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| Art Biography, Signed by internationally known artist, found in Gravenhurst |
ANTIQUE DEALERS HAVE TO WORK OUT THE NEGATIVES - OTHERWISE IT'S LIKE CARRYING AROUND A BOAT ANCHOR
WHEN YOU THINK YOU WON'T FIND ANYTHING - YOU WON'T!
I HAVE HEARD SOME OF MY ANTIQUE DEALER CONTEMPORARIES, TELLING OTHERS, THAT THERE ARE NO BIG FINDS LEFT. ALL GONE. ALL PURCHASED AND PLACED IN COLLECTIONS. EVEN IN MUSEUMS. SO BASICALLY NO POIN LOOKING. WELL SIR, THE REASON THEY SAY THIS, IS BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT YOU HORNING IN ON THEIR ANTIQUE HUNT. IT'S THAT SIMPLE. THEY KNOW THERE'S LOTS OF GOOD FINDS TO BE MADE.
I WAS JUST NOW, LOOKING AT THE CONDITION OF TWO VINTAGE FILMS, WE PURCHASED YESTERDAY, AT A CHARITY SHOP IN ORILLIA. ONE IS ENTITLED "WOODY WOODPECKER IN 'COO COO BIRDS'," AND THE SECOND, "PUDDY THE PUP IN A 'DOG WANTED'." BOTH FILMS ARE SILENT, AND WERE DISTRIBUTED BY "MODERN FILM SERVICE" OF TORONTO, ONTARIO. THE FILMS LOOK LIKE THEIR IN GOOD CONDITION, AND ARE BOTH PRESUMABLY A HALF HOUR IN LENGTH. THE VINTAGE PROJECTOR, FROM THE 1940'S, WAS BEING SOLD "AS IS," FOR A HUNDRED BUCKS, AND IT SMELLED REALLY BAD. THE INTERIOR PLUSH FABRIC WAS OBVIOUSLY CONTAMINATED WITH SOME TYPE OF UNWANTED VEGETATION, AND THE FACT THAT IT WAS RIDICULOUSLY OVER-PRICED, IS THE REASON WE PURCHASED THE FILMS THAT CAME WITH IT, WITHOUT THE MACHINERY; THEY WERE A BARGAIN IN COMPARISON. THE FILMS WILL LIKELY SELL FOR IN AN AROUND FIFTY DOLLARS EACH, BUT THEY STILL HAVE TO BE RESEARCHED, TO MAKE SURE THIS PRICE IS FAIR, AS COMPARED TO OTHER VINTAGE (CARTOON) FILMS ON THE MARKET. WE'LL CHECK IT OUT FIRST BY LOOKING AT THE MOST RECENT EBAY LISTINGS. THIS WAS A GOOD FIND, LIKE A HALF DOZEN OTHERS, WE MADE THIS PAST SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY, HUSTLING AROUND THE REGION. THERE ARE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE MONEY OUT THERE, IF YOU HAVE THE INTEREST IN UPGRADING YOUR KNOWLEDGE, OF WHAT ANTIQUES AND COLLECTABLES HAVE SUBSTANTIAL VALUES. IT'S NOT AN EASY WAY TO MAKE A BUCK, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PITFALLS TO FACE, BUT A GOOD FIND COULD BRING IN A PROFIT OF SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS. SOME BIGGER, SOME LESS. BUT THE POTENTIAL IS REAL. AND IT'S EASY TO UPGRADE IF YOU HAVE SOME TIME TO INVEST. HERE'S HOW IT ALL COMES TOGETHER.
IT'S A MISTAKE EVEN VETERAN ANTIQUE DEALERS CAN MAKE. HEADING OUT ON THE HUNT AND GATHER WITH A NEGATIVE OUTLOOK, JINXING THE WHOLE MISSION OF DISCOVERY. IT'S ONE THING TO BE SLIGHTLY PESSIMISTIC, BUT QUITE ANOTHER, TO FEEL DOWNTRODDEN, AND DECIDE RATHER EARLY IN THE DAY, THAT NOTHING GOOD WILL COME OUT OF YOUR EXPENSE OF TIMEM AND GAS MONEY. WHETHER IT IS ON A SHOP TO SHOP HUNT, THE ROUNDS OF REGIONAL YARD SALES, VISITING FLEA MARKETS, CHARITY SHOPS, AND THE OCCASIONAL AUCTION. IF YOU BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO BE A LEAN DAY, IT WILL TURN OUT THAT WAY. THE REASON? THE ANTIQUE DEALER REQUIRES TOTAL CONCENTRATION, AND THE PERCEPTION TO MATCH. HEADING OUT ON A PICKING EXPEDITION, DEMANDS UNFALTERING FAITH, THAT IF THERE IS A HOLY GRAIL OUT THERE, SOMEWHERE, YOU WILL FIND IT. IT'S REALLY A SIMPLE FORMULA FOR SUCCESS. YET I KNOW QUITE A FEW DEALERS AND COLLECTORS, WHO GET PISSED-OFF IN THE FIRST HOUR OF A TYPICAL OUTING, AND AFTER THIS, JUST GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS OF LOOKING LIKE AN ANTIQUE DEALER; YET WITHOUT THOSE LITTLE PERKS OF SUCCESSIVE GOOD FINDS, THAT AS THEY SAY, CAN "TURN A FROWN UPSIDE DOWN." COMPLAINING TO EVERYONE HOW TERRIBLE THE "OFFERINGS ARE," THIS GIVEN DAY, IS A STUPID ENTERPRISE, THAT CAN ONLY INSPIRE ASSOCIATES TO TURN AWAY QUICKLY, TO GET ON THEIR WAY TO THE NEXT SALE. WHILE THE UNHAPPY CAMPERS, WHO ARE DRAGGING THEIR ANCHOR, GRUMBLING ALL THE WHILE, THOSE WHO INSPIRE TO BE BETTER AT THEIR JOB, MOVE DOWN THE LINE, WITHOUT FEELING HARD DONE BY WHATSOEVER. A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION TRANSLATES INTO MENTAL ALERTNESS, FOSTERING THE PHYSICAL AMBITION TO DIG IN THOSE DEEP BOXES OF ODDS AND SODS, AT DISPERSAL SALES, AND SCHOOL FUNDRAISING EVENTS.
FIRST OF ALL, WE ALWAYS SPY ON OUR COMPETITORS. EVERY DAY! THERE ARE NO HOLIDAYS, FOR US, TRYING TO FIGURE YOU (THE COLLECTOR OR DEALER) OUT. WE STUDY THE COLLECTORS WE KNOW. IT'S A NECESSARY INVESTIGATION. THAT IS, IF YOU WANT TO BE FASTER TO SNAG A BIG DEAL, OR UNCOVER A TROPHY PIECE BEFORE THE MOB MOVES IN, ON THOSE BUSY YARD SALE SATURDAYS. FRANKLY, YOU'D BE SHOCKED ABOUT HOW MUCH WE KNOW OF OTHERS IN OUR PROFESSION. IT'S NOT REALLY AS BIG AS FULL FLEDGED "CORPORATE ESPIONAGE," BUT HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE. AS UNDERDOGS FOR MORE YEARS THAN I CARE TO REMEMBER, WE HAD TO SETTLE FOR BEING APPRENTICES MORE SO THAN INDUSTRY LEADERS. OF COURSE, THERE IS A TIME, WHEN YOU HAVE TO STEP OUT FROM THE HANDIWORK AND SHADOWS OF ASSOCIATES, AND HEAD FOR THE HEIGHTS YOURSELF. IN OTHER WORDS, WHILE WE REMAIN REVERENT OF MANY OF OUR COMPETITORS, SOME WHO WE HAVE WORKED WITH FOR DECADES, WE KNOW NOW, WE CAN OUT PERFORM THEM IF AND WHEN, WE WERE MATCHED HEAD-TO-HEAD, IN A PICKER'S CHALLENGE. ONE OF THE REASONS? AND IT'S A BIG ONE! WELL, BECAUSE OF A TIGHT BUDGET, FOR EVERY SINGLE YEAR WE'VE BEEN IN THE TRADE, WE HAVE BEEN FORCED BY NECESSITY, TO BE SCROUNGERS; COVERT AGENTS, SLEUTHS, HUSTLERS, AND BARGAIN HUNTERS. WHILE SOME NEW AGE DEALERS, THINK IT IS BENEATH THEM, TO DIVE INTO MUSTY FLEA MARKET BOXES, AND RE-USE BUILDINGS AT LOCAL LANDFILL SITES, WE CONTINUE TO BENEFIT BECAUSE WE KNOW WHERE WE HAVE FOUND TREASURE IN THE PAST. THE MORE AMBITIOUS YOU ARE IN THE ANTIQUE FIELD, THE MORE POTENTIAL YOU ARE GOING TO FIND AN A.Y. JACKSON, OR A.J. CASSON SKETCH OUT THERE, ON "COLLECTABLE SCROUNGE." IT HELPS OF COURSE, IF YOU ARE FULLY AWARE WHAT EXISTS OF TREASURE, TO BE UNCOVERED. IF YOU BUY INTO THE B.S. (AND IT IS GIANT B.S. AT THAT) THERE ARE NO MORE GREAT FINDS LEFT, THEN THERE WILL BE MORE FOR OUR FAMILY TO FERRET-OUT. GO AHEAD, STAY HOME!
THERE ARE VERY FEW WEEKS THAT GO BUY, IN THE ROLLING YEAR, WHEN OUR FAMILY WON'T VOLUNTARILY CONFESS, TO HAVING GOT DOWN AND DIRTY, TO RETRIEVE A PARTICULARLY SIGNIFICANT FIND. THAT CAN INCLUDE MUCK ON THE SHOES AND ELSEWHERE. SOMETIMES IT'S NOT A VALUABLE FIND, AS FAR AS RE-SALE, YET SPECIAL FOR ANY NUMBER OF REASONS. WE CONSIDER THIS A COUP AS WELL. BUT WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO HOW YOU APPROACH THE INDUSTRY, THE FIRST AND ONLY RULE I LIVE BY, IS THAT POSITIVISM, AND A CRITICAL APPROACH, WILL EARN DIVIDENDS IN ONE FASHION OR ANOTHER. THE FIRST CRITICISM MAY COME IN THE FORM OF A SELF-ADMINISTERED BOOT IN THE ARSE, TO BLOW YOURSELF OUT OF A PREVAILING FUNK. I GUARANTEE YOU, BEING FRUSTRATED AND ANNOYED, IS NO WAY TO ANTIQUE HUNT. IF YOU'RE MY COMPETITOR, AND WE'RE AT THE SAME SALE, THEN I HOPE YOUR FUNK SWALLOWS YOU WHOLE. AS YOU KICK STONES IN THE DRIVEWAY, BECAUSE THE GARAGE SALE HOST, ALREADY SOLD THE HOOSIER CUPBOARD, OR THE PINE FLAT-TO-THE-WALL CUPBOARD, YOU WOULD OBSERVE, IF YOU CARED TO, THAT OUR FAMILY WAS PICKING APART THE SALE LIKE EATING CORN OFF THE COB. ANY SALE THAT WOULD HAVE THOSE PARTICULAR CUPBOARDS FOR SALE, MOST LIKELY HAS A LOT OF OTHER NEAT STUFF FOR SALE. WHILE IT IS ALWAYS AN UGLY SITUATION, TO WATCH SOMEONE ELSE, CART OFF A BIG FIND, WHICH FOR ME WOULD BE A NICE LANDSCAPE PAINTING OR ABSTRACT, IT'S LIKE WHAT YOUR MOTHER, OR FATHER, TOLD YOU AFTER FALLING OFF THE BIKE FOR THE UMPTEENTH TIME. BRUSH YOURSELF OFF, AND JUMP BACK ON. NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU FEEL DEFEATED, IT IS ONLY A PRESENT STATE OF MIND, NOT A LIFE SENTENCE. THIS IS ALL CLICHE STUFF. IT'S THE CHARACTER STUFF OF BEING AN ANTIQUE DEALER. I DIDN'T MAKE THE RULES. I'VE PROBABLY RE-WRITTEN A HALF DOZEN TO BETTER SUIT OUR STYLE, AND INTERESTS, BUT WE STICK TO THOSE THREADBARE PROTOCOLS, JUST LIKE DEALERS DID TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO, BEING CHALLENGED TO FILL THEIR LITTLE SHOPS, WITH DESIRABLE MERCHANDISE.
I KNOW ALL ABOUT THE NEGATIVE ANCHOR. I SUFFER FROM A MISERABLE AFFLICTION, KNOWN AS TEMPORAL MANDIBULAR JOINT DYSFUNCTION, WHICH TO CUT TO THE CHASE, IS A WONKY JAW HINGE, (ON BOTH SIDES), THAT REACTS TO A SMIDGEON OF STRESS, AS IF HIT BY A SLEDGE HAMMER. IT CAN ACT LIKE A PAINLESS MIGRAINE, GIVING ME A FULL DOSE OF IMPATIENCE AND IRRITABILITY; SUCH THAT I MIGHT LIKE TO BITE-OFF SOMEONE'S HEAD, WHO GETS IN MY WAY. SUZANNE AND I BOTH SUFFER FROM THIS, AS DO MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS OF FOLKS, WHICH EXPLAINS WHY WE'RE SO TESTY WITH ONE ANOTHER. (A TEST FOR THIS, IS TO PUT A FINGER IN EACH YEAR, AND THEN MOVING YOUR JAW UP AND DOWN. IF IT IS NOT A SMOOTH MOVEMENT, BUT INSTEAD CLUNKS LIKE THERE IS A FLAT SIDE TO THE CONDIAL, IN THE JOINT OF THE JAW, THEN YOU HAVE TMJ. CONGRATULATIONS. NOW YOU KNOW WHY YOU'RE PISSED OFF ALL THE TIME. THE INFLAMMATION IT CAUSES IN THE JAW, WHERE MANY BLOOD VESSES AND NERVES ARE LOCATED, PLUS THE SPIN-OFF CONNECTION WITH NECK MUSCLES, CREATES THE SENSATION OF WEARING SAND BACKS AS EAR-RINGS. WITH STIFF NECK AND THE FEELING YOU ARE CARRYING THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD, IT CAN EASILY, AND WITHOUT WARNING, MIMIC THE FEELING OF DEPRESSION; BUT CONDITIONS IMPROVE IF ONE SIMPLY RELAXES, AND GETS PERSPECTIVE OF THOSE THINGS CAUSING ANTAGONISM. ON THESE OCCASIONS, I MEDITATE MY WAY BACK TO THOREAU'S "WALDEN POND," WHERE I REGAIN SENSIBLE PROPORTION. ONE DAY I WILL WRITE MORE ABOUT MY EXPERIENCES WITH TMJ. I WROTE A SERIES OF ARTICLES A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THAT YOU CAN ARCHIVE BACK IF YOU WISH). IN A NUTSHELL, WE'VE LEARNED HOW TO DEFUSE ALL ANXIOUS MOMENTS, AND ESPECIALLY, IF WE FIND OURSELVES OVERLY STRESSED OUT ON THE ANTIQUE HUSTINGS. WE HAVE TO REMIND OURSELVES CONSTANTLY, THAT WE CHOSE THE ANTIQUE BUSINESS, AS A RETIREMENT ENTERPRISE, BECAUSE OF THE INDEPENDENCE IT OFFERS, AND THE LESSER PACE IN WHICH IT OPERATES; (WE DON'T FIND THE HUSTLE OF THE INDUSTRY ANY MORE DEMANDING THAN PADDLING A CANOE ON A MUSKOKA LAKE) UNLIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE KNOWN STRESSES OF RUNNING A CORNER STORE ON A LARK, A MOVIE THEATRE, OR BECOMING A HOUSE PAINTER TO FEATHER THE RETIREMENT NEST, WITHOUT FIRST KNOWING HOW TO PAINT ON AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE.
WHAT I'M POINTING OUT, IS THAT EVEN THOSE MOST PRONE TO BECOMING ANGRY OR SUDDENLY DEPRESSED, HAVE TO FIND A WAY OUT OF THE QUAGMIRE, IF THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING, HUNTING AND GATHERING ANTIQUES, AND COLLECTABLES. I MIGHT GET RILED UP OUT THERE, BUT NEVER AT THE EXPENSE OF INHIBITING MY INTEREST, IN SLEUTHING THROUGH EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY, OF A FLEA MARKET OR CHURCH SALE. IN FACT, THE ANTIQUE PROFESSION, AND ITS DEMANDS, TO BE "ON YOUR GAME" CONSTANTLY, HAS BEEN PERFECT FOR THE TMJ SUFFERER. IN ORDER TO MITIGATE ITS IMPACT ON OUR DAYS, WE FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND; AND BECAUSE WE FIND IT ALL MORE RECREATIONAL, THAN WHAT SUZANNE AND I WORKED AT, IN EARLIER TIMES. SO I KNOW A LOT ABOUT NOT ALLOWING EMOTIONS TO GET IN THE WAY OF DISCOVERY. AND BECAUSE WE REMAIN POSITIVE ABOUT POTENTIAL FINDS, NO MATTER WHERE WE GO IN THIS REGION, WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE DEFLECTED FROM OUR AMBITIONS, BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME MOMENTARY FRUSTRATIONS, OR UNSPENT ANXIETY. PATIENCE AND LOTS OF IT. LOSE IT, AND YOU MIGHT AS WELL GIVE UP ON THOSE BIG FINDS YOU DREAM ABOUT. NINE TIMES OUT OF TEN FOR US, THE TRULY BIG FINDS, REQUIRE INTENSE, AND INTRUSIVE HUNTING, BECAUSE BY TIME YOU GET TO THE SALE, THE OBVIOUS TREASURES HAVE ALREADY BEEN SOLD TO THE NEIGHBOR, WHO BEGGED TO SHOP THE NIGHT BEFORE. YOU MAY FIND THIS HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT THERE ARE BURIED TREASURE, BIG AND SMALL, THAT HUNDREDS OF OTHER SALE-GOERS WILL MISS; SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DO, ABOUT CERTAIN COLLECTABLES, ART WORK AND BOOKS.
THIS ADVANTAGE, AND IT'S A BIG ONE, COMES FROM YEARS OF STUDY, AND APPRENTICESHIP WITH EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELD. LIKE I NOTED EARLIER, WE STUDY OUR COMPETITORS, AND EVEN THOUGH THEY MIGHT NOT KNOW US VERY WELL, WE MAKE IT A POINT TO KNOW THEM, AND WHAT THEY PURCHASE OUT AND AROUND. I CALL THEM MY UNWITTING TUTORS. THEY'VE TAUGHT ME WELL. I GUESS THIS COMES FROM MY DAYS PLAYING HOCKEY AND BASEBALL. WE SCOUTED OUT OUR COMPETITORS BEFORE WE PLAYED THEM, TO FIND THEIR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES. IF THEIR GOALIE WAS POOR ON LONG SHOTS, OR FELL DOWN A LOT MAKING SAVES, OUR FORWARDS WOULD EXPLOIT THESE SHORTFALLS, BY FAKING SHOTS, OR LOBBING PUCKS FROM CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE. AS A GOALIE I HATED LONG SHOTS, ESPECIALLY IF THEY BOUNCED ONCE OR TWICE BEFORE GETTING TO ME. SO WHEN WE CHECK OUT THE COMPETITION IN THE ANTIQUE FIELD, WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE HOW AGGRESSIVE THEY ARE, AND WHAT THEY ARE ATTRACTED BY, ON THE SHOP SHELVES. THERE ISN'T A COLLECTOR OR DEALER IN THIS PART OF ONTARIO, (AT LEAST THE ONES WE'VE MET UP WITH ON OUR TRAVELS) THAT WE DON'T HAVE A MENTAL FILE ON, SO THAT WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE, IF WE HAPPEN TO BE AT THE SAME SALE OR SHOP, AND ARE POTENTIALLY GOING TO REACH FOR THE SAME ITEMS, AT AROUND THE SAME TIME. WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO OUT-DRAW THEM. THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS MIGHT BE ON THE LINE. I MIGHT BE SLOWING DOWN, WITH AGE, BUT THIS IS ONE AREA OF EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE, THAT I'M JUST REACHING MY PRIME. I NO LONGER PLAY SPORTS BUT I'LL BE PICKING ANTIQUES TO THE END. WE EVEN EMPLOY SELECT TRICKS OF DECEPTION, TO DRAW ATTENTION ELSEWHERE, WHEN WE WANT SOLO TIME IN A CERTAIN AREA OF A SHOP. NOTHING SERIOUS BUT WE CAN'T TELL YOU EXACTLY HOW, OR WHY, IN CASE WE HAVE TO EMPLOY IT ON YOU. NOTHING PERSONAL. WE ARE ALL TOMB RAIDERS, A LITTLE BIT, IN THIS PROFESSION, BUT ALL ABOVE BOARD. WE WILL NOT YELL FIRE, OR FAKE A PERSONAL EMERGENCY, BUT SOMETHING MUCH MORE SUBTLE. SUCH AS, "SAY, ISN'T THAT A REMBRANDT OVER THERE."
AND BY THE WAY, VETERAN ANTIQUERS ARE WATCHING US AS WELL. IT'S PART OF OUR STORIED, HISTORIC PROFESSION. ALTHOUGH MOST OF US AREN'T GOING TO ADMIT, HOW CLOSELY WE STUDY OUR ASSOCIATES, THEY ALSO (WITHOUT A PUBLIC DECLARATION) APPRECIATE THE NEGATIVES OF HAVING TOO MUCH COMPETITION FOR THE PIECES OF MUTUAL INTEREST. WHEN YOU ATTEND AUCTIONS, PLAYING OFF AGAINST DEALERS AND COLLECTORS IS NECESSARY, JUST AS IT IS ANNOYING TO BE BID UP BY ANYONE; INCLUDING THE HOME DECORATORS WHO USUALLY HAVE MORE MONEY THAN WE DO. MIGHT WE TRY TO DISTRACT ANOTHER DEALER, OR TRY SOME SORT OF STEALTH MOVE, TO GET THE JUMP ON AN ITEM WE WANT? ABSOLUTELY AND WE WON'T OFFER ANY APOLOGY; CONSIDERING THEY WOULD DO IT TO US IN A HEARTBEAT. IT'S A TOUGH GRIND OUT THERE, AND THERE IS GREAT DEMAND FOR LEGITIMATE ANTIQUE ITEMS, BOOKS AND ART WORK. DOES IT EVER END IN FISTICUFFS. IT HAS COME CLOSE MANY TIMES, AND ONCE WITH SUZANNE, WHEN A SALE NIMROD TOOK ITEMS SHE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF PURCHASING, AND PUT THEM IN A VEHICLE WITHOUT FIRST HAVING BEEN PAID-FOR. SO AS FAR AS THE TUG-A-WAR THAT IS OUR BUSINESS, WE ARE SELDOM EVER SURPRISED HOW RIGOROUS IT CAN GET, WHEN THREE DEALERS GO AFTER THE SAME VINTAGE QUILT; OR THE ROLL TOP DESK THAT JUST SHOWED UP AT THE LOCAL THRIFT SHOP.
I WANTED TO ILLUSTRATE, HOW MANY HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT PIECES, CAN SHOW UP AT FLEA MARKETS AND YARD SALES, JUST IN CASE YOU STILL DISBELIEVE ME ABOUT THE POTENTIAL, OF FINDING A "GROUP OF SEVEN" SKETCH ONE DAY, FOR TWENTY BUCKS. WHILE THIS FIND WASN'T IN THE FORM OF A MAJOR PAINTING, OR EVEN THE FAMOUS GROUP OF SEVEN, IT WAS THE KIND OF ACQUISITION THAT MAKES A DEALER FEEL THERE WAS A POINT IN ALL THOSE YEARS SPENT AS AN APPRENTICE. THE ITEM I'M REFERRING TO, IS SHOW ABOVE TODAY'S BLOG, A ND IS AN ART SERIES PUBLICATION ON THE ARTIST, "PROFESSOR CHRISTO STEFANOFF," WHICH IS SIGNED ON AN INSIDE COVER PAGE, DATED "JAN. 17, 1958." THIS IS A SHORT BIOGRAPHICAL GLIMPSE OF THE REVERED HUNGARIAN / CANADIAN ARTIST, WITH WORK IN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC GALLERIES AROUND THE WORLD. HIS PAINTINGS CAN ATTRACT PRICES OF OVER A MILLION DOLLARS. THE MAGAZINE, KNOWN ONLY AS "COMMENTARY - BY WELL KNOWN EUROPEAN AND CANADIAN CRITICS OF FINE ART," WAS RESEARCHED AND WRITTEN BY ANTONIA J. VAN DUIVENBODED, OF BREDA, NETHERLAND; INCLUDING THE REPRODUCTIONS OF 27 PAINTINGS, BOTH IN OIL AND PASTEL.
"SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE; THE BALKAN PENINSULA, A COUNTRY WITH A LONG HISTORY OF INCESSANT STRIFE, OF TURMOIL, POLITICAL INTRIGUES, THE OUTCOME OF WHICH IS A WORLD WAR, FLAMING PASSIONS. YET, AT THE SAME TIME, A BIT OF EUROPE WITH MAGIC COLORS; RAPTUROUS MUSIC, A COUNTRY RICH IN EMINENT MEN AND WOMEN; CARMEN SYLVA, PEACEFUL PLAINS, PICTURESQUE MOUNTAINS, GENTLY SLOPING HILLS, RADIANT VALLEYS ABLAZE WITH ROSES IN FULL BLOOM, EXTRACT ROSES, FRAGRANCY, A LAND OF SURPASSING BEAUTY AND JOY INSPIRING COLOURS," WRITES ANTONIO VAN DUIVENBODEN. "THE PLAINS OF WALACHIA, WATERED BY THE DANUBE, FROM WEST TO EAST, ON THE SOUTH OF THE BALKAN MOUNTAIN BELT WHICH PROTECTS, ALSO FROM WEST TO EAST, THE MARITZA VALLEY FROM THE COLD AND TEMPESTUOUS WINDS THAT MIGHT COME FROM THE NORTH. ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE BALKAN MOUNTAIN CHAIN, PARALLEL WITH IT, THERE IS A SMALLER BELT: KARADZJA. IT IS REACHED FROM THE NORTH THROUGH THE FAMOUS SHIPKA-PASS. CLOSE TO IT LIKE KAZANLIK, DROWSILY ASLEEP, SURROUNDED THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ROSE GARDENS IN THE WORLD."
HE WRITES, "IT WAS HERE THAT CHRISTO STEFANOFF CAME INTO THE WORLD, IN APRIL 1898, ON A RADIANT EASTER MORN, WHEN THE FIRST ROSES OF SPRING WERE ALREADY EMITTING THEIR FRAGRANCE, IN THE ROSE GARDENS ON THE SOUTHERN SLOPES OF THE BALKAN MOUNTAINS. DERIVING INTENSE PLEASURE FROM THE ORGY OF COLOURS ON EVERY SIDE OF HIM, WHEN STILL A YOUTH, HE TRIED TO SET DOWN ON PAPER AND IN COLOURS THE WONDROUS BEAUTY HE GAZED UPON. AFTER ATTEMPTING THE ELEMENTARY AND ANOTHER SCHOOL AT KAZANLIK, HE WENT TO THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL AT RUSTSJOCK. THERE HIS DRAWING TEACHER, CHRISTO G. TZOJEFF, ENCOURAGED THE YOUNG MAN TO STUDY ART. YOUNG STEPHANOFF HIMSELF FELT COMPELLED TO DO SO."
"IN 1920, AT THE ART ACADEMY IN SOFIA HE WORKS UNDER PROFESSOR IVAN MARKWICZKA, A CZECH. THE MASTER IS EXACTING, THE PUPIL'S WORK GAINS HIS APPROVAL. STEFANOFF LEARNED A GREAT DEAL FROM MARKWICZKA, WHO ALSO HELPED HIM CONSIDERABLY IN LATER YEARS." THE ART HISTORIAN WRITES, "1924, HE CONCLUDES HIS STUDIES WITH PROF. MARKWICZKA; THE FOLLOWING YEAR HE IS ALREADY SPOKEN OF IN HIGH TERMS. 1925, STEFANOFF PAINTS A PANORAMA OF THE BATTLE OF STARA-ZAGORA IN 1877-1878. BULGARIA HAD BEEN UNDER TURKISH DOMINATION FOR FIVE LONG CENTURIES. BULGARIA IS FREE ONCE AGAIN. KING BORIS III HIMSELF, THE MINISTERS FO ART, OF WAR, PAY HOMAGE TO HIS TALENT. THAT SAME YEAR KING BORIS CONFERS UPON STEFANOFF THE TITLE OF PROFESSOR, FOR THE 'MOST BEAUTIFUL WORK.' 1926, HE GOES TO VIENNA, IS RESTLESS, AND WORKS. THE SEEKER FINDS A NEW TECHNIQUE AFFORDS HIM PLEASURE; HIS PALETTE KNIFE TECHNIQUE. 1927, HE GOES TO BUDAPEST, WHERE HE WORKS IN THE STUDIO OF THE FAMED HUNGARIAN PORTRAITIST, PHILIP LASLO. THE BULGARIAN'S TEMPERMANT COMPELS HIM TO GO EVER FORWARD INTO THE WORLD. HE VISITS ONE COUNTRY AFTER ANOTHER. BUT FIRST HORTHY, REGENT OF HUNGARY, BUYS A PICTURE OF STEFANOFF. HE THEN GOES TO BUDAPEST, BELGRADE, TRIESTE, VENICE, ROME; (KING VICTOR OF ITALY BUYS A PICTURE) MUSSOLINI POSES FOR HIS PORTRAIT. SPANISH PRESIDENT, ZAMORA BUYS A PICTURE. THE PRESIDENT OF SWITZERLAND BUYS A PICTURE. THE HINDU POET RABINDRANATH TAGORE SITS FOR STEFANOFF. 1931 HE EXHIBITS HIS WORKS IN CHICAGO WHERE THE WEALTH OF COLOUR, THE RESPLENDENT ORIGINALITY OF HIS ART ARE THOUGHT HIGHL OF; HOLLYWOOD, GRETA GARBO, CONRAD VEIDT, FILM STARS, REMARKABLE CONTRASTS WITH THE HINDU POET TAGORE, WHO SAT TO THE MASTER AT CAIRO. VICISSITUDES OF AN ARTIST'S LIFE."
AFTER BEING IMPRISONED BY THE GERMANS AND THEN RELEASED, WHICH INCLUDED A STAY IN THE NOTORIOUS CAMP, BERGEN-BELSEN, AND HAVING TAKEN SEVEN YEARS AFTER THE WAR TO TEST THE NEW REALITIES OF LIFE IN EUROPE, STEFANOFF WAS ALARMED BY THE RESTRICTIVE POLITICS MOVING INTO THE BALKANS, VIA RUSSIAN INFLUENCES, AND MADE UP HIS MIND TO EMIGRATE TO CANADA. A CANADIAN REVIEW OF HIS WORK, AT HIS FIRST SHOWING, PUBLISHED IN 'NOTRE TEMPS,' IN MAY, 1952, READS, "CHRISTO STEFANOFF, BULGARIAN PAINTER, NATURALIZED POLISH, HAS LEFT THE ALARMING ATMOSPHERE OF EUROPE, ACCORDING TO HIS OWN EXPRESSION, TO ESTABLISH HIMSELF IN CANADA. ARRIVED IN MONTREAL A FEW MONTHS AGO ONLY, THIS ARTIST NOW HOLDS HIS FIRST EXHIBITION AT ANTOINE'S ART GALLERY. BY HIS ROMANTICISM, HIS LYRICISM, HIS PATRIOTISM, WHICH HE EXALTS, CHRISTO STEFANOFF REMINDS US OF THE POET OF 'LES CONTEMPLATIONS,' AND HE INVITES US IN THE SAME WAY OF THE GRANDILOQUENCE BY HIS TOO SONOROUS ACCENTS AND BY EXAGGERATED SENTIMENTALITY."
MORE ON CHRISTO STEPHANOFF'S ART ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN CANADA, IN TOMORROW'S BLOG. PLEASE RE-JOIN ME FOR MORE OF THIS STORY; FROM A SIGNED BIOGRAPHY, FOUND IN MUSKOKA.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
REPORTING CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AND CRIME TO POLICE WOULD BE HELPFUL
MANY REFUSE TO GET INVOLVED
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE, HAPPILY RESIDING IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHO COULD TAKE A BITE OUT OF CRIME BUT THEY OUTRIGHTLY AND ADAMANTLY REFUSE TO GET INVOLVED. THEY DON'T WANT TO MAKE TROUBLE OR BE SINGLED OUT AS A SNITCH. THERE ARE HOMEOWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THEIR CARS AND TRUCKS BROKEN INTO, AND OTHERWISE DAMAGED, WHO DECIDE TO SWALLOW THE LOSS, AND VOW INSTEAD TO LOCK THE DOOR OF THE VEHICLES FROM THAT POINT ON……UNTIL THE NEXT TIME THEY FORGET TO LOCK UP.
AND THERE ARE BUSINESS OWNERS WHO WRITE-OFF SHOPLIFTING, AND SIMPLY REFUSE TO MAKE A CALL TO THE POLICE, TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED, OR BEEN HAPPENING FOR SOME TIME. THERE ARE THOSE WHO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT THEY BELIEVE TO BE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, AND WHILE IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE TO BE RELUCTANT, TO STEP OUT ON THAT THIN BOUGH, OF SPECULATION, THERE ARE OCCASIONS WHEN A SIMPLE HUNCH, HAS STOPPED A MAJOR CRIME BEFORE IT COULD TAKE PLACE. MOST ARE CONCERNED ABOUT RETRIBUTION, AND WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF DRUG DEALERS GET WISE, ABOUT WHO PASSED ON A TIP TO THE POLICE. CRIMINALS TODAY COUNT ON YOU BEING INTIMIDATED. IT'S PART OF THEIR BUSINESS PLAN.
THE PROBLEM FOR THE ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE, IS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE A COMPLETE PROFILE OF THE CRIME THAT GOES ON IN THIS TOWN, BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE KEEP THESE EVENTS TO THEMSELVES. I'VE TALKED TO NUMEROUS PEOPLE WHO REFUSE TO CALL THE POLICE, EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE SUFFERED A MAJOR LOSS OF POSSESSIONS FROM THEIR CARS. "IT WON'T DO ANY GOOD," THEY SAY. "THEY NEVER CATCH THESE PEOPLE ANYWAY." OR, MY FAVORITE, "IF THEY DO CATCH THEM, I DON'T WANT TO GO TO COURT TO TESTIFY AGAINST THEM." SHOPKEEPERS WILL OFTEN REMARK THAT GOING TO COURT TAKES TIME AWAY FROM THEIR BUSINESS, OR THAT PROSECUTING THE THIEVES COULD MEAN SERIOUS RETALIATION AGAINST THEIR STORES. ARGUABLY, THEY HAVE A POINT. IT'S MORE THAN POSSIBLE, THAT CRONIES WITH THE PERPETRATORS WILL TRY TO SETTLE THE SCORE. ON THE OTHER HAND, WE CAN'T LET THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT TAKE OVER DODGE.
THIS ATTITUDE, AND THE DESIRE TO SUCK-UP THE LOSSES, OR WRITE THEM OFF AS A COST OF DOING BUSINESS, MEANS THAT THE OPP DON'T GET THE DATA THEY NEED, TO GET AN INSIGHTFUL PROFILE ON WHERE THE CRIME IS OCCURRING, THE FREQUENCY, MATERIALS BEING STOLEN, AND HOW THE THIEVES OPERATE. THIS IS ALL IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO POSSESS, IN ORDER FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE UP AGAINST OUT THERE. WE'VE ALWAYS REPORTED THEFTS, AND WE'VE HAD TWO MAJOR ONES FROM OUR VEHICLE, AND SEVERAL FROM OUR MAIN STREET SHOP. IN ONE OVER-NIGHT RAID ON THE SHOP, A THIEF MANAGED TO ESCAPE WITH GUITARS AND SOUND EQUIPMENT, WORTH MANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE POLICE, WE WERE ABLE TO GET NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT OF THE STOLEN PROPERTY RETURNED. BUT IT TOOK A CO-OPERATIVE EFFORT. WE DID OUR PART, BY CONTACTING EVERY HOCK AND PAWN SHOP IN THIS REGION OF ONTARIO, AND SLIGHTLY BEYOND. THE OPP FOLLOWED UP ON ALL INFORMATION WE COULD GATHER, AND EVENTUALLY, WE FOUND THE RIGHT VIDEO FOOTAGE FROM THE PAWN SHOP OF CHOICE, THE THIEF SELECTED TO UNLOAD THE HOT MERCHANDISE. ANDREW AND ROBERT WERE ECSTATIC TO HAVE FOUND THE EQUIPMENT. A MAJOR LOSS LIKE THAT, ON A NEW BUSINESS, COULD HAVE PUT THEM IN SERIOUS PERIL. THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER THEFTS THAT WE COULDN'T RESOLVE AS EASILY OR EFFICIENTLY, BUT THIS PARTICULAR STORY DID HAVE A HAPPY ENDING……AND THE BOYS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP THEIR GRAVENHURST BUSINESS UP AND RUNNING. AND THEY'VE MAINTAINED A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OPP, EVER SINCE……AND THEY WILL TELL YOU, THAT IT IS A GOOD AND SOLID NETWORKING TO PREVENT CRIME. OCCASIONALLY THEY DO GET FOLKS TRYING TO SELL THEM STOLEN INSTRUMENTS, AND THIS IS RESOLVED QUICKLY, AND INSTRUMENTS ARE RETURNED TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS. THE FREQUENCY HAS INCREASED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, AND DESPERATION FEEDS CRIMINAL AMBITIONS.
THERE ARE TOO MANY CITIZENS IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHO REFUSE TO GET INVOLVED, IN CRIME BUSTING. THEY WILL COMPLAIN TO NO END, ABOUT THE LACK OF POLICING THAT APPARENTLY CONTRIBUTES TO THESE BREAK-INS AND GENERAL THEFT, BUT THEY WON'T TAKE ANY PROACTIVE MEASURES TO STOP THE ESCALATION OF CRIME IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. IF WE BANDED TOGETHER, AS WITH THE FORMER "NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH" PROGRAMS, WE COULD CERTAINLY LET THIEVES KNOW, WE INTEND TO PROTECT OUR ASSETS…..AND WORK HAND IN HAND WITH THE OPP……TO CHANGE THE COURSE OF HISTORY FOR THE BETTER.
WE DON'T LIKE TO ADMIT WE HAVE A PROBLEM IN THIS TOWN WITH CRIME, DRUG USE AND UNDERAGED DRINKING
As we often are out late at night, driving between entertainment venues, where our sons work, as sound technicians, you get to see some of the ugly moments most only read about. We've seen so many impaired teenagers out there, and watched donnybrooks right in plain view, between those who have had a lot to drink, and those who have had an enormous amount to drink. We had our front window of the store smashed out by several intoxicated young lads, who wanted to see what a shattered window would look like, in the middle of the night. We've know people who saw it happen, and ran the other way, thinking they might get blamed for it. For most of the night, our inventory was exposed to whoever wanted to risk putting their arm through the openings between shards of glass still clinging to the frame. Neighbors heard the smash, and we know they suspected it was our window that was broken, and yet they did nothing. It wasn't until the next morning, that another tenant of our building, phoned to let us know our store was open to the elements. It was pretty disheartening, and yes we did wonder all that day, whether we had made the right decision to locate our shop in Gravenhurst. What made us most concerned, was that so many knew about it before we did, but wouldn't phone either the OPP or us. They left it to someone else to look after, and if it hadn't been for another tenant, we might have gone most of that Sunday the same way……grab what you can……smorgasbord style.
There are drug deals taking place all over our town, and it's been happening for a long, long time. The problem is that the OPP don't see everything that goes on in our town…….and if we want to control this brisk trade, and keep our town safe and law abiding, it is necessary to, at the very least, phone in a tip…….to reveal what you saw, or think you witnessed. Maybe it goes nowhere. On the other hand, potentially it can be used to map out and prepare a strategy for an eventual drug raid. And where there is a brisk drug trade, and budding addicts as a result, so goes break and enters, petty theft, and physical assaults. We've had customers arrive at the store, so stoned and intoxicated, we've had to usher them right back out……with a warning not to return. We advise police if we are concerned the item they intended to sell may be stolen property. As the OPP helped us in a time of crisis, we feel it is incumbent to work with them, to stamp out this undesirable criminal core.
We had a resident in our neighborhood a few years back, who was not only using drugs, and buying them locally, but was drinking and driving absolutely hammered. He was a menace on the road, and he simply didn't care about threats, of phoning the police. I stood in the middle of the road one night, to get him to slow down, and he sped up. He wasn't a very bright fellow, and after giving us all the middle finger, over about three weeks of residency, we waited for the night he left "pissed to the gills," and knowing he always returned home shortly after he left (for his nightly drug pick-up), the OPP were called by his neighbors, and all they had to do was await his return trip. With priors, he was no longer a resident of our street. He needed treatment, but it was jail as a first step. The citizens of the neighborhood took action, to co-operate with the police, and our road safety was conserved.
I'm not sure what Gravenhurst councillors know about the crime situation in this town…..it's true measure, and how the drug trade is affecting our youngsters. I think it's something worth their time, to companion research with the OPP, especially appreciating the spin-off violence and crime that comes from drug addiction. I'm sure there are a few who don't believe the problem is all that serious. These folks need to wake up and smell the proverbial coffee. There are mini gangs operating in town, and they have a hand in questionable activity, and certainly violence inflicted on those who cross them. There are many social problems interconnecting here, and they are not getting any better. Alcohol abuse in town is substantial, and it leads to drinking and driving, vandalism, petty crime and domestic violence. We see a sunny, historic little town, during the day, but we don't always view what is going on in the bewitching hours……..but the OPP do. Big city crime is in our fine Muskoka town, and we aren't going to have any choice, but to either live with the consequences, or fight back, by helping the police do their job effectively.
Is Gravenhurst worse-off than Bracebridge, Huntsville, Parry Sound or Orillia, based on population? That's a question Gravenhurst Council might ask of the OPP some time, to see if this blogger knows his stuff, or is just another "sky is falling" kind of guy. We do need to know the crime breakdown. The public should have this information. Maybe it would stir a few more stalwart homeowners to get involved, and re-establish the foundation of Neighborhood Watch, to protect our community from the criminal element. It doesn't mean you contact the OPP every time someone you don't know, knocks on your door…..or just because you see a stranger in your neighborhood. But when you see someone in your neighbor's car, who apparently arrived there by bicycle….I think then it's worth a call. We spotted a thief in our neighbor's car in the wee hours, and we contacted the police immediately. Guess what? Just missed him / her by seconds. But we know how they carried out their house to house visits, which began with an early evening scouting mission, to see what was available. These folks are still operating on our streets. Time to take that big bite out of crime. Please help the OPP help us.
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