ARTS & CULTURE

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Deeter  Hastenteufel

By: Kevin Land

For Deeter Hastenteufel, every artistic venture begins with a clear concept. The idea precedes medium, style, even form. Each piece is unique, unlike any of his other creations, and he approaches it as such. In his own words, as an artist, “he is not easily put into a box”. At any given time, his work might take the form of a painting, a sculpture, even video or performance art. After studying commercial art and working as a commercial artist in Germany, he returned to school in Wuerzburg to study Fine Art in 1964 and Sculpture and Ceramic-mural in Stuttgart from 1965-8. Then he moved to Canada.

Shortly after his arrival, he began teaching at “The New School of Art” in Toronto, where fellow faculty members included Joyce Wieland, Graham Coughtry, Robert Markle, Gordon Rainer and Harold Klunder.

All the while, Deeter continued to produce his own work, participating first in group, and later, solo exhibitions. Over the next 50 years, he was involved in over a hundred of them around the world. He even was part of a fictional exhibition for the David Cronenberg movie “The Fly” from 1986. In the opening scenes in an art gallery, Hastenteufel’s sculpture with neon entitled “Triangular Light” is part of the show.

During his first few years in Canada, Deeter was offered a unique opportunity as “artist in residence” for the National Sewer Pipe Company in Clarkson. This presented him with significant free studio space in which to work as well as extensive use of plant facilities. Out of this came a large volume of clay sculptures of sewer pipes which he had remolded, altered, and glazed. In this way, it is easy to understand Hastenteufel’s fascination for art created from found objects, one which remains to this day.

The Dufferin County Museum and Archives unveiled and displayed two works he created in 2003. The first, entitled “DEE-fence”, involved three Out-of-Door sculptures consisting of antique steel farm equipment arranged and welded together. The second time the DCMA presented work from Hastenteufel was as part of the TRANART show, which featured work from two German artists and Deeter, representing Canada. The notion was that the show would travel internationally. Even its name, as a palindrome, suggested movement.

Juxtaposition and contrast are always key in Hastenteufel’s work. An installation for Artwalk ’84 at The University of Toronto offers an archway made of heavy wooden uprights, on which rests a boat woven from branches. Underlying much of his more recent work is a response to the damage done to the planet by humanity. A recent painting depicts a landscape scene revealed through the crosshairs of a rifle. Another refers to Goya’s Black painting “Saturn Devouring his Son” by presenting the god in the act of consuming an antique farm wagon.

More recently, Deeter created a piece for the Tree Museum in Gravenhurst which was inspired by the Olmec Heads from the ancient civilization of Mesoamerica. Carved out of Granite, he added many hieroglyphics from our own age, such as the symbols for a phone and Bluetooth, to evoke a sense of timelessness. No doubt, the meeting between nature and technology would appeal to his sensibility.

All this has led to his current fascination for the symbols of our era. His next piece, or series perhaps, will likely revolve around the hieroglyphs of our time.

John Butler

By: Kevin Land

You wouldn’t be off the mark if you wondered if John Butler was involved in every aspect of life in Grey Highlands. At any given time, you might see his name on bylines in the Flesherton Advance or South Grey News in matters pertaining to local news or history. You might find it attached to the many causes he is involved with in our community - serving on the committees for Climate Action, Peace, and Grey County Cares. He might be giving talks on these and other subjects dear to his heart, such as improving implementation of social support services in Ontario via the civic communities movement.

It shouldn’t come as a shock then, to learn that the first book John published reflected many of these interests. “House of Refuge: Grey County’s Home For ‘Poor, Old and Friendless Folk’, published in 2021 by Ginger Press, describes the daily goings-on at the newly-opened building from 1904-7, as witnessed by one of its residents, Frederick Gee. Butler admired Gee and the way he seemed to rise above the unfortunate events that led him to become destitute and a prime candidate for the residence. He had been a failed farmer and later, while working on constructing the local railroad line, he became injured. In an era when people’s misfortunes were generally perceived as something of their own creation, Gee met the challenges he faced with a kind of dignity and humour, and this was evident as he told the stories of his fellow residents in a weekly column of the “Markdale Standard” and the “Flesherton Advance”. Although he never put his name to the columns, eventually his identity was discovered and he became something of a local celebrity. Visiting Day at the “House of Refuge” had always been something special, but it grew in popularity along with Frederick Gee, and those who came frequently brought local apples and other gifts to show their appreciation.

I asked John about how he came to choose the subject of his book. It all began after he retired as a health service planner, having worked at the Queen Street Mental Health Centre, the Ministry of Health, as the Executive Director of the Association of District Health Councils of Ontario, and finally as President of the Agora Group, a consulting firm designed to help organizations create pragmatic change. In 2014, John and his wife June moved to Grey Highlands full-time. “I wanted to learn as much as I could about local history and decided to read every article in the local newspaper in a given year. I chose 1905 because it was the last ‘Golden Year’ before the first World War. There was no war on the horizon, the period was economically prosperous, and everything was full of promise.”

During his research at the Grey Highlands Public Library, he discovered the delightful columns penned by Frederick Gee, and he knew there was a book there. So, he collected them, and now an otherwise forgotten piece of local history has been brought to light.

John Butler can often be found at the Flesherton Market selling his book on Saturdays through the summer, as well as those of other local authors. “Speaking Volumes Books and Audio” in Markdale will be expanding the work of local authors in our store starting in February and we are pleased to have John’s “House of Refuge” on our shelf.

Introducing Carolyn Graziani

By: Roger Tumminieri

Welcome to the first in a series of profiles on my new favourite artist, Carolyn Graziani.

Carolyn lives in Toronto and has a cabin in Singhampton, Grey County. I came across her work on Instagram and was immediately moved by her subjects: Toronto Neighbourhoods and various locales throughout Midwestern Ontario. 

Stay tuned for highlights of her work or in the Etobicoke Lakeshore Press and Hello Country Magazine.

Markdale Answers

By: Kevin Land

Those who know me personally, or are familiar with my Speaking Volumes Facebook page, will know that I have long held a dream of being an investigative journalist. In this report, after months of living on corn dogs and cold coffee, my goal has finally reached fruition and I am ready to break a local story of unrivalled significance. It is a longstanding tale of lethal contempt, quietly lingering under the surface of daily life in our community, akin to the enmity held by the Hatfields and the McCoys, the Montagues and Capulets, and the two sides of the American Civil War. It threatens to destroy the very fabric of life here in Grey County and turn it into a neighbourhood party run by the Black Donnellys.

I am speaking, of course, of the deep disdain held by the residents of Markdale for those of Flesherton, and vice versa. The origin of the resentment between the two communities remains unclear. It is generally believed to have begun in the 1930’s when a pair of octogenarians, one from each village, came to blows after a heated altercation during a quilting bee over colour and fabric choice. The disagreement escalated, with all involved taking sides and culminating in a ceremonial burning of the quilt prior to the Fall Fair.

The fallout from this incident has been horrific, with Markdale residents being viewed as dull bureaucratic types whose idea of excitement is watching a documentary entitled “Great Moments in Lawn Bowling”, while Flesherton is filled with artsy-fartsy ex-hippies glued to the faded sofas on their

front porch. Certainly, we’ve all heard the jokes:

Q: How did the Markdalian break his leg while raking leaves?

A: He fell out of the tree.

Q: How many Fleshertonians does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A: None. It’ll be daylight in seven hours.

Over the years, this relationship settled into a kind of veiled hostility, but the time has come to break this impasse. Therefore, to extend an olive branch, I have decided to move my bookstore from Flesherton to Markdale. Starting October 1, “Speaking Volumes Books and Audio” will be located at 42 Main St in Markdale, formerly Markdale Computers.

There will be those who are reading this column who might think that it is nothing more than a blatant attempt at self-promotion to generate business, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. It is merely designed as an instrument of healing, and if going into the bookstore and buying a book helps that process, so be it. Before long, that nasty quilting bee business will be long forgotten, and the two communities will come together and work toward a harmonious future, a book firmly in place under each arm.

For those who may be wondering “Will the column still be called ‘Flesherton Calling’?”, the answer is an emphatic “Yes!”. After all, what better way is there to show the unity between the two formerly alienated populaces?

Besides, I think the little old lady from Flesherton at that quilting bee was right about the colour choice.