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Practical Art History orConfessions of a Fine Art AppraiserBY JIM FINLAYJAMES FINLAYFINE ART WEALTH MANAGEMENTChapter 8. The Case of MS.I was asked to identify the artist involved in painting three oil on canvaspaintings, representing locations around Vancouver. The paintings were notsigned, however, they did bear a monogram, lower right hand corner, with adate of 1978. The owner had apparently inherited the pieces from his fathersome years earlier and recalled his father telling him that he had purchased thepaintings directly from the artist, possibly on Granville Island. Since thepaintings were of local scenes I surmised that the artist probably was local orhad spent some time in Vancouver during the mid to late seventies.The monogram appeared to be the stylized initials MS. Armed with thisclue I visited the Vancouver Public Library’s Fine Art Department and examined their artist clippingfile. This is a file created and maintained by library staff of articles, photographs and reviews,relating to the activities, exhibitions and other endeavours of local artists.I determined after a review of the files that the initials MS might refer to a listed local artistnamed Maurice Spira. A quick search of the artist on the Internet revealed his website and thereemblazoned across his home page was the monogram.In conversation with the artist he mentioned that he beganusing the monogram rather that signing his name, due tohis admiration of the Pre-Raphaelites and their rejection ofthe conventions established by the Royal Academy. Hischoice of the stylized MS comes from a graphic designbackground.Maurice Spira was born in Kent, England, July 4, 1944MS, Untitled (no date), oil on canvasMS, Untitled (no date), oil on canvasand studied at The Provincial Art School, Kent, from 1960to 1964. He immigrated to Canada in 1966 and settled inMontreal, where he became involved in radical politics.“That’s where I developed an analysis that saw variousforms of authority as being something that we createourselves” 1 .Although the subject matter of the paintings I wasasked to identify are innocuous landscapes, Spira issomewhat controversial.When I visited the Surrey ArtGallery to purchase a 1988 exhibition catalogue of hiswork, the receptionist remembered MS and in particularhis grotesque and ghoulish paintings. The curator of theSurrey show did not hang one of his paintings because “there would be a tremendous problem withthe painting” 2 , however an image of the painting did appear in the exhibition catalogue. His workhas been described as “grotesque images of society’s dark power mongers” 3 and in 1989 hecancelled a show due to what he perceived as censorship of his work, not by the public, but by aVancouver gallery. In 1996 his painting ‘Yuletide Cheer’ was removed from a Gibsons art gallerywhen one of the gallery board members remarked “Gee, this is going to cause trouble-I know it is.” 4Although somewhat controversial, Maurice Spira has stood by his Pre-Raphaelite credo and Iadmire him for doing so.1 Godley, Elizabeth. The Vancouver Sun, July 23, 1988; 2 Godley, Elizabeth. The Vancouver Sun, Dec 2, 1989; 3 Godley, Elizabeth. The Vancouver Sun, July 23 1988; 4 Proctor Jason. TheProvince, Feb 20 1996.NEXT ISSUE: THE CASE OF CAMALDOLI.Monogram28 PREVIEWwww.preview-art.com
ings; Dec 1, 2 Best of the Season GiftGallery, local artisans; Jan 20-Feb 25Shuswap Artists, new work by localartists.SIDNEY ANDNORTH SAANICHLaroche Fine Art Gallery1B-9851 Seaport Pl ✆(250)655-8278www.larochefineartgallery.comtues-sat 12-5pm call for changes inschedule or for an appt Thru Nov 15aT THE MARY WINSPEAR CENTRE, Beaconand Hwy 17, Sidney Aluminations2006, annual art show by VictoriaCollege of Art Alumni; Artwork byMark Hobson, Richard McDiarmidand Andres Bohaker. At LarocheFine Art Gallery, on the waterfront,we show marine related art in arelaxed, friendly atmosphere. Dec-Jan Contact the gallery for exhibitioninformation.★ M. Morgan Warren’sStudioA-Frame Studio, Canoe Cove Marina2300 Canoe Cove Rdbeside BC Ferries Swartz Bay Terminal✆(250)655-1081www.morganwarren.comdaily 1:30-9pm Watercolour renditionsof birds. Painter to HM QueenElizabeth, Prince Philip, Save the ChildrenFund, Sierra Club and the guest ofSan Francisco Museum of Fine Artsand Audubon Society. Commissionedworks in progress, prints, studies andbird lore.★ Main Street Gallery1-2449 Beacon Ave ✆(250)656-6246www.mstreetgallery.comsun 11am-5pm mon-sat 10am-6pmOffering a diverse collection of originalCanadian fine art including paintings,ceramics, glass, wood and jewellery;Nov 18-Dec 25 On the FirstDay of Christmas my True Love Gaveto Me”, small works Christmas show;Jan Contact the gallery for exhibitioninformation.The New West Gallery101-9840 Fifth St ✆(250)654-0735www.thenewwestgallery.comtues-sat 10am-5:30pm or by apptNov Rick Silas, unique shattered andcoldbent glass. Featuring glass paintings,“Coldbent” sculptures and “IceGlass” tables; Dec Christmas Showfeaturing work by gallery artists and aSang-geun Cho, Cycle #238, (2006), acrylicand graphite on paper, 35 x 35 cm, throughNov 26 [Winsor Gallery,667 Howe Street, Vancouver BC,604-681-4870, www.winsorgallery.com]festive display of glass art by RickSilas.★ Peninsula Gallery100-2506 Beacon Ave✆(250)655-1282 877-787-1896www.pengal.common-sat 9am-5:30pm Nov FeaturingPino & Vidan, oils; Ken Curley,bronze; Kevin Peters, soapstone;Robert Bateman, Carol Evans andPino, Giclée prints; Dec 10 12-3pmRobert Bateman, “Robert Bateman inPerson”, limited edition and Gicleeprints; Dec 11-30 “Holiday Choices”,paintings in oils and acrylics by KristinaBoardman, Philip Buytendorp,Dennis Magnusson, Catherine Moffat,Nancy O’Toole and MichaelStockdale; Douglas Fisher, MalcolmJolly, wood sculpture; Brent Cook,bronze; Mary Fox, ceramics; RobertBateman, Carol Evans, Pino, Gicleeand limited edition prints; Jan 1-30Richard Mravik, Pino, oil paintings;Allan Hancock, acrylics; JackKreutzer, Ken Curley, bronze sculpture;Robert Bateman, Carol Evans,Pino, Giclée and limited edition prints.SILVER STARMOUNTAINGallery OdinPO Box 3109, 215 Odin Rd✆(250)503-0822 www.galleryodin.comwed, sat 1-6pm or by appt. GalleryOdin is a year around contemporary,private art gallery located in the heart ofthe summer and winter playground of★ OPEN LATE ON FIRST THURSDAYS PREVIEW 29
Page 6 and 7: BRITISHCOLUMBIAFORT ST. JOHNALBERTA
Page 8: ALBERTABANFF★ Walter Phillips Gal
Page 11 and 12: “North Pacific Cannery”36 x 36
Page 14: LETHBRIDGESouthern Alberta ArtGalle
Page 18 and 19: BRITISHCOLUMBIABURNABY★ Burnaby A
Page 20 and 21: Marion Scott at 3065 MASTERPIECES F
Page 22 and 23: Laurie Marshall: Paintings and Draw
Page 24 and 25: Christopher BurkettNORTHWEST BY NOR
Page 26 and 27: MORRIS AND HELEN BELKIN ART GALLERY
Page 30 and 31: marshall and andersonad.ai 20/10/20
Page 32: CoalHarbourWESTINBAYSHOREDenman StB
Page 35 and 36: Linda Nardelli, Herald Nix, SheilaN
Page 37 and 38: FINE ART FOR COLLECTORS2235 Granvil
Page 40: Elzbieta Krawecka, A Quiet Repose,
Page 43 and 44: GALLERIESMASTER ART CENTREFine Art
Page 45 and 46: wear and 3-D works by two awardwinn
Page 47 and 48: Professor Cao Chong En, a leadingsc
Page 49 and 50: Small, Smaller, SmallestNovember 14
Page 51 and 52: the Downtown Eastside, Marshallwork
Page 53 and 54: works Christmas show by galleryarti
Page 55 and 56: Toni Onley Archives105-1529 W 6th A
Page 57 and 58: sombre look at the traumatic years
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Page 61 and 62: DAVID A HAUGHTONview paintings at w
Page 63 and 64: grand canvases characterize the art
Page 65 and 66: World Upside DownWALTER PHILLIPS GA
Page 67 and 68: Exhibition Catalogues of InterestRE
Page 69 and 70: closed in the eveningNov 1-4 Jesse
Page 71 and 72: carvings, porcelains, netsuke, snuf
Page 73 and 74: Jan Contact the gallery for exhibit
Page 75 and 76: Alpha listing of galleries in this
Page 77 and 78: ART SERVICES & MATERIALSBasic Inqui
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GALLERY OPENING RECEPTIONSNov 2 Fir
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