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[ RICK CLUFF ]: ALL RIGHT, TIME TO CHECK THE WEATHER NOW.
LET'S GO TO DAVID JONES AT ENVIRONMENT CANADA.
[ JONES ]: THANKS, RICK.
OUT HERE ON THE WEST COAST WE'VE GOT INTERMITTENT SHOWERS,
SOME FOG IN LOW-LYING AREAS,
THE TEMPERATURE ABOUT 12 TO 15 DEGREES,
BUT WE DO EXPECT SOME SUNNY BREAKS LATER IN THE DAY.
LOOKS TO ME LIKE ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE TONI ONLEY DAYS.
[ RICK CLUFF ]: IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD, DAVID,
EVERY DAY IS A TONI ONLEY DAY.
[ TONI ONLEY ]: I'M PRETTY MUCH OF A LONER, YOU KNOW.
I LIVE ALONE
AND FLY ALONE.
I WAS BORN ON THE ISLE OF MAN,
WHICH IS A SORT OF BRITISH PROTECTORATE,
BUT IT'S AN INDEPENDENT COUNTRY.
IT'S IN THE IRISH SEA.
I WAS BORN THERE IN 1928.
MY FATHER WAS AN ACTOR,
AND MY MOTHER WAS A MOTHER.
IT'S A WONDERFUL PLACE TO GROW UP, YOU KNOW,
BECAUSE THERE WERE VERY FEW DISTRACTIONS OF ANY KIND,
SO I HAD TO SORT OF IDENTIFY WITH MY SURROUNDINGS,
IDENTIFY WITH THE ISLAND SOMEHOW,
AND PAINTING SEEMS TO BE AN IDEAL THING TO DO,
AND I ALWAYS PAINTED, YOU KNOW,
RIGHT FROM THE TIME I WAS A CHILD AT SCHOOL.
WHEN I WAS ABOUT 13 OR SO,
I STARTED GOING PAINTING WITH JOHN HOBBS NICHOLSON.
HE WOULD GO OUT WITH HIS FAVOURITE STUDENTS
AT THE WEEKENDS,
AND I WANTED TO JOIN THAT CROWD.
I WANTED TO GO OUT PAINTING WITH HIM.
HE WAS A VERY FINE WATERCOLOUR PAINTER,
IN THE SORT OF 19th CENTURY TRADITION,
BUT I WANTED TO LEARN--
YOU KNOW, LIKE THE SCALES OF A PIANO--
I WANTED TO LEARN HOW TO HANDLE WATERCOLOUR,
BUT ANYWAY, I ASKED HIM,
I PLUCKED UP COURAGE.
I WAS ONLY ABOUT 13.
I SAID, "COULD I JOIN YOU, THE WEEKEND,
"YOU KNOW, YOU CYCLE OUT MANFULLY
"AND DO HAIRY-CHESTED OUTDOOR WATERCOLOURS,
I'D LIKE TO JOIN YOU," YOU KNOW,
AND HE SAYS, "WELL, IF YOU CAN KEEP UP."
I JOINED THEM,
AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS PROBABLY HIS BEST PUPIL,
BECAUSE WHEN THE WEATHER WASN'T SO GOOD,
OR IT WAS COLD,
AND EVERYBODY ELSE DROPPED OUT,
I MEAN, JOHN AND I WOULD GO OFF PAINTING TOGETHER.
THAT SORT OF INFLUENCED MY PATTERN OF PAINTING
FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE, I THINK.
I DON'T USE A BICYCLE ANYMORE, OF COURSE.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T GO OUT TO THE LANDSCAPE ON A BICYCLE.
I HAVE A FLYING BOAT NOW.
IT WAS AFTER THE WAR.
MY FATHER CAME HOME FOR LUNCH ONE DAY,
AND HE SAID, "WE'RE LEAVING. WE'RE GETTING OUT OF HERE,"
AND WITHIN A WEEK, WE WERE ON THE OLD AQUITANIA,
AND WE WERE SAILING ACROSS THE ATLANTIC TO HALIFAX.
FROM HALIFAX, HE MADE HIS WAY TO ONTARIO,
WHERE HE MET MARY BURROWS AND HAD TWO KIDS.
THEN TONI'S WIFE DIED.
HE WENT TO MEXICO,
AND THERE HE FOUND HIMSELF IN A PLACE
WHERE IT WAS CHEAP TO LIVE.
SAN MIGUEL IS A SORT OF ARTIST'S COLONY.
[ TONI ONLEY ]: AND WHEN I WAS LIVING IN MEXICO,
AND I PAINTED FOR A FULL YEAR JUST DOING MEXICAN LANDSCAPES,
AND I JUST HATED THEM,
AND ONE DAY, I TORE EVERYTHING UP,
AND IT WAS SCATTERED ALL OVER MY STUDIO FLOOR,
AND THEN I LOOKED DOWN,
AND I SAW THESE PAPERS LAYING ONE ON TOP OF THE OTHER,
AND I SAW SHAPES AND PATTERNS AND THINGS EMERGING
THAT WOULD'VE BROKEN MY ARMOUR, YOU KNOW, FIVE MINUTES BEFORE
TO PAINT THAT, ACTUALLY,
SO I PICK ABOUT THREE PIECES OF PAPER UP,
YOU KNOW, TOGETHER,
AND I PIN THEM TO ANOTHER PIECE OF PAPER ON THE WALL,
AND BEFORE I KNEW IT,
I'D CREATED SOMETHING ENTIRELY DIFFERENT.
I MEAN, THESE WERE ABSTRACT COLLAGES.
THE REST OF MY TWO-YEAR STAY IN MEXICO,
I WAS DOING COLLAGES.
WHEN I CAME BACK TO VANCOUVER,
I MEAN, NOBODY'D SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS,
AND I WAS A SORT OF AN INSTANT HIT, IN A WAY.
I'M VERY FOND OF THE--
AND I THINK THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT WORKS--
THE EARLY ABSTRACTIONS.
I THINK HE WAS PRODUCING WORK
THAT WAS AMONGST THE MOST INTERESTING
THAT WAS BEING PRODUCED IN CANADA.
IT WAS BOUGHT BY THE TATE GALLERY.
IT WAS RECOGNIZED AS BEING VERY SIGNIFICANT.
WHAT HE WAS ABLE TO DO WAS TAKE WORKS OF ART
THAT HE DIDN'T THINK WERE REALLY PARTICULARLY SUCCEEDING,
AND SORT OF RIP THEM UP,
AND SORT OF MOVE THEM AROUND,
AND THEN FIND WAYS
WHERE THEY HAD A CERTAIN DEGREE OF DYNAMIC TENSION
ON THE SURFACE OF THE IMAGE,
AND THEN GLUE IT ALL DOWN,
AND THEN CREATE PURE ABSTRACTIONS
THAT DON'T HAVE A PARTICULAR NARRATIVE SENSE TO THEM.
AFTER I'D SOLD A FEW OF THESE PAPER-ON-PAPER COLLAGES,
I HAD ENOUGH MONEY, I COULD GO OUT AND BUY CANVAS.
I MEAN, FOR THE FIRST TIME, I HAD CANVAS IN MY POSSESSION.
I DID A WHOLE SERIES OF CANVAS COLLAGES.
THIS EARLY COLLAGE WORK,
I GUESS YOU COULD SAY IT REACHED ITS APEX
WITH HIS MURAL IN 1962,
WHICH HE DID FOR THE PLAYHOUSE.
IT WAS THE LARGEST THING HE DID.
HE HAD TROUBLE GETTING IT OUT OF HIS STUDIO.
HE HAD TO ACTUALLY CUT IT INTO THREE PIECES
AND HAVE IT MOVED FROM THAT STUDIO.
[ PAT MONTGOMERY ]: IN THE SUMMER OF 2002,
THE EVERGREEN CULTURAL CENTRE IN COQUITLAM
STAGED AN EXHIBITION OF TONI'S COLLAGES.
WE WERE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN SHOWING THE WORK
THAT WENT BACK ALMOST 50 YEARS
IN COMPARISON WITH WHAT WAS BEING DONE TODAY,
AND BEYOND THAT,
WE WANTED TO SHOW SOME OF THE WORK
THAT IS NOT TYPICALLY SEEN.
AND YOU CAN SEE A THREAD THAT RAN THROUGH OVER THE YEARS,
WHICH WERE DISTINCTIVELY HIS PALETTE,
HIS STRONG SENSE OF DESIGN.
THEY WERE UNMISTAKABLY TONI'S WORKS.
[ TONI ONLEY ]: THE ATTITUDE THAT GOES INTO MY COLLAGES
GOES INTO MY WATERCOLOURS.
IT'S THE SAME...
I DON'T SEE ANY BIG DIFFERENCE,
EXCEPT WITH ONE,
I'M DEALING WITH A SUBJECT MATTER,
WITH THE OTHER, I'M DEALING WITH PURE ABSTRACT FORM.
I'M PROBABLY BETTER KNOWN FOR MY '60s WORK,
WHERE I'M DEALING WITH ONE OR TWO SHAPES
AND THAT SORT OF THING,
AND PLAYING AROUND THEM LIKE A CHESS GAME,
RELATING TO THE FRAMED EDGE OF THE PAINTING
SORT OF THING, YOU KNOW.
I STILL DO THAT IN MY PAINTINGS.
EVEN MY LANDSCAPE PAINTINGS NOW,
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE EDGE OF THE PAINTING
AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE PAINTING,
AND GETTING A SPARK
BETWEEN THE SHAPES IN THE PAINTING.
[ THOM ]: WHERE ONLEY IS INTERESTING
IS HE NEVER BECAME A REALIST.
HE ALWAYS RETAINS A CERTAIN DEGREE OF ABSTRACTION,
OF DISTANCE WITHIN THOSE LANDSCAPES,
AND GIVES IT A MORE TIMELESS KIND OF QUALITY.
THE USE OF COLOUR
IN HIS WATERCOLOUR PALETTE IN PARTICULAR
IS VERY DIRECTLY CONNECTED
TO THE NATURE OF THE LANDSCAPE IN WHICH HE'S DEPICTING.
IT'S COOL, BUT IT'S WARM AT THE SAME TIME.
IT'S INVITING AT THE SAME TIME,
ENCOURAGES YOU TO ENTER INTO THAT LANDSCAPE WITH HIM.
MY EXPERIENCE IN PAINTING
COMES FROM THE LIGHT IN THIS AREA,
YOU KNOW, THE BLACK LIGHT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA,
WHICH I LOVE, YOU KNOW.
THE LAKES LOOK LIKE THEY'RE BOTTOMLESS.
THE BLACK WATER.
I LOVE THAT NORTHERN LIGHT,
AS OPPOSED TO THE, SORT OF THE WHITE LIGHT
OF EARLY MORNING IN CALIFORNIA.
THE LIGHT IS ON THE SURFACE.
THE LIGHT DOESN'T PENETRATE.
GHOSTS CAN'T LIVE IN CALIFORNIA,
BUT THEY CAN LIVE IN OUR FORESTS.
THIS IS WHERE MY, SORT OF SOUL IS, HERE,
AND I RESPOND TO THAT NORTHERN TEMPERAMENT.
IT'S THE TIMELESS THINGS
THAT I'M LOOKING FOR ALL THE TIME.
IT'S THE THINGS THAT DON'T DATE,
THE THINGS THAT ARE THERE NOW AND HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THERE,
AND THIS IS WHAT FEEDS MY ART.
[ THOM ]: THAT COMMITMENT TO WATERCOLOUR IS RATHER UNUSUAL
IN TERMS OF THE STRENGTH AND DEPTH OF THAT COMMITMENT,
BECAUSE OFTEN, FOR OTHER ARTISTS,
IT'S BEEN A FAIRLY SUBSIDIARY ASPECT OF THEIR ACTIVITY,
BUT FOR ONLEY,
IT'S BEEN A VERY MAJOR AND CENTRAL ASPECT
OF HIS ACTIVITY.
THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN HISTORICALLY
A FEELING THAT WATERCOLOURS ARE LESSER THINGS SOMEHOW,
AND I THINK THAT ONLEY'S COMMITMENT TO WATERCOLOUR
HAS INDICATED THAT REALLY THEY'RE NOT LESSER THINGS.
TONI ONLEY HAS MODERNIZED THE TECHNIQUE OF WATERCOLOUR,
AND WE CAN SEE THAT HE IS WIDELY INFLUENCED
BY ORIENTAL ART.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE EMPTY SPACE IS AS IMPORTANT
AS THE SPACES THAT ARE FILLED.
IT IS EXTREMELY POWERFUL.
THE OTHER WOULD BE JAPANESE CALLIGRAPHY,
MOSTLY THE TOOLS USED BY ARTISTS.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ALL SEEN THESE BEAUTIFUL JAPANESE BRUSHES
THAT HE'S USING,
SO THERE IS AN ORIENTAL FEELING.
IT'S MINGLING THE WESTERN TRADITION
WITH THE ORIENTAL TRADITION.
HE FELT SOMETHING IN COMMON BETWEEN HIS OWN AESTHETIC
AND ALSO JAPANESE TRADITIONAL AESTHETICS.
I'M TALKING ABOUT ZEN AESTHETIC,
WHICH IS TO DO WITH SIMPLICITY AND MINIMALISM
AND TO DO WITH EMPTY SPACE.
JAPANESE ARE VERY GOOD AT EMPHASIZING EMPTY SPACE.
JAPANESE PAINTERS,
THEY DON'T DRAW BEFORE THEY PAINT.
FOR ONE THING,
THEY'RE WORKING ON RICE PAPER, YOU KNOW,
AND THEY'RE REACTING TO WHAT'S HAPPENING
AS IT'S HAPPENING ON THE PAPER.
THEY MAY SIT AND CONTEMPLATE THE BLANK SHEET OF PAPER
FOR A WHILE, WHICH I DO.
MOSTLY THE SCALE OF WHAT I'M ABOUT TO DO.
YOU KNOW, WELL, I SIT
AND LOOK AT A LANDSCAPE LIKE THAT
FOR A LONG TIME,
AND THEN DECIDE WHAT I'M GOING TO SELECT OUT OF IT,
YOU KNOW?
AND I PAY ATTENTION TO THE LIGHT
AND THE WEATHER
AND MOSTLY I'M TRYING TO CAPTURE THE LIGHT, YOU KNOW,
AND THE OBJECTS IN THE PAINTING
ARE JUST OBJECTS TO SHINE THE LIGHT ON.
THE WATERCOLOURS, THEY ARE SO CAUGHT ON THE FLY,
AND YET THEY FUNCTION BEST
AS A PERSONAL OBJECT OF CONTEMPLATION,
AND THIS, TO MY MIND,
IS WHERE TONI'S SORT OF ASIAN SENSIBILITY
COMES IN.
THE IDEA OF NOT PUBLIC ARTWORK,
BUT PRIVATE OBJECTS THAT YOU KEEP CLOSE TO YOU.
EVERYTHING IS VERY MUTED, VERY SERENE, TRANQUIL.
IT DEFINITELY HAS AN ORIENTAL FLAVOUR TO IT,
AND HE'S THE ABSOLUTE CONSUMMATE EXPERT
AT THIS TYPE OF PAINTING,
BUT THEY HAVE A VERY SPIRITUAL QUALITY,
AND BEING A MUSICIAN, THAT RESONATES WITH ME.
[ TONI ONLEY ]: IT'S A VERY JAPANESE WAY OF PAINTING.
IT'S, YOU KNOW,
THEY CALL IT THE SONG OF THE BRUSH.
[ GEORGE KNOX ]: A DAB OF PAINT GOES ON,
AND IT STAYS THERE,
AND THAT'S IT, THERE'S NO MESSING AROUND.
IT'S DONE, AND IT STANDS THERE.
IT'S DELICIOUS, AND EVERYBODY LOVES IT.
[ MAX WYMAN ]: TONI HAS HIS OWN STYLE.
IT'S VERY DISTINCTIVE.
YOU RECOGNIZE A TONI ONLEY AS SOON AS YOU SEE IT.
IT'S NOT A PICTURE POSTCARD.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL EVOCATION OF A PLACE.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT MAKE TONI POPULAR.
HE'S THE POET OF THE LANDSCAPE.
HE'S THE POET OF THE WEST COAST MISTS
IS WHAT HE IS.
LANDSCAPE IS THE STARTING POINT, AND THERE ARE--
WHAT'S INTRIGUING ABOUT HIS WORK, I THINK,
IS THAT HE FREQUENTLY MOVES
FROM AN EXTREMELY PICTORIAL STYLE.
OTHER TIMES,
WE'RE LOOKING AT GREAT WASHES OF COLOUR AND FORM,
WHICH ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY ABSTRACT,
BUT THE PURPOSE OF IT BEING THERE
IS NOT BECAUSE HE SAW A LOG THERE,
BUT BECAUSE THAT PARTICULAR FORM
BELONGS IN THAT PARTICULAR PAINTING.
THE KEY THING
IS THE WAY THE ARTIST'S EYE SEES THE LANDSCAPE,
AND THE WAY IN WHICH THE ARTIST'S HAND
FOLLOWS THE ARTIST'S IMAGINATION IN INTERPRETING THE LANDSCAPE.
[ TONI ONLEY ]: AS SOON AS YOU PUT A MARK ON THE PAPER,
YOU'VE NARROWED DOWN ALL YOUR POSSIBILITIES
RIGHT THERE, YOU KNOW,
AND THAT DETERMINES THE NEXT AREA
YOU'RE GOING TO PAINT,
AND THAT DETERMINES THE NEXT,
SO YOU'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING,
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU HAVE SOMETHING
YOU COULD NEVER HAVE THOUGHT OF IN THE MORNING.
TO ME, THIS IS THE HUGE THRILL OF PAINTING.
MY WORK EMERGES.
AS I'M PAINTING, IT'S EMERGING,
AND THE PAINTING TELLS ME WHEN IT'S FINISHED.
IT SAYS, YOU KNOW, "TONI, DON'T GO ANY FURTHER."
I MIGHT BE IN A MID-STROKE, AND, "THAT'S IT," YOU KNOW?
YOU'VE GOT TO BE MAKING VALUE JUDGMENTS
AS YOU'RE GOING
ALL THE TIME.
YOU'VE JUST GOT TO FEEL IT, YOU KNOW?
DON'T THINK OF THE END,
THINK OF WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW,
AT THIS VERY SECOND WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW,
AND WHERE THAT'S TELLING YOU TO GO
IN THE NEXT SECOND AND THE NEXT SECOND,
UNTIL THE PAINTING SCREAMS AT YOU,
"TONI, PUT THE BRUSH DOWN. YOU'RE FINISHED!"
[ CHUCKLES ]
TENNESSEE WILLIAMS HAD WRITTEN A PLAY
BASED ON CHEKHOV'S "THE SEAGULL."
TONI, WHO WAS HAVING A COLOSSAL AMOUNT OF VISIBILITY
AND SUCCESS AT THE TIME
WAS ASKED TO DESIGN THE SET.
[ STRONG ]: WILLIAMS CAME IN AUGUST OF THAT YEAR, 1981.
AS SOON AS HE SAW THE SET,
HE SAID, "WHO DESIGNED THIS SET?"
AND OF COURSE, THIS LED TO A MEETING WITH TONI,
AND THE TWO BECAME FRIENDS.
EACH TIME THE CURTAIN CAME UP ON A NEW SCENE,
IT WAS A BRAND-NEW SCENE.
THE LIGHTING ENGINEER WAS OBVIOUSLY BRILLIANT,
AND HE'D TAKEN SUGGESTIONS FROM TONI ABOUT, YOU KNOW,
HOW THE BASIC SET COULD BE ALTERED
TO CAPTURE THE MOOD OF EACH SCENE.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC AND BREATHTAKING
AND BEAUTIFUL
STAGE EXPERIENCES, THEATRE EXPERIENCES,
THAT I'VE HAD.
THE THING ABOUT TONI IS THAT HE REALIZES
WHAT A LOT OF VISUAL ARTISTS DON'T REALIZE,
AND THAT'S THAT YOU HAVE TO PROMOTE YOURSELF.
YOU'RE COMPETING AGAINST DETERGENT.
YOU'RE COMPETING AGAINST CORNFLAKES
FOR PUBLIC ATTENTION.
[ KNOX ]: TONI WAS VERY MUCH INTERESTED
IN PRODUCING ART WHICH COULD BE SOLD
AND WHICH WAS SOLD,
AND AT THAT POINT,
HE FELT THAT HE WAS SEPARATED BY AN INCREASINGLY WIDE GULF
FROM THE ART COMMUNITY.
THE IDEA OF PRODUCING SALEABLE WORK
IS A KIND OF ANATHEMA.
SOME PEOPLE SAY IT WAS A TYPICAL CANADIAN REACTION,
THAT CANADA HAS A PROBLEM
WITH THE SUCCESS OF ITS OWN PEOPLE.
IT'S ONLY WHEN THEY GET HUGE RECOGNITION OUTSIDE CANADA
THAT CANADIANS WILL TAKE SOMEBODY'S SUCCESS SERIOUSLY.
[ LEMON ]: PROBABLY THE THING
THAT THRILLED HIM MORE THAN ANYTHING
WAS THEY DECIDED TO PUT
SOME OF TONI'S LANDSCAPES OF THE ISLE OF MAN
ONTO STAMPS, QUITE BIG GRAND BEAUTIFUL STAMPS,
WHICH WERE
VERY HIGHLY SOUGHT-AFTER COLLECTORS' PIECES.
HE WAS ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED
WHEN HE WAS AWARDED THE ORDER OF CANADA,
WHICH WAS A BIT OF A SNUB ON THE NOSE
TO THE LOCAL SOURPUSSES.
TONI REALLY WAS PLEASED ABOUT THAT,
BECAUSE HE FELT
THAT CANADA HAD BEEN EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD TO HIM.
THERE WAS A LOT OF SNIPING, A LOT OF CARPING,
AND A LOT OF JEALOUSLY, WHICH WAS UNNECESSARY.
TONI FANNED THE FLAMES.
HE DID DELIGHT IN FANNING THE FLAMES.
[ WYMAN ]: DRIVING AROUND IN HIS ROLLS-ROYCE.
FLAUNTING HIS WEALTH.
HE WAS AN OSTENTATIOUS PAINTER.
PEOPLE THINK, "WELL, HE CAN'T BE A VERY GOOD PAINTER.
HE'S JUST A PROMOTER."
IN FACT, HE'S NOT THAT.
HE'S A PAINTER IN HIS OWN RIGHT,
AND THE PROMOTION IS SIMPLY A RECOGNITION OF THE FACT
THAT YOU'VE GOT TO GET OUT THERE AND SELL.
[ TONI ONLEY ]: THE ARCTIC WAS A PLACE
I ALWAYS WANTED TO GO TO.
FOR YEARS AND YEARS, I WANTED TO GO THERE AND PAINT.
I MEAN, IT'S PART OF THE CANADIAN CONSCIOUSNESS,
AND VERY FEW CANADIANS
HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN TO THEIR ARCTIC.
IT'S A REALM OF THE IMAGINATION.
IT'S OUR GREAT OUTDOORS, OUR GREAT BACKYARD,
JUST THE SPACE THAT WE HAVE THAT WE VALUE SO MUCH.
IT WAS IN, I THINK, ABOUT 1972,
I WAS ON HOLIDAYS IN NEW BRUNSWICK,
AND MY HOST SAID,
"OH, GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER TONIGHT,"
AND IT WAS PIERRE TRUDEAU AND MARGARET,
AND I'D KNOWN HIM BEFORE HE WAS IN POLITICS,
AND HE SAID TO ME, HE SAID,
"YOU KNOW, YOUR ART ALWAYS REMINDED ME OF THE ARCTIC,"
AND I SAID, "WELL, I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO THERE,
BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET THERE."
YOU KNOW, "YOU CAN'T GET THERE FROM HERE.
NOTHING GOES THERE,"
AND HE SAID, "WELL, LEAVE THAT WITH ME."
[ KNOX ]: PIERRE TRUDEAU WAS VERY INTERESTED IN TONI'S WORK,
AND SAW AN OPPORTUNITY OF BRINGING TONI TO THE ARCTIC,
AND, IN OTHER WORDS, BRINGING THE ARCTIC TO CANADA.
[ READING ]: APRIL 10th, 1974.
"MY DEAR ONLEY,
"I HAVE WONDERFUL NEWS FOR YOU!
"AM I NOT RIGHT IN BELIEVING
"THAT TRAVEL TO BAFFIN ISLAND BY SEA
"WOULD, IN FACT,
"BE A FAR PREFERABLE OPTION FOR YOU
"AND THAT IT WOULD ENABLE YOU
"TO SKETCH NORTHERN AND ARCTIC SCENES
"ON THE WAY THERE AND BACK?
"ALL THE BEST!
VERY SINCERELY, PIERRE ELLIOT TRUDEAU."
IT'S VERY, VERY EXCITING PAINTING IN THE ARCTIC,
AND THERE'S NO DISTRACTIONS.
YOU KNOW, I HAD NOTHING TO DO EXCEPT PAINT, YOU KNOW?
MY LANDSCAPES ARE PRETTY WELL READY-MADE FOR ME UP THERE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST LIKE I JUST HAVE TO LOOK AROUND,
AND, "WOW, THERE'S A SPOT," YOU KNOW,
"THERE'S A PAINTING RIGHT THERE," SORT OF THING.
WHEN YOU'RE MOVING THROUGH ICEBERGS,
I MEAN, THAT IS MAGICAL BECAUSE IT'S LIKE SCULPTURE.
IT CHANGES ITS FORM AS YOU'RE GOING AROUND IT,
SO I'D BE PAINTING MADLY, YOU KNOW,
TRYING TO GET THIS DOWN, GET IT DOWN BEFORE...
WHILE IT'S IN MY MIND,
BEFORE I LOSE IT.
I'VE DONE 20 PAINTINGS A DAY,
YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THERE'S 24 HOURS OF DAYLIGHT,
SO I'D JUST KEEP ON GOING, YOU KNOW,
AND I REMEMBER ONE TIME,
I GOT SO INVOLVED WITH MY PAINTING,
AND I TURNED AROUND,
AND THERE WAS ONE GUY ON WATCH ON THE BRIDGE,
AND I SAID, "WELL, WHERE IS EVERYBODY?"
HE SAID, "IT'S 3:00 IN THE MORNING.
EVERYBODY'S IN BED."
[ CHUCKLES ]
I REMEMBER THE CAPTAIN SAYING TO ME,
"WELL, EVERYBODY ON THE SHIP'S WONDERING WHAT YOU'RE PAINTING,"
AND THE GUYS BELOW DECK,
THEY DON'T SEE WHAT I'M PAINTING.
HE SAID, "HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE THE CREW A SHOW?"
AND SO I WAS SHOWING THEM MY PAINTINGS,
AND ONE OF THE CREW MEMBERS SAID, "WELL, YOU KNOW,
"I'VE BEEN COMING UP HERE FOR 30 YEARS,
AND IT'S ALL WHITE," YOU KNOW.
"WHERE DO YOU GET THESE BLUES AND PINKS AND THESE COLOURS,"
YOU KNOW, "THERE'S NO COLOUR UP HERE."
SO I GAVE THEM A LESSON IN PERCEPTION.
I SAID, "YOU LOOK OVER HERE AND YOU'LL SEE
"THE SHADOWS ARE ALL SORT OF A MAUVE BLUE COLOUR.
"YOU LOOK OVER HERE,
AND IT TENDS TOWARDS PINK, ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW,"
AND THEY LOOK AND SAY, "I CAN'T SEE THAT."
SO I SAID, "WELL, TUCK YOUR HEAD UNDER YOUR ARM AND LOOK,
AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE IT,"
AND YOU CAN.
IF YOU LOOK UPSIDE DOWN AT A LANDSCAPE,
YOU CAN SEE THE COLOURS,
AND YOU CAN SEE THE SCALE OF THINGS, TOO,
SO THE BOATSWAIN'S MATE SORT OF LOOKED OUT THERE,
AND HE LOOKED THE OTHER WAY,
AND HE SAYS, "OH, MY GOD, HE'S RIGHT.
GOD, IT'S ALL BLUE OUT THERE. I NEVER REALIZED THAT BEFORE,"
AND THEY ALL GOT VERY EXCITED,
AND THE NEXT DAY, I WAS PASSING THE CAPTAIN'S OFFICE,
AND HE SAYS, "TONI, COME IN HERE. SHUT THE DOOR."
YOU KNOW, "OH, MY GOD, WHAT HAVE I DONE?"
HE SAID, "EVER SINCE YOU TALKED TO MY CREW
ABOUT VISUAL CONCEPTION," HE SAYS,
"THEY'VE BEEN GOING AROUND WITH THEIR HEAD YOU-KNOW-WHERE."
[ CHUCKLES ]
THAT WAS GREAT.
[ READING ]: NOVEMBER 22, 1974.
"MY DEAR ONLEY,
"YOUR SPECTACULAR WATERCOLOUR OF TOOKE ISLAND
"HAS ARRIVED SAFELY.
"MARGARET AND I ARE SO ENCHANTED
"THAT WE CANNOT THANK YOU WARMLY ENOUGH FOR IT.
"I ENJOYED TREMENDOUSLY READING THE ACCOUNT
"OF YOUR PAINTING TRIP TO THE ARCTIC.
"YOUR ENTHUSIASTIC ENDORSEMENT
"OF THE CHARMS OF THE ANCIENT THULE CULTURE SITE
"ON BROOMAN POINT
"CERTAINLY MAKES ME EAGER
"TO SEE IT WITH MY OWN EYES SOMEDAY.
"THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME ABOUT THIS FASCINATING PLACE.
"WITH EVERY GOOD WISH FROM MARGARET AND ME,
SINCERELY, PIERRE ELLIOT TRUDEAU."
[ AIRPLANE ENGINE RUNNING ]
PRINTMAKING HAS BEEN AN EXTRAORDINARY ACTIVITY
FOR ONLEY.
HE IS ONE OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED PRINTMAKERS
WHO'S EVER WORKED IN BRITISH COLUMBIA.
WORKING WITH BILL BONNIEMAN, HE WAS ABLE TO CREATE
THESE REMARKABLY LUMINOUS
AND TRANSLUCENT KINDS OF USES OF INK
WHICH AFFECT THE KIND OF IMAGE
THAT LOOKS SORT OF LIKE A WATERCOLOUR
EVEN THOUGH IT'S A SCREEN PRINT,
AND THIS KIND OF RICHNESS OF COLOUR
AND SUBTLETY OF COLOUR THAT OCCURS IN THESE PRINTS
IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY MARKS HIM
AS BEING A VERY PARTICULAR AND IMPORTANT PRINTMAKER
IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD.
SILKSCREENING OR SCREEN PROCESS,
SERIGRAPHY, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT,
IT'S ONE OF THE OLDEST METHODS AROUND.
IT'S BASICALLY PUTTING A STENCIL DOWN,
WHATEVER'S STENCILED OFF, THE REST OF IT IS ALL...
THE SURFACE GETS COVERED.
IT'S BASICALLY A PROCESS OF RESISTANCE.
WHATEVER YOU'D WANT TO PRINT, YOU TAKE OUT.
WE'D LOOK AT ONE OF HIS WATERCOLOURS OR FORMAT
THE SAME WAY AS HE MIGHT LOOK AT A LANDSCAPE.
THEN WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT'S THE POINT A DERIVATION.
WE'D DO A FEW LITTLE CUTS, ESTABLISH SOMETHING,
PUT IT AWAY,
AND THEN OCCASIONALLY BE MESMERIZED
BY HOW FAR GONE WE WENT.
WE'D HARDLY EVEN RECOGNIZE THE ORIGINAL IDEA,
AND THE WHOLE POINT OF IT WAS THAT'S WHERE THE POETRY WAS.
[ TONI ONLEY ]: BILL BONNIEMAN WAS A VERY FINE PRINTMAKER.
I MEAN, WE STARTED MAKING SCREEN PRINTS TOGETHER
ROUGHLY BASED ON COMPOSITIONAL IDEAS
OUT OF WATERCOLOURS,
ALTHOUGH I COULDN'T SORT OF COPY THE WATERCOLOUR
BECAUSE THE MEDIUM IS QUITE DIFFERENT,
BUT WHAT I WAS INTERESTED IN GETTING
WAS A MEDIUM THAT WAS TRANSPARENT,
LIKE WATERCOLOUR,
WHERE YOU LAY ONE COLOUR ON TOP OF ANOTHER,
AND YOU CREATE A THIRD AND A FOURTH AND A FIFTH COLOUR.
YOU CREATE A LOT OF DIFFERENT COLOURS.
JUST BY A COUPLE OF PRINTINGS, YOU CAN DO THAT.
[ TONI ONLEY ]: WE'LL PRINT THIS WHOLE AREA ALONG HERE,
AND RIGHT DOWN THROUGH HERE,
UP THROUGH HERE, FOLLOWING THIS LINE.
RIGHT AROUND THE RIVER, THIS WILL ALL BE YELLOW.
THEN WE'LL PRINT THE SKY. THAT'LL BE THE SECOND PRINTING.
[ TONI ONLEY ]: BILL USED TO SAY,
"YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SCREEN ANYTHING."
I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT CLUED ME IN.
HE SAID, "YOU CAN SCREEN PORRIDGE IF YOU WANT"
I SAID, "OH, GOD, WE DON'T HAVE TO USE SCREEN INK.
WE CAN MAKE OUR OWN INK,"
SO I STARTED MAKING--
MIXING MY OWN INK AND THAT KIND OF THING.
I CERTAINLY ENJOYED MAKING THEM, YOU KNOW,
BECAUSE I NEVER KNEW WHAT IT WAS GOING TO LOOK LIKE
WHEN I FINISHED IT.
VERY MUCH LIKE THE PAINTING,
WE WOULD KEEP GOING WITH IT AND CHANGING IT
AND ADDING THINGS TO IT,
AND JUST KEEP GOING UNTIL... TILL IT HAPPENED.
IT'S JUST LIKE DOING ONE PAINTING
EXCEPT IT'S IN MULTIPLES,
YOU KNOW, IT'S MULTIPLE IMAGES.
IT'S A THING OF BEAUTY, A JOY FOREVER.
[ CHUCKLING ]
[ TONI ONLEY ]: WESTERN CANADA WILDERNESS COMMITTEE,
THEY PHONED ME, AND THEY HAD A PROBLEM
WITH THE STEIN VALLEY AT THE TIME.
I MEAN, THIS IS A VALLEY
WHERE YOUNG NATIVES WOULD GO TO FIND THEIR SPIRITUAL ANIMAL.
YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD GO WHEN THEY WERE TEENAGERS
AND CLIMB UP INTO CAVES
AND SORT OF STARVE THEMSELVES AND HAVE VISIONS
UNTIL THEY SAW THE ANIMAL THAT WOULD GUIDE THEIR LIFE,
AND THEN THEY'D DRAW IT ON THE CAVE WALL.
I MEAN, I FLEW IN A HELICOPTER UP THE FACE OF THIS CLIFF,
AND IT WAS JUST ONE CAVE WAS JUST FULL OF ANIMAL DRAWINGS
DONE IN RED OCHRE ON THE WALLS.
LIKE, FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS, ANIMALS PAINTED OVER ANIMALS.
THAT KIND OF THING.
IT WAS QUITE A WONDERFUL SITE,
SO IT WAS THE SPIRITUAL HOME, YOU KNOW,
TO THE LILLOOET INDIANS.
WHEN YOU SEE IT FROM THE AIR, AS I DO,
I COULD SEE
THAT EVERYTHING AROUND THERE FOR MILES AND MILES
HAD ALREADY BEEN LOGGED OFF.
YOUR OPPONENTS, THE TIMBER COMPANIES,
ARE SOME OF THE MOST POLITICALLY POWERFUL
AND WEALTHY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COUNTRY,
SO HOW CAN YOU GO UP--
HOW CAN YOU EVEN HOPE TO GO UP
AGAINST A BIG POWERFUL TIMBER COMPANY?
AND I SAID, "WHAT I'LL DO IS GET TOGETHER A GROUP OF ARTISTS
"AND MAYBE GET SOME FELLOW PILOTS
"OR PEOPLE THAT I KNOW WITH FLOAT PLANES.
"WE'LL FLY UP THERE, SPEND A WEEKEND IN THE VALLEY,
"AND WE'LL COME BACK,
"AND WE'LL HAVE AN EXHIBITION OF THE PAINTINGS,
"AND WE'LL HAVE A BLACK-TIE DINNER,
"AND WE'LL DO IT ALL
"AT THE HYATT REGENCY OR SOMETHING,
"AND WE'LL MAKE A BIG STATEMENT, DRAW AWARENESS TO THE PROBLEM,
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE'LL SELL PAINTINGS."
[ EMCEE ]: AT $3,000 ON THIS TONI ONLEY WATERCOLOUR,
GOING FOR 3,000,
AND IT'S GOING ONCE... 3,250, SIR, THANK YOU,
IN THE 35? AND THE 35.
ARTISTS IN CANADA GENERALLY WORK FROM NATURE.
I MEAN, WE'RE NATURE-ORIENTED IN THIS COUNTRY,
BUT PARTICULARLY IN BRITISH COLUMBIA.
SO WITH TONI BECOMING INVOLVED WITH THIS
AND BRINGING IN
A WHOLE COMMUNITY OF COMMUNICATORS, ARTISTS,
I MEAN, THIS TOOK THE STEIN ISSUE
AND REALLY-- AND PUT IT ON THE MAP.
AND 3,250...
IT'S ONLY MONEY, AND IT'S FOR A WONDERFUL CAUSE.
IT WAS VERY GOOD,
AND I GOT ALL THESE WESTERN CANADA WILDERNESS PEOPLE
INTO MONKEY SUITS.
WELL, TONI'S "MONKEY SUIT" IDEA REALLY TAUGHT ME A LOT.
I LEARNED THAT WE'RE ESSENTIALLY TRIBAL,
AND THAT WE ALL HAVE OUR TRIBAL DRESS
THAT WE FEEL COMFORTABLE IN,