Fabric softener saga

I was in Montreal last week and an artist-friend brought a Mirror art preview about Catherine Bodmer’s Enchantillons to my attention ["Artsweek," Feb. 13]. I quote from the article:

"This past summer in Ottawa, one of Bodmer’s installations became the centre of a fitting controversy. It was censored for bogus health concerns. The pinheads running the gallery decided (over a smoke, perhaps?) that Bounce fabric softener was too toxic to have in their milieu and banned the artist from showing the work as planned."

I have to say, as one of the "pinheads" running Gallery 101 I was quite surprised that your reporter, Christine Redfern, did not call us to verify Bodmer’s account or to find out our perspective on the matter. Isn’t that kind of fact-checking one of the most basic tenets of journalism?

The fact of the matter is: Bodmer proposed to fill six humidifiers with a mixture of water and Bounce Fabric Refresher during a group show for seven hours a day for six weeks in June–July 2002. Gallery 101 had no air conditioning and no windows at that time, and the material safety data sheet for Bounce Fabric Refresher clearly states, "Do not spray directly towards the face; do not inhale."

There were other works that could be damaged by excess humidity in the gallery and our insurance company informed us that they would not insure our exhibition should this piece be included (for reasons of public health and safety of other artworks). So the Board of Directors decided that this piece could not be included.

I do not think these reasons were illegitimate and I do not think they constitute censorship. We generously invited Bodmer to submit another piece, and supported the text-work she submitted even as it insulted the gallery staff and Board.

I know it’s important that your reporters appear to be hip and groovy, but they ought still to be careful lest their crappy fact-checking result in slanderous statements.

» Jen Budney, Artistic Director, Gallery 101

The straight on symbolism

This is regarding Barry Merson’s letter criticizing the use of the term "peaceful" in the photo of the week caption [E-mail, Feb 27]. Perhaps the demonstrator at the protest with the defiled American flag was trying to point out the similarities between attitudes towards Arabs in the United Sates these days, and the attitudes of the Nazis towards Jews in the last century.

Now I don’t personally believe the American attitude is as extreme, but still there are some similarities. Today in the United Sates, for example, if you’re an American born in an Arabic country, you have to go to the immigration office, register yourself and have your name put into a database. Even if you have citizenship in another country like Canada, it doesn’t matter; your name still goes on the list.

Sound a little familiar? If you’re a Canadian born in an Arab country and you want to go to the States you have to call in advance and make an appointment.

The argument for this of course is that since terrorists are typically Arabs it’s a good idea to know where they all are. This makes about as much sense to me as making all middle-aged white women register with the police because statistically they make up the majority of convicted shoplifters.

As I said before, I don’t think America has become a totalitarian country - yet - but the potential is there. Let’s not forget the internment camps that thousands of Asian-American and Asian-Canadians were forced to live in during WWII, regardless of which country they were from (the result of this being that almost every major Canadian and American city now has a Chinatown).

While we’re on the topic of Nazis, it might interest you to know that the Bush family inherited their wealth from Prescott Bush (George W.’s grandfather), who was a director at the Union Banking Corporation, a company owned by Nazi industrialists and used to hide over $3-million (U.S.) in Nazi money.

As for the protest itself, I was there and found it to be very peaceful. In no way did I pick up any anti-Israeli sentiment. In fact I have many Jewish friends who took part in the protest and they didn’t feel any either.

» Roger White

Pluralism and politics

Regarding your story on the Estates General: it’s about time we consider proportional representation and political reform ["Voting for democracy," Feb. 27]. Arthur Sandborn wonders why people aren’t "up-in arms" over the fact that our current provincial government has a massive majority, yet didn’t win the popular vote.

I’d say it has something to do with bitterness with the same old slippery party still running the show. Since the post-referendum hangover set in several years ago, nobody seems to care about provincial politics - at least in the places where people feel ignored.

Like Canada, this province is a cultural mosaic. If proportional representation will give a stronger voice to anglo, ethnic, First Nations, environmentalist and countless other smaller communities, it’s worth continuing the dialogue.

» Rodrigo Gutierrez

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