Lilac Memories

An early intuition



I was struck by this beautiful stone house late last spring. There were a lot of contrasts that attracted me: the light grey walls with the dark outlines around the windows, the lilac bush's spontaneity and curvature alongside the rigid architecture of the building, the swirls under the balconies contrasted with the railings. Besides, it looked like a great study on dark charcoal drawing against a more colorful pastel palette.

After taking numerous photos, at various angles, I managed to come up with this cropping that seemed to work.



Here is the end result.



Yet, this year, while I walked along the street (Gerrard Street, just blocks away from Yonge), I came to this shocking discovery! The house was being demolished. And the beautiful lilac trees were gone.



I guess you can call it an early intuition. But, I'm very glad I took the time to make some kind of recorded memory of this understatedly beautiful house and its lovely lilac trees.

Makes one wonder though, who gets to decide which building stays, and which one goes. I assume that the empty space will soon be filled by a bland high rise.

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Lilac

Temptations

[Photo by Camera Lucida]

Lilacs are the flowers of late May and early June. It is tempting to pick them from the road-side and park bushes. But, I will settle for photos instead.

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History Repeats Itself

How Islam is making a stealthy comeback


The Beautiful Byzantine Hagia Sophia, now under Muslim Turkey. Notice the Arabic calligraphy depicting sections of the Koran

Hagia Sophia is one of the most important, and earliest of the Christian churches. It was originally built during the 4th century in Constantinople – albeit burnt down and rebuilt in the 6th . When Muslim Turks conquered Constantinople, not only did they change the city’s name to Istanbul, but also converted this great church into a mosque.

Although now Hagia Sophia is a museum, there are some eerie reminders that it still really is in Muslim hands, especially with those discs of calligraphy in Arabic script scattered around.

This occurred in 1453. Yet, right under the eyes of European Catholics, Muslims are converting churches into mosques.

In Belgium now, illegal immigrants, with the blessings of Catholic bishops, are seeking refuge in churches.

But not only that, they are converting those churches into mosques.

At least the Byzantines put up a fight. When will the Catholic bishops realize their supreme error?

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Is the Governor General Haitian or Canadian?

Her Quick Trip Back to Haiti

Michaelle Jean, the Governor General who should really be occupying a behind-the-scenes role, is in the news yet again.

In a world full of symbolic reminders (her exact words are "we live in a world that needs symbols”), she is returning to the country she fled, to attend the inauguration of the new Haitian President.

She also says: “Sometimes symbols change things".

I wonder if that is her goal for Canada? By changing Canada’s symbols, is she trying to change Canada too?

Perhaps, people’s motives really are subconscious. Here is the Coat of Arms she presented for her governor generalship. Almost all the symbolisms are Haitian, from the false goddesses to the reference to the black slave. And our coast to coast to coast has now also included the Caribbean – in Jean's best of all possible worlds.

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Chicken Soup

Andy Warhol’s Clever Canning of the Human Condition


(Andy Warhol's Small Torn Campbell's Soup Can (Pepper Pot), 1962 sells at $11.8 million at yesterday's Christie's auction house.)

Behind every modern artist is a (once) dedicated illustrator. In fact, Warhol started out making advertisements for I. Miller shoes and Christmas cards for Tiffany’s and Co. before he became famous with his commercial-laden Campbell’s soup cans.

His Small Torn Campbell’s Soup Can (Pepper Pot) is perhaps one of his most painterly renditions of that infamous can. Unlike his regimented, streamlined and silk screened representations from photographs of famous stars and other figures, his Small Torn Campbell's Soup Can has a personal, and delicate touch. He used pencil and paintbrush in this case.

Ironically, although for Warhol it must have been a deliberate irony, his iconic illustrations became paramount advertisements for himself, making him rich and famous.

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