose talents can be heard in some of the world’s most popular video games (including Call of Duty: BO2, Halo 4, and Assassins Creed: Revelations.)
As a voice actor, he was familiar with STAR TREK CONTINUES executive producer Vic Mignogna. Anvar learned about the opportunity to join the cast as a guest star following a fortuitous meeting with STC director James Kerwin and through a connection with STC make-up artist Lisa Hansell.
“I’d been exposed to STAR TREK CONTINUES before I found out about the opportunity to participate. Their reputation was very high, and the production really is amazingly impressive and very high quality. I like the way STC uses technology to make it possible to produce ‘new’ episodes of The Original Series without losing authenticity,” Anvar said.
Anvar is a fan of all flavors of STAR TREK, noting that “there’s not one that I’ve missed. I’m a Roddenberry fan – a fan of the universe that he created. But each of the STAR TREK series is like a movement in a symphony. Each one has a place and a purpose and its own unique flavor.”
The “Vulculan”
To prepare for the role of Sentek (“I call him a ‘Vulculan,” says Anvar), he thought about what would be required for a cool and collected Vulcan to appear as a hot-headed Romulan.
“This is a character who grew up on Vulcan with emotional suppression. And he’s masquerading as a Romulan, who is much more emotional and volatile. So how does this character allow himself to pass as a Romulan? He has to behave in a way that is a little less Vulcan, trying to find the balance. You have a lot of imagery and a wealth of knowledge of Vulcans by watching Leonard Nimoy as Spock. Of course, Sentek was performing in a very non-Vulcan way. That made for an interesting challenge to try to figure out how he could rationalize such impulsive and dangerous behavior. It was fun to figure it out.”
In the Steps of Bill Shatner
“I studied psychology and sciences at McGill, and I think Bill Shatner did as well. He started in theater and did some Shakespeare, and of course everyone knew that he was an alumnus of the school. He went on to perform at Stratford in Toronto.”
That connection to Shakespeare proved very fortuitous.
Christopher Plummer as Star Trek villain Chang
“I actually got Bill Shatner to endorse a fundraising effort for a Shakespeare campaign, along with Christopher Plummer (an honorary McGill graduate.) Both of these famous actors came from my hometown. But after 9/11, our Shakespeare company had a financial problem. These great actors were sympathetic and helped us raise the money we needed. Later, of course, I also worked with Shatner on Boston Legal and saw him as the incredible Denny Crane.”
“Honestly, it was a surreal experience. Ever since I was a kid I wanted to be on STAR TREK and play some sort of an alien – ever since I was a kid. To getting to realize that dream was exciting,” Anvar says.
Supplemental- Questions & Answers with STC Director James Kerwin
How did you get involved with STC and express your interest in directing an episode — something that led to directing several episodes?
I’d known Vic Mignogna for several years, and cast him in a short film I directed. While we were on set, he mentioned that he was producing a STAR TREK fan series, and asked me to check out “Pilgrim of Eternity.” To be honest, I was wary at first. Although I wasn’t very familiar with fan films, those which I’d happened to catch ranged from great to amateur, from a production perspective. That’s not a “knock” at all — God bless anyone with the gumption to make a fan film. So Vic opened his laptop and said “Just watch.” I did, and I was hooked! The production value was top-notch.
While we were in post-production on the short, Vic mentioned that he was thinking about doing a “Mirror Universe” story for STC episode 3, and asked me if I’d like to come aboard. I was drawn in by his overall goal and philosophy for the show: namely, to produce a Trek webseries made by fans who also happened to be film and TV industry professionals, both behind the camera and in front of it… professionals who agreed to set their busy schedules aside, without fame or financial incentives, to express their love of TOS and share it with the world. So we tossed around a couple plot ideas, but ultimately felt that his initial instinct — to do a fast-paced story that picks up moments after “Mirror, Mirror” and explores Spock’s immediate actions — was the strongest. The rest is history.
That episode still holds a special place in my heart because it was my first — and the Mirror Universe is just so much fun! Wired came to set for that one and shot “behind-the-scenes” footage of the project; I encourage everyone to check that out as well:
I assumed “Fairest of Them All” would be my sole trip on the TOS Enterprise… but a few months later, Vic asked if I’d be interested in coming back to direct episode 4. At that point, I needed to make a decision as to whether I’d be willing to set aside my career for a couple years to focus on STC, because writing and directing episodes isn’t a part-time job. It wasn’t a difficult decision, simply because this entire endeavor was so rewarding!
After “The White Iris,” I settled in as the series’ “story editor” — that’s the person who works creatively with the showrunner (executive producer) to decide on overall storylines and which scripts to produce. I eventually became a co-producer (and later producer) on the show. In addition to directing and/or co-writing most of the episodes, it was necessary for me to work in post as well, helping Vic decide on music and sound cues, etc. I performed what’s called the “online edit” — I took Vic’s cut of each episode and readied it for color grading by our cinematographer Matt Bucy — and then performed the “DI conform” after the graded footage was returned. That involved adding film grain, comping in ungraded opticals (i.e., viewscreen shots), and even adding “judder” to the end titles to simulate the 1969 optical film printing process. I also scheduled shoots, helped Lisa Hansell and Linda Zaruches with some of the social media and publicity, cut together “blooper” reels, and authored the DVDs and Blu-ray discs. But my focus remained primarily on directing. I’m quite proud of what we accomplished, needless to say!
How do you describe the role and activity of a director to someone not familiar with filmmaking. In other words, what does a director do?
The director makes the creative decisions about what’s seen on-screen. He or she works with the actors to craft performances, and composes the shots (i.e., collaborates with the director of photography to determine camera angles, lighting, etc.). The overall “feel” and “pace” of the piece is the responsibility of the director.
Now, there are significant differences between directing for film — which was my primary background before STC — and directing for series television. On a film, the director is usually “top dog,” so to speak. The buck stops with him or her. He or she establishes the overall vision and style of the movie, from the broad strokes to the finest details. That involves making decisions in every department — makeup, costumes, art / set design, sound, camera, lighting, acting, editing, music. A film director is basically the general in charge of a large army. It requires a lot of pre-planning; and that involves everything from casting roles to storyboarding (drawing) shots to making judgment calls on wardrobe. Time is money when you’re on-set or on-location, and — while it’s important to be malleable and be able to think on one’s feet — films ultimately run much more smoothly if the director has pre-visualized everything (either on paper, digitally/virtually using pre-vis software, or even simply in his/her mind). Films involve large crews and complex camera moves, lighting, and shot composition. One typically shoots about 2 or 3 script pages a day on a feature or short — and even that is pushing the limits at times. A theatrical film can have a shooting schedule anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.
Directing for TV is rather different. By the time a director comes onto a series, many of the creative decisions have already been made: primary cast, sets, costumes, and — perhaps most importantly — the overall “style” and “feel” of both the camerawork and the actors’ performances. With few exceptions, most series have multiple directors, and each one can’t bring his/her own personal vision to the table — you’d have a show that looks totally different from one episode to the next! That’s why, in TV, the executive producer is ultimately in charge. Individual directors must conform their styles to the overall vision of the showrunner. In the case of STC, I also had to honor the rich legacy of TOS, and shoot the episodes in a style reminiscent of 1969 network television. So a lot of my 21st-century directorial instincts had to “take a back seat” in order to serve the overall series. On top of that, unlike films, a television episode has a much quicker production schedule. On STC, we usually shot 5 or 6 pages a day — sometimes even 7 or more! That’s definitely a challenge to pull off.
How does the all-volunteer aspect of a fan production like STC make things more difficult — or easier — for a director?
Fortunately, on STC, our so-called “above the line” positions (main cast and guest stars, producers, writers, directors) and our primary department heads had a lot of experience working in film and/or television, and that helped tremendously. I didn’t have to “reinvent the wheel” or show people the ropes.
That cut both ways, though. Since we were dealing with working industry pros, getting everyone together on a volunteer basis was often quite difficult. For example, unlike a “normal” series, we didn’t have the luxury of putting our main cast under series-regular contracts. So if certain actors were working on another film or TV series at any given time, we either couldn’t film during those weeks, or I’d have to shoot “around” their absence. Same thing for our behind-the-scenes crew.
Plus, understandably, we just didn’t have the budget to put our people up in hotels in Georgia — and feed them — for weeks on end. So our production schedule was often pretty tight. The more script pages one must shoot per day, the more stress one is under. There’s no way to avoid that. I suppose that having a background in indie film — where one often must work with lower budgets and tighter schedules — helped me cope!
Ultimately, though, having people who came together out of love for the material was a huge plus. Our team members were all motivated to do their best work, simply because that’s why they were there. And every night after photography, we’d all go out for dinner and drinks together. It really was a family… and one that I already miss.
What are some of the films and television series which influence you as a director?
I think Kubrick is probably my all-time hero. I love the specificity and patience of his films, and how his composition and pacing both inform and reflect his actors’ performances. 2001 is wonderful. I also love both Blade Runner movies, Solaris… but in addition, I have a soft spot for the late-60s aesthetic. The early Bond films, Flint, Barbarella… there’s a fun, sexy style there that we don’t see often any longer. As for television, I thought Ronald D. Moore’s version of Battlestar Galactica was wonderful. And there’s so much great content on right now. Black Mirror, for example. And Mr. Robot just blows me away.
What’s your background, and what are you doing professionally now that STC has finished its final episode?
Growing up, I used to make Doctor Who fan films and amateur movies with our family’s old video camera. If I was assigned to do a term paper, rather than writing a boring old report, I’d shoot it as a narrative film! So it was probably around high school when I first started thinking seriously about a career in directing. I also had — and still have — a passion for cosmology, so I was a bit indecisive. I went to T.C.U. in Dallas / Fort Worth, and started a double-major… but when I realized I’d be in college for many, many years, I ultimately decided to focus on filmmaking (although I did earn a minor degree in astrophysics). My student thesis film wound up winning a first-place Telly Award, so I stayed in Texas for a few years after that, directing shorts, music videos for local bands, etc.
When one of my films started to make a splash on the festival circuit, an assistant agent at talent agency APA offered to rep me, and I moved to Los Angeles. When I first got here, I wound up falling into a lot of stage directing, both classical and modern — which was unusual for me because I had relatively little background in live theatre at the time. But it’s an amazing process, and very different from filmmaking. My work at the Blank Theatre Company in Hollywood — a wonderful venue run by Daniel Henning and Noah Wyle — gave me a lot of “in the field” experience with actors, including many accomplished television and film veterans who’ve retained their passion for live theatre despite their on-screen success.
Ultimately, though, film is my first love, and I was fortunate to get the opportunity to direct a cerebral science fiction noir feature for Entertainment One studios called Yesterday Was a Lie (www.yesterdaywasalie.com), starring Kipleigh Brown as well as Chase Masterson from STAR TREK: Deep Space Nine. After YWAL, we started working on a film based on the science fiction Czech play R.U.R. from 1919. We originally shot a short (www.rurfilm.com) loosely based on the story — that’s where Vic and I first connected re: STC — and we’re developing it into a high-concept feature set in an alt-history, late-60s world. And Kipleigh and I have a couple other things in the works as well. But immediately next for both of us (as well as for Vic and Lisa) is a short psychological character drama called When the Train Stops — also starring Trek actors Michael Forest and John de Lancie. Lisa’s producing, and she did an excellent job successfully crowdfunding the film. We’ll be shooting in 2018, and I’m very much looking forward to it!
A Profile with Producer and Make-Up Supervisor Lisa Hansell
How did you get involved with STC, and how did that relationship grow to be more than providing make-up services?
Once upon a time, August of 2012 actually, I was in the process of turning Tim Russ into Tuvok when this guy named Vic Mignogna walked in. We were introduced, exchanged pleasantries and went about our business. At the end of the day, he asked for my business card. The very next day, he called and asked to have lunch to discuss a project he was launching.
Over lunch, he began to explain his vision for STAR TREK CONTINUES. His excitement for STC was palpable, and we established that we both dearly loved STAR TREK and had been lifelong fans. Now, I have been a professional in the entertainment industry for years and had been pitched “passion projects” many times (read: no pay). I had to turn them down because my bills don’t get paid with “great opportunities for exposure,” but this felt different somehow…special. Vic’s passion was contagious!
In The Beginning, there weren’t very many people on board, but all the usual pre-production details needed to be handled. Vic was trying to do it all himself, so I volunteered to take over social media for starters and helped source costumes for our first shoot, which was the final scene for “Pilgrim of Eternity.” There were a million details to take care of, and I offered to help share the load. Over time, this deepened my friendship with Vic and my involvement with STC. I have given input on script and story development (the ending for “Lolani” was my idea, for example), wardrobe choices, sound design, etc. I did whatever needed to be done without regard to whether or not it was “my department” all for love of the project.
What are some of the challenges you faced as Makeup Supervisor on STC?
Of course, the whole series was a period piece with the goal of recreating the look and feel of late 1960’s STAR TREK. They used heavier, more theatrical makeup back in the day, but we were shooting in HD which is much less forgiving than film. Finding a balance of makeup looks that would fit the period and yet not be distractingly obvious was not an easy task!
Several episodes brought their own unique challenges, which I LOVE! In Episode 1 we had to vary the age appearance of Apollo several times throughout the story. Episode 2 was a LOT of green for our Orions, and that green had to be something that wouldn’t transfer onto costumes, props and sets. We custom mixed something called PAX, which is a combination of medical grade adhesive and acrylic color. Consequently, it was very time consuming to apply and remove. Episode 3 was all about recreating every character’s look from “Mirror, Mirror.” In Episode 4, we recreated three known loves from Kirk’s past.
Then there was Episode 8. The ‘Old Kirk’ prosthetic makeup was equal parts long, hard work and a lot of fun! Special effects makeup is my absolute favorite thing because I get to watch the actor use my work to enhance and inform their performance. Episode 9 was a color theory workout! I tested many color combinations for our guests stars before settling on schemes that would read ‘normal’ in black and white and not look completely ridiculous in color. Me to Vic: “I can’t have our guest stars looking like a bowl of hard candies.” For our finale episodes, I got to create an Andorian and…Romulans! So many pointed eartips…glorious! I’m incredibly proud of the work my team and I did throughout the series.
What’s involved in being the Social Media Manager and keeping people informed about STC activities – on Facebook and otherwise?
I could really write a novel here, but I’ll try to summarize. Our main Facebook fan page has grown to nearly 200K “Likes,” and our Facebook Group now has 14.5K members. We have a Twitter following of nearly 22K and 4.5K on Instagram. That’s a lot of eyeballs on our activities! For our main Facebook page, I have an angel volunteer named Linda (I LOVE you, Linda!) who combs through our behind-the-scenes photos and schedules out a ton of posts. I go in daily and check through them, tag people, monitor comments, etc. I check in on the group, and the other platforms several times a day, and have done so every day for the last 5 years.
Social media really is our main liaison with our fans, which is incredibly important. Early on, I wanted to establish a ‘voice’ for STC that included professionalism, class, courtesy, enthusiasm and the principles of IDIC. How STC is perceived is extremely important to me because I believe it reflects on everyone involved – on our family – so I’m very protective of it. I have been so gratified when hearing from fans that we have achieved an excellent public perception.
Vic consults with James Kerwin and myself pretty much daily on STC activities and decisions that he has to make regarding the direction of the production. You could say James and I are the “Bones” and “Spock” to his “Kirk” off-screen. Ha! (We’ve had a group Facebook chat going since episode 4!) Whenever we have an event coming up, we three hash out the plan of execution and release, Take our Christmas gift of downloads for the fans, for example. That has been in the works for months! Then it’s all about choosing the right wording, imagery, etc., and coordinating the exact date and time of release so that it happens as seamlessly as possible.
I’m sure you’ve been touched by the stories that people have told about how STC has affected them. What are a couple of examples that really stand out?
I’m always thrilled to hear stories about STC bringing people together. Parents and children reconnecting to watch new Star Trek episodes like they did years ago, or fans who may no longer have that parent around but can feel their presence each time they watch STC are some of my favorites.
I have to say, though, that the messages and emails I received after “Come Not Between the Dragons” were the most profoundly moving. We had adults who were abused as children write in to say that they were able to heal and let go of the anger they had harbored for years against an abuser who had long since passed. We even had abusers write to us and tell us they finally saw themselves through their children’s frightened eyes and vowed to change – to break the cycle. We never could have imagined having the affect we have had on some of our fans, and I find it profoundly humbling to be a part of something that could invoke that in others.
Is working on STC like working on other fan productions?
There are similarities in that almost any fan production is driven by a passion and love for the source material. I have very much enjoyed working on other things and have made lifelong friendships as a result.
That said, STC is unlike any other production I’ve worked on, fan or otherwise. I’ve been fortunate enough to work on quite a few films that were filled with wonderful professionals who’ve become friends and had a fantastic time doing it, but STC is very different. Everyone is doing it for love and not for money. When you’re pouring your heart into something vs waiting for a paycheck, it shows!
Also, from very early on I have had a much deeper involvement with STC than on most other productions. As a producer, I have input on the final product that I wouldn’t normally have as a makeup artist, and I find that I am much more invested as a result. This has moved me to pursue more of an active role in producing other things as well, because I enjoy being a part of the creative team for the whole project and not just for one department.
When you look back on your experiences with STC, what has been most personally rewarding?
I would have to say that the relationships I’ve built with the cast and crew of STC are #1 for me. We throw the word “family” around a lot, but there just isn’t a better word for it. I deeply and sincerely LOVE each and every one of the crazy nerds on our team, and I know that is for life – there’s no question in my mind. This is my ‘chosen’ family.
A close second would have to be the chance to spend so much time living INSIDE my lifelong love of Star Trek. I’ve walked the corridor of the Enterprise. I’ve sat in the Captain’s chair, stared into Spock’s scanner, dusted the table in Kirk’s quarters, climbed the ladder in engineering and even got to ‘drive the ship’ in a couple of episodes. I’ve napped in sickbay, on the transporter pad, in a turbolift, and in the warp core (yes, really)! I’ve stood at the monitor watching new STAR TREK being created before my very eyes. It doesn’t get any better than that!
What’s your background in the entertainment world, and what’s next on your professional horizon?
I began doing special effects and beauty makeup 11 years ago. I’ve worked on everything from micro budget independent films to multi-million dollar theatrically released features. I’ve worked with names like Ed Begely, Jr., Sean Young, Eric Roberts, Martin Kove…and I absolutely love what I do. The artistry of it combined with storytelling is what I find most compelling.
I’m currently in pre-production on a short film with some STC alumni. The film is called When the Train Stops, and it stars John de Lancie, Michael Forest, Vic Mignogna, Kipleigh Brown, and my dear friend Darren Jacobs. Darren is a Shakespearean Theater-trained actor whose talent always blows me away. I can’t wait for you to see him in action! Of course, our readers already know what brilliance the rest of the cast is capable of. I’m excited to also bring back Emie Morissette, who you will recognize as the relief navigator from STC’s finale episodes.
The film will be directed by our very own James Kerwin, and I’m producing it. It’s a drama with a twist – think Twilight Zone. We will no doubt bring on more STC folks as we get closer to production and start filling out the crew. When you find your “A” team for filmmaking, why look any further! You can check out our website for more info: www.whenthetrainstops.com
In closing, I’d like to thank Vic for bringing me aboard this wonderful journey. His vision gave birth to STC, and my time working on it has truly been one of the most memorable and remarkable experiences of my life. Thank you, Vic, for being a wonderfully insane geek to the extent that you created this beloved masterpiece, and for letting me play on your starship! It was a great ride…
Frequently Asked STC Questions Weren’t you going to make 13 episodes? Did CBS make you stop?
CBS is not responsible for the decision to end the series. We are doing 11 episodes instead of 13 because another fan group took advantage of the good graces of the copyright holders forcing them to protect their property and the interests of their license holders. In deference and gratitude to CBS, we wrapped up earlier than planned and are very proud of what we’ve accomplished.
What will happen to the studio/sets? Will set visits/tours be available?
We don’t have a definitive answer on this right now, but we’re considering all our options.
So, you can’t make more full-length episodes due to the guidelines, but can you make more vignettes?
Yes, short films are allowed by CBS’s guidelines, but the run time is not the only limitation that would preclude us from continuing. We finished our mission and are grateful to have been able to do so.
How about making some other fan film (Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, Lost in Space, etc?)
STC was born from Vic Mignogna’s love of STAR TREK and not any other franchise. It’s the kind of love required to do this kind of work for 5 years for free. While the other shows are favorites, they aren’t “devote-5-years-of-your-life” favorites!
Weather has been used for dramatic effect since fiction began, so much so that the term ‘pathetic fallacy’ is probably one of the main things you remember from your English Literature classes. But how does this apply to Hollywood cinema and film?
Hands down, the most dramatic of all meteorological phenomenon is fog.
It can be used to ratchet up tension, conceal terrifying creatures and even provide important characters with a suitably dramatic entrance.
Spanning genres from horror to sci-fi, mist and fog are more versatile than mere set dressing; they dominate scenes and often make them the most memorable part of their respective movies.
So, without further ado, let’s investigate the importance (not forgetting the scare-factor) that fog brings to the silver screen in this infographic from our friends at vapingman.
Which films are we missing? Which scenes have stood out for you? Please comment below.
Movie remakes have been a staple of Hollywood for decades. They can reintroduce classic stories to new generations and update them with the latest technology, much like how online casino and online slots platforms reimagine traditional casino games for the digital age.
On the other hand, more cynical viewers might view movie remakes as easy “cash grab” attempts. Whatever your view on movie remakes, they come in all shapes and sizes, spanning genres, eras, and styles. While many fail to live up to the originals they’re based on, they occasionally match or even exceed them.
Charleton Heston scoping out mutants with an infra-red scope rifle in The Omega Man. More on this film below.
So, which are the most (and least) successful movie remakes of all time? To find out, our friends at Spin Genie ranked some of the biggest movie remakes based on their critical reviews, box office revenue, and Google searches. We’ve then done the same (sorry some of the figures shown on the charts below are in US dollars but with today’s exchange rate you can multiple by 1.37 for CAD) for the original movies they were based on and worked out the difference in scores.
The most successful movie remakes
1. I Am Legend
Original movie score: 3.34
Remake movie score: 7.78
Score difference: 4.44
The 2007 adaptation of I Am Legend, starring Will Smith, stands out as a significant improvement over the 1971 version, The Omega Man that starred Charleton Heston. The remake received good reviews (particularly for Smith’s performance) and, at the time, was the highest-grossing non-Christmas film to ever release in December. On the other hand, The Omega Man received a much more mixed reception and grossed just $7.7 million USD (adjusted for inflation). A sequel to the remake is currently in the works, with Michael B. Jordan set to appear alongside Will Smith.
2. Ocean’s Eleven
Original movie score: 3.55
Remake movie score: 7.92
Score difference: 4.37
The 2001 remake of Ocean’s Eleven transformed the original 1960 Rat Pack classic into a modern heist film with an all-star cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Julia Roberts. It improved on the original in each factor, being praised for its stylish direction, witty script, and ensemble cast. The remake’s success led to two sequels and a spin-off with an all-female lead cast. It also influenced the wider movie industry, with numerous heist films produced in the following years.
3. Dune: Part One
Original movie score: 4.81
Remake movie score: 8.81
Score difference: 4.00
Canadian director Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 adaptation of Dune brought Frank Herbert’s epic science fiction novel to life with stunning visuals, a stellar cast, and a faithful yet innovative approach. The remake vastly improved (debatable to those that grew up loving the original version) upon David Lynch’s 1984 version, which had been criticized for its convoluted plot and lacklustre special effects. (Also debatable to original fans, especially when a new much longer cut of the film exists to tackle these complaints.)
The sequel, Dune: Part Two, came out earlier this year and improved even further on Part One in its critical reception and box office revenue.
The least successful movie remakes
1. Peter Pan
Original movie score: 8.37
Remake movie score: 5.04
Score difference: -3.33
The 2003 adaptation of Peter Pan failed to capture the magic of the original 1953 Disney classic, scoring significantly worse for reviews and revenue. The remake received ok reviews, but they were nowhere near the animated original, which is beloved for its timeless charm and classic story. Financially, the remake was a failure, grossing $207.9 million USD, which resulted in a financial loss compared to the film’s budget.
2. Carrie
Original movie score: 7.26
Remake movie score: 4.08
Score difference: -3.18
The 2013 remake of Carrie failed to live up to the 1976 original, which is considered a horror classic. The remake’s attempts to modernize Stephen King’s tale didn’t impress critics or audiences, with an average review score of 55.5 and inflation-adjusted revenue of $114.1 million USD. The original film, known for its intense atmosphere and Sissy Spacek’s iconic performance, set a high bar that the remake could not reach.
3. House of Wax
Original movie score: 4.59
Remake movie score: 1.78
Score difference: -2.81
While the original House of Wax didn’t score very highly, with 4.59, that’s still an improvement of 2.81 on the 2005 remake, putting it in third place. Despite its modern special effects and star-studded cast, the remake couldn’t match the original’s eerie atmosphere and Vincent Price’s memorable performance. The original has an average critic score of 69, and its reputation has improved over the years, unlike the remake.
Much maligned- The Remake of Planet of The Apes by Tim Burton. Not as bad as you remember.
Which remake has the best reviews?
A Star is Born – 82 out of 100
The movie remake that resonated with movie critics the most is the 2018 version of A Star is Born, with an average score of 82 out of 100. The musical romantic drama was Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut and is the third remake of the 1937 original. It was one of the biggest films of 2018, and critics raved about the performances of Cooper, Lady Gaga, Sam Elliott, and the soundtrack. It also won numerous awards, getting eight nominations at the 91st Academy Awards.
Which remake made the most money?
Beauty and the Beast – $1.6 billion USD / $2.2 billion CAD (inflation-adjusted)
Financially, Disney’s 2017 Beauty and the Beast is the most successful movie remake, with an inflation-adjusted box office total of $1.6 billion USD. It opened to a record-breaking debut, becoming the second-highest-grossing film of 2017 and the tenth-highest of all time. The enduring popularity of the original and the nostalgia of adults who grew up with no doubt helped the film’s incredible box office success.
Which remake is the most searched?
Dune: Part One – 52.3 million annual searches
The remake with the most online popularity is Dune, with over 52 million searches. This is undoubtedly helped by the fact that the series is currently extremely popular due to the release of Part Two earlier this year, but it shows just how successful the remakes have been. The series has been considered a tough one to adapt due to the intricate nature of the novel, but the films have proven hugely successful.
Dune Part 1 remake was released on 3D Blu-Ray for even more dramatic effects.
Methodology
We compiled a list of movie remakes and their originals using IMDb, looking at the most-reviewed remakes. We included the original version of each movie and compared it to the most recent adaptation. For movies remade multiple times with multiple popular remakes, we included each popular remake. We did not include spinoffs, prequels, or sequels. We did not include TV films, streaming releases, or rental earnings. We removed all movies for which the relevant data was unavailable.
We calculated each movie’s average review score using IMDb and Metacritic review scores on 03/06/24.
We sourced the number of Google searches for each movie using Google Ads Keyword Planner, looking at global Google searches from 1/05/23 to 30/04/24.
We gave each original movie and each movie remake a normalized score out of 10 for each factor before calculating the average score out of 10 for each movie. We compared the score out of 10 for each original film and its remake to reveal the most and least successful remakes. For the Silo, Charlotte Green.
For starters, The Argentina Country Brand highlights distinctive values and attributes to promote exports, attract foreign direct investment, and boost inbound tourism.
Let’s begin with cooking.
Cooking is more than a daily practice: it is a gateway to understanding a country’s history, culture, and diversity. This is what Argentina is presenting right now at Argentina Week in Miami ending this Friday June 28 in Miami-Dade and Broward counties in Florida. The event will offer the opportunity to experience Argentine culinary culture and its most representative products, creating a unique experience that connects Miami’s culinary enthusiasts with potential consumers.
Considered one of the best cuisines in the world, with Italian and Spanish influences due to immigration, Argentina will showcase its most iconic dishes ahead of the Copa América through more than 80 establishments participating with exclusive promotions and prices. By visiting the Argentina Weekportal, www.argentinaweek.ar , participants can find each day’s value proposition from each establishment, making Argentina Week a unique experience.
The event launch began in the afternoon on Monday, June 24, at La Cabrera Grill in Sunny Isles. The following day, in keeping with the Euro 2024 Soccer excitement the Chile vs. Argentina match was broadcast live at La Birra Bar, and today, Wednesday, June 26, will feature a pizza night at the traditional Banchero pizzeria in Miami Beach.
On Thursday, June 27, Casa Vigil will host the week’s events, and on Friday, June 28, the new La Cabrera location in Coconut Grove will be the meeting point.
With unparalleled cultural heritage, great biodiversity, and a perfect blend of flavors and history, Argentine cuisine offers many recipes, traditional dishes, typical flavors, and high-quality local products.
In this regard, Argentina seeks to diversify its export offerings by strengthening the positioning of sustainable and competitive value-added products. Exclusive promotions and prices for participants to immerse themselves in Argentine cuisine will be available as Argentina seeks to diversify its export offerings and consolidate national products and ingredients. For the Silo, Kat Fleischman.
One of 150 Miura SVs (Sprinto Veloce) built from 1971-1973
One of just 96 late-production “split-sump” Miura P400 SVs, and one of a mere 76 examples completed during the final year of production
German delivery example originally equipped with rare factory air conditioning
Retains its matching-numbers engine benefitting from a rebuild by Top Motors Salvioli of Nonantola Modena, Italy and Team CJ Works of Austin, TX
Recipient of a meticulous restoration by ex-Lamborghini factory workers and original Lamborghini parts suppliers, overseen by legendary Lamborghini test driver Valentino Balboni
Well documented example of the groundbreaking Miura in its most desirable SV specification
Chassis No. 5048 Engine No. 30735 Body No. 835
Few cars deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as the all-conquering Ford GT40, yet the Lamborghini Miura is just such a car.
Months before the mid-engined Ford would topple Ferrari at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans in one of the most famous 1-2-3 finishes in motorsport history, precocious Lamborghini engineers Giampaolo Dallara and Paolo Stanzani set out to implement the radical mid-engined architecture into a road-going chassis. The unclothed P400 was presented at the 1965 Turin Auto Show with a massive Giotto Bizzarrini-designed V12 mounted transversely in the middle, appearing again just a year later at Geneva with coachwork that, to this day, is viewed by many as Bertone’s crowning achievement. The pen of 25-year-old Marcello Gandini was responsible for the Miura’s dramatic shape, which stunned attendees of the 1966 Geneva Motor Show with its impossibly low stance, voluptuous rear quarters, bulging air intakes, and distinctive “eyelash” headlights. Just as Ford had outclassed Ferrari with the ingenious packaging of the GT40, the Prancing Horse was caught flat-footed yet again when the P400 Miura went on sale in 1967, waiting until 1971 to respond with its own mid-engined 365 GT4 BB.
The disgruntled former Ferrari owner Ferruccio Lamborghini had achieved his quest of building a more outlandish and capable sports car than Enzo Ferrari.
In 1971, the industry-disrupting Miura reached its final and most developed iteration – the Sprinto Veloce, or SV. A mere 150 examples of the much-improved Miura P400 SV were produced between 1971 and 1973, characterized by their lack of headlight lashes and the addition of flared rear wheel arches to accommodate a five-inch-wider rear track. Less immediately apparent were its extensive chassis stiffening measures and its redesigned rear suspension architecture, which consisted of a conventional lower A-arm replacing the inverted A-arm and trailing link arrangement of the P400 and P400 S. Lastly, the SV received an additional 40 horsepower through altered cam timing and the use of four Weber 40 IDL30 triple carburetors, helping it achieve a production car record top speed in excess of 180 miles per hour.
The final and most significant improvement to the Miura during its production run came in the form of a split-sump lubrication system which alleviated oil starvation under hard cornering while also allowing for the use of different types of oil for the engine and transaxle. This particular Miura P400 SV, chassis number 5048, is one of just 96 late-production examples factory equipped with a split-sump system. A left-hand-drive, German delivery example, chassis 5048 was built by Marchesi & C. in Modena and dispatched to Bertone in Turin where it was clothed in body number 835 and finished in Giallo Fly (Fly Yellow). According to Bertone records sourced under previous ownership, this is one of only 19 Miura P400 SVs originally finished in vibrant Giallo Fly, and even fewer specified with a Nero leather interior featuring desirable contrasting beige cloth seat inserts, a Voxson stereo with an eight-track player, and exceedingly rare factory air conditioning. The car was sent from Bertone to Lamborghini in Sant’Agata for completion in May 1972 – making it one of 76 Miuras built during the final year of production – before joining its first German owner, Fischer Schulze, on 10 June 1972.
The Miura is understood to have remained in continental Europe until its recorded history resumes in 1983, when the car was imported to the United States via JFK International Airport by New York-based collector Stan Zagorski.
After a short time in Zagorski’s collection, the Lamborghini was relocated to the West Coast with Len Renwick of Fullerton, California, where it joined his collection of important classics including his Miura P400. While in Renwick’s care, the SV’s original engine was treated to a rebuild and its original Bertone coachwork was refinished in red with gold rocker panels and matching gold wheels. In 1990, chassis 5048 was shipped overseas yet again, this time to Kanagawa, Japan with new owner Tomohiro Utski. The SV remained in the island nation for the next 17 years, seeing only moderate use, until passing in 2007 to SPS Automotive in Hong Kong. Shortly thereafter, the highly original Lamborghini was purchased by an English collector based in Western Australia, who saw fit to conduct a comprehensive cosmetic and mechanical restoration to factory specifications. The monumental undertaking, which is said to have exceeded £130,000/ $225,100 CAD, encompassed a bare metal repaint in its original shade of Giallo Fly, retrimming the interior with correct beige cloth seat inserts, servicing the engine and transaxle, recharging the factory air conditioning system, and overhauling various mechanical systems in need of attention.
Tragically, while newly under the ownership of noted English collector Jon Hunt, chassis 5048 caught fire in the streets of London in 2013 shortly after leaving the shops of H.R. Owen following a recent service. All of the original Bertone body panels save for the passenger’s-side rear quarter, as well as the original engine were deemed salvageable and subsequently shipped to Italy by 2015 for a total restoration. According to a letter on file from legendary Lamborghini test driver and supervisor of the restoration, Valentino Balboni, chassis 5048 was entrusted to many of the same Lamborghini experts and official suppliers who manufactured the Miura at the time of its production in May 1972! This included S.C.N. Carrozzai of Nonantola Modena, an official Lamborghini supplier, responsible for repairing the Bertone coachwork and renewing it in period-correct Argento (Silver). The major mechanicals, including the engine, transaxle, brakes, and suspension, were all salvaged and carefully rebuilt by Top Motors Salvioli of Nonantola Modena, led by ex-Lamborghini Service Department Head Orazio Salvioli. Even the wiring harness – a highly specialized component – was sourced from Christian Gatti, son of William Gatti, Lamborghini’s original wiring supplier. And finally, the interior was trimmed in period-correct blue leather by Bruno Paratelli of Interni Auto Barbieri & Bussolai in Ferrara, the original upholsterer of Lamborghini interiors since 1972.
Rarely is this level of care and attention lavished by ex-Lamborghini factory workers and original parts suppliers on a restoration, never mind being overseen and fine-tuned by the very same test driver who would have driven the car prior to its delivery to its original German owner. Following its completion, the car was briefly in the custody of Joe Macari Classics before joining its current U.S.-based owner, a prominent collector and restorer of significant European sports cars. Under current ownership, there is a further $106,734.10 USD/ $146,162 CAD worth of invoices on file from work performed by Team CJ Works in Austin, TX.
As a matching-numbers, split-sump, factory air conditioning car, this exceptionally rare final-year example of the ultimate Miura variant would be a landmark acquisition for the dedicated collector of groundbreaking Italian sports cars.
The call letters KLEE-TV had not been broadcast since July 1950, more than 3 years before a viewer in London, England picked up their transmission on his television set.
Adding to the mystery was the fact that while in operation KLEE-TV was based out of Houston, Texas- an entire continent and ocean away. Since this was an era before satellite t.v. transmission how could the images be picked up? Was it simply a hoax?
Though debunkers have stated that this story first appeared in Readers Digest, it actually was first reported in 1953 by TV Guide: a viewer based magazine that organized and listed television programming and reviewed highlighted television shows. Hugely successful and widely distributed- it seems counter-intuitive to consider how this might affect an already paranoid and anxious viewer body. After all, the Cold War and the Space Race were underway. Many Americans were building nuclear bomb shelters and keeping their eyes to the skies.
Television was still a new form of media and to many it transcended the boundaries of space of time.
It seemed possible that ghostly transmissions from another time and another place could occur. TV Guide pointed out in its story that at the time of the phantom KLEE-TV transmission, no other t.v. station in the world used those call letters.
For the next 12 year this enigma was forgotten but then in February 1962 Mrs. Rosella Rose of Milwaukee, Wisconsin witnessed the following. The KLEE-TV letters were flashed onto her screen as well as the images of an unknown man and woman arguing on a balcony, followed by the flashing of the word “HELP!” Then suddenly, her screen went blank. It seemed as though Mrs. Rose had witnessed an electronic netherworld. Could an alternate universe be superimposing its reality onto hers? The simplest answer is that Mrs. Rose was a victim of her time.
Phantom signal transmission in Stranger Things.
Perhaps as mentioned in Haunted Media Static and Stasis, “….The fleeting and inexplicable transmissions of KLEE are eerie in that they are symptomatic of a general loss of self presence felt socially in electronic communications as a whole.” I think it’s safe to say that Canadian Film Director David Cronenberg felt this way and successfully incorporated these themes into Videodrome. I think it’s also safe to say that the success of the recent Netflix series Stranger Things is due in some part to this notion of a technologically created netherworld. And what about the Australian reports of a Coke bottle and drinking flask being transmitted during the Moon Landing?
Today there are reports of phantom webcam transmissions, of strange beings quickly seen on a monitor or a tablet. If we are able to view images on our devices then is it so far fetched to imagine that we ourselves can be seen by others through our devices? And if that’s possible to what end are we being surveilled? For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.
The Max Headroom Signal Intrusion Incident of 1987
An increasing number of Canadians can’t afford a house or find a decent-paying job. Some can’t find a date or are fed up with the bitter politics, while others are in search of adventure, are sick of the cold winters, or simply miss the feeling of ‘being home’.
The solution they seek? Leave Canada.
The rising cost of living, record-high immigration, a stagnating economy, and political tensions are prompting rising numbers of Canadians—both native and naturalized—to leave the country.
Canada is increasingly becoming a country of emigrants, as well as a country of immigrants, experts say.
“We’re definitely seeing a lot more interest from people wanting to leave Canada,” Michael Rosmer, founder of Offshore Citizen, a Dubai-based company that offers relocation services to people around the globe. “This is disproportionate to their numbers overall.”
He said many of his clients are motivated by the increasing ability to work from anywhere, plus political tensions within Canada accompanied by a feeling of lost freedoms. Also a factor is the rising standard of living of many countries that were once far below Canada in terms of health care, education, and other services.
While Canada was once considered among the best places in the world to live, “it’s like the world has flipped,” Mr. Rosmer said. “The alternatives have gotten meaningfully better. Today if you go to Kuala Lumpur you’re going to find that it is arguably better than any Canadian city.”
Some 94,576 people emigrated from Canada from mid-2022 to mid-2023, an increase of 1.8 percent from 92,876 in the year-earlier period, and up sharply from 66,627 in the period from mid-2020 to mid-2021, which fell during the pandemic lockdowns, according to data from Statistics Canada.
A study released last year by the immigration advocacy group Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) showed immigrants are also increasingly reluctant to stay, with the proportion who stick around to obtain full citizenship within 10 years of receiving permanent resident status plunging to 45.7 percent in 2021 from 60 percent in 2016 and 75.1 percent in 2001.
Cameron MacDonald, a 29-year-old from the Niagara Falls region of Ontario who left Canada in March for Japan, cited the high cost of living as the main reason for his move, which uprooted him from friends, family, and a job as an anti-fraud analyst with a major Canadian bank. He is now studying Japanese and looking for a job with a foreign firm, while living in Tokyo, which has a population density of 6,363 people per square kilometre compared to Toronto’s 4,427.8 per square kilometre.
“Here in Tokyo, the world’s biggest city, I pay $650 a month for a room that I would have had to pay $2,000 for in Toronto.” I had a routine and a cushy bank job and I was even living with my dad after a while but I still couldn’t get ahead financially.”
He said the high cost of housing in Toronto means that all of his friends of a similar age in Canada are still living with their parents and, as many of them consider starting families, they are watching his move with the thought of moving abroad themselves.
“My five-year goal includes a wife, a house, and kids and there’s no way I could afford that in Canada,” Mr. MacDonald said. “You can’t really date and find a wife when you’re living with your dad.”
“In Japan, I wake up with a smile on my face every day,” he said. “It’s like I have found a new passion—I can start a family here.
High Immigration
Like many people, Mr. MacDonald blames Canada’s rapid pace of immigration for driving up the cost of living and forcing him to move abroad.
As of Oct. 1, 2023, Canada’s population was estimated at 40,528,396, a record increase of 430,635 people in the previous three months alone, according to Statistics Canada. That growth rate, at 1.1 percent in a quarter, was the highest since 1957, amid Canada’s baby boom plus an immigration surge fueled by a refugee crisis in Hungary at the time.
In just the first nine months of last year, Canada’s population grew by 1,030,378 people, more than any other year dating back to confederation in 1867, the statistics show. And 96 percent of that growth came from immigration. Overall, the population grew 30 percent since it reached the 30 million figure in 1997.
Canada’s Plan to Welcome 500000 Immigrants by 2025. ascenda.com
Indeed, rapid population growth has outstripped economic growth in recent years, lowering the standard of living in Canada as more people compete for less housing space and place greater strains on health care, education, and other services, according to a study published in May by the Fraser Institute. The study shows Canada’s real gross domestic product per person dropped 3 percent between April 2019 and the end of last year, from $59,905 to $58,111. The only steeper drops in the 40 years covered by the study were from 1989 to 1994, with a decline of 5.3 percent, and the financial crisis of 2008 to 2009, when it dropped 5.2 percent.
Another factor propelling emigration may be the aging of the baby boomer generation. As more Canadians reach retirement age, emigration to the United States, particularly to sunny states such as Florida, is accelerating.
A study by Statistics Canada also shows that high immigration tends to push up emigration because some immigrants move back to their home country. The study showed that 15 percent of the people who immigrated to Canada between 1982 and 2017 returned within 20 years of admission.
Whatever the root cause, the interest in leaving Canada has caught the attention of the global industry of specialists offering services to wealthier emigrants around the world.
Videos created by people seeking to offer second-passport services and other relocation help are growing in popularity. “Nine Steps to Escape Canada,” a YouTube video watched 362,000 times, “5 Reasons to Leave Canada in 2024,“ watched by 261,000 and ”Canada is Dying!,” with 531,000 viewers are some of the most popular.
Jay Suresh, the founder of Goodlife Investor, which offers emigration services to people around the world looking to obtain second passports, foreign tax advantages, and other benefits, says the number of Canadians looking for dual citizenship jumped after the Canadian government banned unvaccinated people from flying or travelling by train in late 2021 until the summer of 2022.
“This was an eye-opener for a lot of people. They got frustrated with just that one citizenship and they wanted multiple citizenships,” he said in a video promoting his company. Now, he says, Canadians are nearly tied with U.S. citizens in searches for second passports, even though the United States has 10 times Canada’s population. For the Silo, Adam Brown.
Featured image: People line up to go through security screening at Pearson International Airport in Toronto on Aug. 5, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette)
For example, pairing Syrah with pepper-crusted meats can enhance the black pepper notes in the wine, creating a cohesive and robust flavor experience. Grüner Veltliner pairs wonderfully with spicy Asian cuisine, balancing the heat of dishes like Thai green curry or Sichuan cuisine with its fresh acidity and white pepper spiciness. Gewürztraminer can be a great match for dishes that have a touch of sweetness and mild spice, such as Indian curry. The ginger-like spice in the wine enhances the overall richness of the dish. Similarly, Zinfandel pairs well with hearty, smoky dishes like barbecue ribs, where the clove and pepper notes in the wine complement the smoky, tangy flavors of the ribs.
Wine consultant Sylvia Ba is a vinicultural expert with the 
Anvar is a Canadian born and trained actor whose big break came with his role 2003’s Shattered Glass with Hayden Christiansen, and his professional career began following graduation from Canada’s prestigious National Theatre School. Anvar is also a well-known voice actor, whose talents can be heard in some of the world’s most popular video games (including Call of Duty: BO2, Halo 4, and Assassins Creed: Revelations.)
Though debunkers have stated that this story first appeared in Readers Digest, it actually was first reported in 1953 by TV Guide: a viewer based magazine that organized and listed television programming and reviewed highlighted television shows. Hugely successful and widely distributed- it seems counter-intuitive to consider how this might affect an already paranoid and anxious viewer body. After all, the Cold War and the Space Race were underway. Many Americans were building nuclear bomb shelters and keeping their eyes to the skies.
