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John Stewart's BLOG
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comments;
Opening comments: More at the end.
The eyes have it - posted Nov. 7/05.
Amid all the fireworks about the portrait of Hazel McCallion that was pulled out of the window of Byron Osmond's photography shop in Port Credit last week, nobody seemed to notice something important: what a hell of a good piece of art it was.
Forget the slanging match with the Business Improvement Area and the letter demanding that the material deemed "offensive to the community" be removed.
Forget professional malcontent Donald Barber plunking himself down in the middle of the controversy to stir the pot. [1]
Just look at the work.
Osmond used an old photo of the mayor, which he blew up and overlaid with chalk and watercolours, to create a portrait that is obviously intended to be unflattering.
In an accompanying poster in his store window, he states that "I didn't know that my first painted portrait was going to be political."
He's being disingenuous, of course.
If you give Hazel purple hair, cover her with red footprints (which Osmond's four-year-old child supplied) and assign the Orwellian label "1984" to her makeover, you can't really pretend to be surprised when the result is deemed political.
The work is truly striking and, surprisingly, I don't find it necessarily unflattering.
The strange colours on the periphery accentuate McCallion's piercing stare and the taut slash of her mouth in concentration, something a lot of Mississaugans have learned to recognize and/or fear. [2]
It is the eyes that make the piece: cool, inquisitive and full of wary intelligence.
It may not have been intended as such but the work is clearly a reflection, and a tribute of sorts, to the woman's strength.
It may have been intended to diss McCallion but, ironically, it will just add to the legend.
The mayor has seen it all before and greeted the whole controversy with the diffidence it deserved. You won't find her throwing gasoline on the fire by taking offence.
"I believe it's a big joke," she said. I consider it to be (comparable to) a cartoon."
If she'd been up to date on the entire background of the issue, the mayor would probably have expressed her gratitude at not being the winner in another photo competition that Osmond held at his store: the Best Bums contest.
The disgruntled photo shop owner, who says he's leaving town because of the lack of support for his business, is obviously awarding that dubious title for the board members of the BIA.
COMMENTS;
[1] - "Forget" - Obey, Obey and be political correct! Do not think for yourself - blindly trust the media. Be as John Stewart has become, with a safe pay cheque.
"Forget", I was first to publish about this issue.
"Forget", I sent out a media release about this.
"Forget", I found out that other persons are very concerned about how badly art and artists are treated in Mississauga.
"Forget", I have supplied Mr. Stewart with many stories.
"Forget", I am thanked by the people that my efforts have helped - getting the story out that the Missing News will not publish.
The real question is why the Missing News has not explored this story beyond just he said, she said?
Is Mr. Stewart afraid to open the huge can of worms that the Mayor is sitting on, that is Mississauga?
[2] - "or fear", more and more Mississaugans are sick of Hazel's rule by fear and terror and your kissing up is well noted.
I posted comments to Mr. Stewart's BLOG, will they be posted? Yet to be seen, any ways they are below. I noted how Mr. Stewart's BLOG about "how badly Stephen Wahl has been treated, has disappeared quickly", a more careful look looks like it dropped off as it was the older item on the page. A basic difference in our realities, he works in a world news disappears into hard to access archives and I know the value of keeping it handy for the public to easily access, along with comments to put it in context. We can't learn from our history, if we can't find it!
"professional malcontent" here at least I was there first to let the world know what was going on.
The rest of the media could only follow in my foot steps. Know you are not free to speak your mind as you would like to John.
Easily seen as your BLOG about how badly Stephen Wahl has been treated, has disappeared quickly. Your masters at work?
By the way - the web-page I posted Hazel's picture now has more about how badly artists are treated in Mississauga, something you can follow-up on - again.
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