FLAT BROKE: JUST HITCHED FROM VANCOUVER

(c) ESTATE OF IVAAN KOTULSKY

Do you know this girl?  

In 1992, Ivaan took this photo of a young lady sitting on the sidewalk playing the flute.  I've always just assumed it was Queen and Bathurst, but I could be wrong.  The sign on her flute case read:  "JUST HITCHED FROM VANCOUVER.  FLAT BROKE".    It's a large photo; this is just  a section  of it, and it's partly the scale of the whole photograph that makes it so appealing.  Ivaan made two very big enlargements of this photo, one for himself and the other he hoped to give to her.   But even though he was always out and about in the Queen West neighbourhood, he never saw her.

Flash forward to the beginning of December, 2002.  This same young woman, now married and with children, ran into Ivaan on the street and instantly recognized him as the man who had taken her photo more than a decade earlier.  He was thrilled, told her he had a print waiting  for her and gave her a business card with the address of his studio on it.

Three days later, Ivaan suffered a massive stroke and was hospitalized for months.  The building that contained his store was sold, and we had to move  all the contents of his store to a new studio location.   Ivaan's partner Tamas was in the store packing up one day in preparation for the move, when this young woman came by, hoping to pick up her copy of the photo.  Unfortunately, Tamas didn't know the story, wouldn't have known where to look for the photo in any case, and the young woman went away, very disappointed, without leaving her contact information.

The following year, Ivaan was in a wheelchair but anxious to do something artistic.  We decided to mount a show of his photographs, which he entitled World Class City.  It was part of the Contact 2003 festival, and it was exhibited at the Artword Gallery.  Ivaan included this photo in the exhibition.  He named it:  "FLAT BROKE.  JUST HITCHED FROM VANCOUVER"  hoping the young lady would hear about it and drop in.  She didn't.  But Ivaan always remembered her, and frequently asked me to try and locate her so she could have a copy of the photo.  

It's now 18 years since he took this photo, but someone out there knows who this girl is, and I'd love to give her the enlargement we've been saving for her.

I am offering a reward to anyone who can tell me who this is and get her to contact me.  A $100  bill or a piece of jewellery.  Your choice.

A FAREWELL TO THE FAB FOUR...AND TO MICK AND JIMI

THE BEATLES AT THE HOT STOVE LOUNGE, MAPLE LEAF GARDENS, TORONTO, AUGUST 17, 1966

formerly (c) Estate of Ivaan Kotulsky.  Now (c) Ryerson University!

I guess this is the last time I'll ever write "(c) Estate of Ivaan Kotulsky" underneath this photograph, or any other photos taken  by Ivaan of The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, or Jimi Hendrix, because Ryerson University, Ivaan's alma mater, has asked to acquire all of his photos and the copyright to the images.  On the one hand, the prospect of them leaving my possession is bittersweet.  On the other hand, Ivaan would have been thrilled that Ryerson is their new home.

Ryerson University recently bought Maple Leaf Gardens, where this photo and all Ivaan's photos of Jimi Hendrix and Mick Jagger were taken, so it's a great fit, because the photos will be in the public domain, instead of in a closet.  I'm really grateful to our longtime friend, Stephen Bulger, whose photographic gallery on Queen Street West, the Stephen Bulger Gallery, has actually been housing the collection for me since Ivaan's death, and who kindly handled the transaction with Ryerson on behalf of Ivaan and me.  If you haven't been to his gallery, please don't miss the opportunity.  You'll get to see some beautiful photography.

So that is why I have been organizing Ivaan's photos over the past few weeks.   There are tens of thousands of them already sorted, and I have a long way to go yet.  I'm going to post a few photos, in the hopes that someone out there knows the mystery person in the photo.  Actually, that will be the subject of my next post.

Anyway, to The Beatles, Mick and Jimi:  it's been nice sharing cupboard space with you.  Enjoy your new home.  I know Ivaan will be winking down at you from the great darkroom in the sky.

THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG: Update on The Exquisite Object

The Exquisite Object (c) Estate of Ivaan Kotulsky

In my September 30th post, I wrote about The Exquisite Object, an unsigned, undated piece of Ivaan's work that I had found among his archives. At the end of that post, I expressed a hope that one day I would know more about it.

That was three weeks ago.  A lot has happened since then.  One of the most important (and still secret) things that has occurred requires me to organize Ivaan's photographs.  This is no small undertaking.  By 2006, Ivaan had amassed a collection of over 700 film cameras.    They were mostly classic cameras from the 1940s onwards, but a few dozen were the old "folders" that dated back to the beginning of the 20th century. We  kept them in a warehouse building two doors away from our house on Portland Street, along with the additional lenses, flashes, tripods, bins of film in odd sizes, camera cases and assorted paraphernalia that goes along with a camera collection of this size.

Ivaan didn't just collect cameras; he used them.  For many years, he shot a roll of film a day.  His photography fell into three different categories:  he photographed his metal art and jewellery, he documented the street life
around him, and he chronicled people's lives - not necessarily people he knew, but people who caught his imagination somehow.  Ivaan's filing system was quirky in the extreme.  He had his film processed, but didn't necessarily make prints.  Instead of identifying the sheet of negatives with a useful description, it was more often "Mamiya 3, f5.6 at 30, Tri-X Pan, clouds".  It worked for him, because he was more likely to remember what camera he was wearing than the date he took the photo or the name of the person in the photos.

All that to say, it's been a long week sorting photographs.  My reward, however, has been the discovery of a photograph of the original wax carving of The Exquisite Object.   Ivaan has photographed it against a background of open rubber jewellery moulds, which enables me to date The Exquisite Object with some precision.  It's either 1979 or 1980, because the rubber moulds are part of his original Tutankhamun collection for the  Art Gallery of Ontario.  This is a real revelation, because I'd always assumed The Exquisite Object was made much later.  He used different colours of wax, so the detail really stands out in the photograph.

The Exquisite Object, circa 1979.   (c) Estate of Ivaan Kotulsky

My next wish is to understand the context for the creation of this object:  was it a commission?  Was it inspired by something he'd seen somewhere?  Is there more than one version?  The finished version above is not identical to the wax original.  Note how the protrusions at seven and nine o'clock on the finished product appear on the wax (at eleven and one o'clock in the photo directly above) as dark lines.  It's as though the piece evolved over time.

In future posts, I'll feature some pictures of the cast of characters Ivaan photographed over the years.
I'll also explain why I'm organizing all his photographs - once it's no longer a secret.  Stay tuned.

CALENDAR GIRL

In late 2008, Ivaan was very eager to undergo the ELANA By-Pass, a pioneering neurosurgical procedure that would reroute the blood flow through his brain while the surgeons grafted on a by-pass blood vessel to circumvent the damaged artery that was causing his strokes.  He was excited about being the first person in Canada to undergo this procedure.   In spite of the enormous risk of his not surviving the surgery, he felt that volunteering for this procedure would greatly advance medical knowledge and pave the way for better outcomes for future patients.  While we both hoped that a successful outcome would mean an improvement in his own dire condition, we knew the chances were slim.  "Plan B" for Ivaan was that he was determined to become an organ and tissue donor should he not survive the surgery, and dying in hospital provided the best chance of achieving that goal.

Ivaan underwent the surgery on December 2nd, 2008, and although the surgery itself was a complete succsss, Ivaan suffered a massive stroke on the operating table, never regained consciousness and died a few days later.

Shortly after his death, I received a letter from the Eye Bank of Canada, telling me about two successful surgeries that had taken place.  Ivaan's eyes had been harvested after his death, and both of his corneas were transplanted, one each into the eyes of two people who had previously been blind.  Those surgeries were successful, and both recipients were able to see as a result. Ivaan would have been thrilled.

I've been a volunteer with Trillium Gift of Life Network, the organ and tissue donation people, for many years.  Recently, they wrote to me to ask if I would agree to be photographed for their 2011 calendar.  This calendar honours the medical professionals who make the connection between the families of potential donors and TGLN, thereby facilitating organ and tissue harvesting and transplantation.

So here I am, about to become a Calendar Girl!  This must be the midlife crisis I've been waiting for.  My only regret is that apparently I'm expected to be fully clothed for the photo shoot.  (I guess Photoshop can only do so much!) Ivaan's niece, Anna, has suggested I greet the camera crew draped only in a sheet, with a rose between my teeth.   It's very tempting.  It would give new meaning to the term, Hot Flash.

Ivaan, I'm sure, will be extremely gratified by this tribute to his Gift of Life.  If you see a 2011 TGLN calendar anywhere, please pick it up and have a peek. I'm hoping to be Miss October.

EAT YOUR HEART OUT: Anita's Tiny Perfect Bracelets

Anita worked in the art department of an advertising agency in the mid-1980s when she was first introduced to Ivaan by mutual friends who thought she'd be interested in seeing his work.  She later said that finding his work was like finding a piece of herself, so powerful was her connection to his art.

Now and again, Ivaan would drop by the ad agency with his latest creations all jumbled up in a plastic shopping bag, and just tip the contents of the bag onto her desk.

Anita was particularly in love with bracelets; she commissioned three magnificent specimens, each a "one-off", meaning no mould would be made of them.  Anita has incredibly slender wrists, so these bracelets are tiny.

Much has changed in Anita's life since the 1980s:  after her daughter was born, she moved out of the highly stressful world of advertising and started a home-based business, Anita's Kitchen, where she makes cookies.  What hasn't changed is her love of Ivaan's work.  She drops round every so often to look at the treasures I've discovered among Ivaan's vintage moulds.  I think she secretly misses the days when Ivaan would drop by her office unannounced and empty a plastic bag full of gorgeous stuff on her desk.

Anyway,  here are Anita's bracelets.   Later on I'll post a photo of Anita's new ring.  (Later on, meaning, when I finish it.)  It's a beauty.

OCTOBER 9th: A Beautiful Day On Which To Be Born

It was really warm and sunny at the cemetery today, but you could already smell the first hint of decaying leaves wafting on the breeze, heralding the end of the season.  I planted a few new things, swept up a bit, fed the birds and squirrels, spread out a blanket,  re-read The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery, listened to some of Ivaan's favourite music (Handel, Beethoven, Gorecki), sang O Sole Mio (Di Capua) and I Will (Lennon/McCartney), ate an apple, smoked a liquorice cigar or two.  It's always sad having to leave, especially knowing a long, cold winter lies ahead. Better get all my visits in while I can. Happy Birthday, Ivaan.

IVAAN'S BIRD'S NEST RING: A Vintage Treasure

Tomorrow (October 9th) is Ivaan's 66th birthday.  In honour of his birthday, I thought I'd show you the latest vintage treasure I've unearthed from his collection of moulds.  Doesn't it remind you of a bird's nest full of eggs?  I made it in sterling silver, but I toned these photographs so it looks like gold, which is probably what he made the original in.

   It doesn't fit me, naturally - too small - but I absolutely love just being able to look at it.

   My next post will be about three excellent bracelets.  Please don't read it or look at the photos if you are a fool for bracelets, because it will only break your heart.  They are all one-offs and in the late 1980s they were made for Anita, who has the tiniest wrists you can imagine.

   Happy Birthday, Ivaan.  Wish you were here.  xxx