Sketch by David Collier
Hamilton-based cartoonist David Collier is the creator of the acclaimed Collier’s series and Just the Facts, both published by Drawn & Quarterly. In April, Collier took part in the Canadian Forces Artists Program, a storied project that invites Canadian artists to witness and document the military’s day-to-day operations.
The tradition of Canadian war art began during the First World War, with the creation of the Canadian War Memorial Fund in 1916; it was resumed during the Second World War with the Canadian War Records Program in 1942. In 1968, it was revived as the Canadian Armed Forces Civilian Artists Program (CAFCAP), which ran until 1995, when it was cancelled due to budget cuts. The initiative was re-launched in 2001 as the Canadian Forces Artists Program. Collier spent two weeks aboard the patrol frigate HMCS Toronto, where he observed navy drills in the waters off Newfoundland. What follows are his written and sketched impressions of that mission.
Day 2
Ready, aye ready! We're ready to sail today. Everybody's on board. This is it!
And then an announcement comes over the loudspeakers throughout the ship: we don't sail today.
After yesterday's gentle snow flurries, the morning dawned with ferocious, gale-force winds whipping across the narrows that guard St. John's Harbour. The captain has decided that it's not worth the risk with the surf pounding the menacing rocks.
Most of HMCS Toronto's crew is free to go. Hurrah for windy days!
The mall is a big destination; the sun is a big attraction. For me, it's a chance to see St. John's and get to know the two other Canadian Forces Artists Program (CFAP) members on board for this two-week mission.
François Béroud is a tall, lanky sculptor from Montreal. He has lived there for the past seven years. However, when probed about his background, it turns out that he's not Quebecois at all, but rather originally from Switzerland. And in Switzerland, military service is a duty for just about all the male citizenry. François is quick to point out that this tradition is archaic and likely to be discontinued for the plain reason that it's just too expensive.
François’s method of working is hardly small-scale. His sculptures are mainly fabricated of stainless steel. He's a designer, a sculptor and a manufacturer whose works can be found in places like the Swiss and French embassies. I sort of kidded him about how impossible it will be for him to physically produce any of his usual work over the next 14 days, since he usually works in a foundry-like setting. But he has quickly made friends with the sailor in charge of the ship's metalworking shop. These two comrades-in-steel have already drawn up ambitious plans for tackling some repairs the ship needs.
The other CFAP member is Andrew Wright, a multimedia artist currently living in the Kitchener-Waterloo area of Ontario. We did a quick reconnaissance of the ship before fetching our stuff to bring aboard, and I think Andrew had second thoughts about what he had packed once he saw the space limitations on this war ship.
François and I each grabbed one of Andrew’s many cases containing I-don't-know-what; the camera, tripod and lights all worked out fine after the ship's Chief Petty Officer offered his office space as storage. Since François speaks little English and I speak little French, Andrew is the glue that holds us together, and is a testament to growing up in Kingston, Ont., and going through French immersion in school.
I used this windy day to go shopping. I needed a pair of flip-flops to wear to and in the shower like everybody else. The threat of athlete's foot is still an issue in the military 20 years after I enrolled for the first time. No one raises the issue of whether flip-flops are actually an effective means of warding it off.
I walked into a used bookstore on Duckworth Street, hoping to find something for my son, James. At another shop, I had already bought a copy of Douglas Coupland's new book, Terry. It was signed by the author during a recent visit to the city where "Twenty-five years ago it all started." (Terry’s journey, that is.) By chance in the used bookstore I found a Calvin and Hobbes collection for James; my wife, Jen, and I suspect he’s using Calvin as a role model. Also by chance, I ran into François and Andrew, who invited me along on a trip up the coast.
It turned out that this used bookstore also housed the James Baird Gallery on the second floor. In 1990, James Baird established a well-known artists residency in Pouch Cove, a winding 20-minute drive north of St. John's.
Three years ago, the residency moved to the former Pouch Cove Elementary School building. Lucky for us, Lori Butler, an associate of James Baird and a Pouch Cove Elementary Class of '87 student, was about to drive Montreal artist Scott Macleod back to the residency. She offered us space in her old Volvo and told us not to worry as the weighed-down car made a distressing scraping sound every time it went over a bump. Andrew is a big lad and Scott stands over six foot six.
Four guys who had never been to Newfoundland before couldn't have asked for a better guide than Ms. Butler. She took us to Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto at Flatrock, made famous by a visit from Pope John Paul II. She also took us to the amazing residency, where she had to tear us out of the studios of Francis Caprani, Gerald Pedros and John Maggio — all of whom are doing fabulous work in Newfoundland — in order to get us back to St. John's at a decent hour.
Ironically, this trip, which started as a mission with the military, has resulted in more exposure to the art world than I ever get at home. Hurrah for windy days!
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