Last
week, there was a fundraiser, known as the Algonquin Outfitters Charity Paddle
Art Auction. Local artists painted and/or carved their work onto canoe paddles,
and the finished products were subsequently sold at an online auction. Shauna
and I bid on several of those paddles. There were 182 from which to choose. We
were entertained while watching the bidding process occur live online. As
expected, some paddles with higher opening bids were more in demand than
others. Shauna and I had nicknames for the paddles we were following. One work,
by Zoe Valentine, was particularly interesting to us. It depicted a dead human
arm and hand grasping a multi-coloured painted human arm. In some detail – and
I may not have this exactly right – the artist described how the work
represented the salvation of Tom Thomson’s artistic soul, from everyone who had
copied or exploited his art. I suppose the painted arm and hand represents “original
art”, and it is metaphorically pulling (the soul of) Tom Thompson out of the
lake where he drowned. I like the concept, and think that the art is unique and
creative. Shauna was hiding from me yesterday, trying to remain out of ear shot,
because I kept bugging her, facetiously asking about the paddle in question:
“What’s the latest bid on the psychedelic alien arm fishing Tom Thomson’s
corpse out of Canoe Lake?” As I said, some of the paddles were more in demand than
others, based on the success of the artist and/or the quality of the art. One
paddle that Shauna and I particularly liked, crafted by an older local artist
named John MacKenzie, was beautifully carved and painted to depict maple leaves
in Autumn. After a prolonged bidding spree, that paddle sold for $1675. Beauty
is in the eye of the beholder and this paddle art auction had something for
everyone, at every price point. I understand that proceeds from the auction will
be used to benefit several local art organizations, so it’s a win-win for our community.
Shauna and I successfully bid on with two paddles which will soon adorn our log
walls. It was our first time participating in one of those art auctions, but
probably won’t be our last.
We
have the artwork of several of our friends and local artists hanging on the walls
of our house. I’ve known a lot of artists during my lifetime, and I try to
support the ones whose work I respect. As I said earlier, art is in the eye of
the beholder, and far be it from me to determine what is “good” or “bad” art. I
can appreciate the expression and the intention without enjoying a work of art
aesthetically. For me fine art is visceral. It’s a gut reaction, pro or con.
When
I lived in Buffalo, I lived walking distance from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery
and spent many hours there. The Albright-Knox specialized in modern art, not my
favorite style of art, and there were some paintings in that gallery that completely
eluded me. I vaguely remember one rather large painting, entitled something similar
to “Fifty-Six Square Miles Of The Pacific Ocean South Of Oahu.” It was simply a
large swath of blue. I think that’s kind of phoning it in. Given that I saw it
in the Albright-Knox, I assume the painting was quite expensive. I don’t
understand how art is valued, and it seems as if much of the great art in the
world is only appreciated after the artist dies. I’m always amazed when I
notice that the paintings of an artist like Van Gogh made the “most expensive”
list, nine having been sold at auction for a total of close to $1 Billion; yet,
Van Gogh died in poverty. Apparently, only one of his paintings was sold (for
around 400 francs) while he was still alive. I wonder what someone would pay
for his severed ear. I’ll bet Trump would buy Van Gogh’s ear, and then have it
gold-plated. Provenance could be tricky to ascertain.
It
seems to me like these are the dark ages for emerging artists, and unfortunately,
I see many of my talented friends struggling to make ends meet. I can’t imagine
a world without good art and music. Sadly, and as I have often said, the cream
does not always rise to the top. Artists of all kinds are an important part of
our community. Whenever possible we try to show our support. By the way, I was
happy to hear that the canoe paddle with the rainbow-coloured arm, fishing Tom
Thomson’s lifeless arm out of the lake sold for about $650. All told, that paddle
auction raised over $30,000 and, all kidding aside, I am delighted to hear
this. I hope that the money is well spent to support our local art community. Artists and their art make life better.
Jamie Oppenheimer,
Songwriter, Author, Blogger, Radio Producer, & Host has been writing THE
OPPENHEIMER REPORT every MONDAY since 1992 and has published the articles on
his blog since 2006. We are including Jamie's weekly reports, as a new feature
of #HuntersBayRadio, The Bay 88.7FM.
#GotLocal? HuntersBayRadio.com #WeAreMuskoka #WeAreAlmaguin
#GotLocal? HuntersBayRadio.com #WeAreMuskoka #WeAreAlmaguin
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