IDENTITIES october 1997 / planet of the arts 27 From L to R: Sukhwinder Kaur Bains, Parmjit Chopra, Doonsjah Bichtra, Joginder Chopra, Lacit Mohan Bali (“Lucky”) Above All Else, A Gentleman by Harald Gravelsins AND A FEW OTHERS CALLED HIM “SIR” BUT MOST people knew him only as Lucky. Everyone at school saw him at one time or another behind the steering wheel of his Zam- boni-like floor scrubber. Lucky’s Zamboni was L-O-U-D. Unlike the hockey rink version that whooshes over the ice surface between periods, Lucky’s Zamboni roared ferociously as it lumbered through the otherwise placid hallways of the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. And Lucky’s model had no cushioned, elevated seat — it had to be pushed awkwardly and strenuously from behind. Over the past seven years, Lucky has pushed his Zamboni thcusands of miles along our hallways. “Seven years and no complaints about my work,” he clarifies. He also removed tons of our trash and scrubbed our toilets thousands of times. Lucky and his crew were laid off at the end of August. This came about after the Institute put its cleaning contract up for tender. The previous con- tractor held out for too much of a markup on the minimum wages paid to Lucky and his colleagues. A lower bid was received, and a new set of minimum wage cleaners are now making the rounds. . “Don’t give them a hard time,” Lucky said on his last day of work about the people who were soon to replace his crew. “They’ve got to feed their families, and they need their job. If they miss anything, just let them know and they'll pick it up. Don’t let Glen know. Don’t let Anita know.” Glen Black is the man- ager of the school’s facilities department; Anita Sharpe is the department’s second-in-command. It can now be revealed that Lucky is not, never was, and never will be an ordinary cleaner. The hints were there to notice for any discerning person who took the time: the cordial inquiries from Sir Lucky about your well-being; the use of “sir” and “madam” as his habitual mode of address- ing people; and his obvious devotion to the univer- sal code of cleanliness. Sir Lucky is a gentleman before he is anything else. Sir Lucky was twenty years old when he came to Canada with his parents and brother about a dozen years ago. An uncle who immigrated earlier had given Lucky’s family the impression that well-pay- ing jobs abounded in Canada — on a forklift opera- tor’s salary he dressed in a fancy suit and tie, wore an impressive imported watch, and brought back with him a big suitcase packed with marvelous stuff. For Sir Lucky, the reality of integrating into the Canadian job market has turned out quite differ- ently from the dream sowed by his uncle’s fancy clothing and belongings. On a recent visit to India, Sir Lucky felt obliged to tell relatives that he is the proprietor of a small business and that others who actually work as janitors either operate taxi compa- nies, own grocery stores, or work in respectable white collar jobs. “We don’t tell them that we clean the toilets here. That’s a shameful job, especially for us.” Pride can be found in any honest work, and Sir Lucky showed pride in the honest work he did among us. Those who, through some lapse in sensi- tivity or attention, verged on desecrating floors still damp from Sir Lucky’s mop were prompted gra- ciously if somewhat firmly about respecting the greater good. Prone as we are to the pompous and pedestrian individualism that comes from leaving one’s mess for someone else to clean up, how fortu- nate we were until recently to have Sir Lucky shake us back to our better senses by rumbling about with his Zamboni machine. There are undoubtedly many who believe that the work done by Sir Lucky and his colleagues is simple. They will be surprised to know of the com- plex insights and subtle judgments his gentlemanly labours actually required. “That’s a really challenging job, that’s not a reg- ular cleaning job,” Sir Lucky explains. “You are deal- ing with artists, and sometimes it’s hard to judge what is garbage and what is art.” Over the course of his seven years at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, Sir Lucky became an expert in semiotics and its applications. The example of Duchamp’s urinal is instructive here. Signed by the artist and presented on a plinth in a gallery setting, it was considered to have sufficient semiotic justification to be classified a true work of art. Among Sir Lucky’s daily professional tasks was deciphering the semiotic warrant in the often ambiguous art production of students at the Institute. To illustrate how challenging this could ~ be, he recounted the recurrence of sculptural mate- rials being placed near garbage cans in the Institute’s 3-D area. On a simple reading, proximity to a garbage can signifies that materials are to be thrown out. On a more complicated reading, the proximity of materials to a garbage can is accidental — the artist has failed to clue into the contextualiz- ing effect of the garbage can and would benefit from attending more lectures in Modern Art Survey. A third reading interprets the proximity of the Sir Lucky admits to one or two occasions when what he thought was the real thing — and what was disposed of accordingly — turned out to be art. garbage can to the materials as achieving an inter- esting ambiguity by combining the other two read- ings. The literalist implication (that garbage is garbage) signified by proximity of the materials to the garbage receptacle enters into the viewer's space and engenders a site-specific installation. The spa- tially extended and time-based framework of the art creates an immanent, critical commentary on theo- ry-laden approaches to studio-based art education. Sir Lucky admits to one or two occasions when what he thought was the real thing — and what was disposed of accordingly — turned out to be art. As a corrective to the limitations of semiology, Sir Lucky often observed the Day-After Rule, an incremental, time-based, self-reflexive strategy which he summa- rizes: “If youre not sure, leave it for one night. If it’s still there, then you can be more sure it’s garbage.” Sir Lucky’s sophistication in deciphering the work of Emily Carr students is not as remarkable as it might seem when viewed in the light of his being a gentleman and having journeyed across the world’s continents and cultures. He articulates his continued on page 32, see “Sir Lucky” IN THIS SECTION 29 Mary Kelly And The Historicization of Conceptual Art Judith Mastai Essay on the early work of feminist/conceptual artist Mary Kelly. 31 IDENTITIES Creativity and Compromise Jonathan Lander Reflections on the tragic ceuvre of an artist who survived the Nazi death camps. IDENTITIES october 1997 / plonet of the orts 27 From L oR: Sukhwinder Kaur Bains, Parmjt Chopra, Doonsiah Bich, Joginder Above All Else, A Gentleman by Harald Gravelsins people knew him only as Lcky. Everyone at school saw him at one time or another behind the stering whee! of his Zam: boni-lke flor scrubber. Lucky’ Zamboni was L-O-U-D. Unlike the hockey rink version that whooshes over the ice surface between periods, Lucky's Zamboni roared ferociously as it humbered through the otherwise placid halhrays of the Emily (Care Insitute of Art and Design, And Licky’s ‘mode ad no cushioned cevated sat ~itad tobe pushed awkwardly and strenuously fom behind ‘Over the past seven years, Lcky hs pushed his Zamboni thew "Seven years and no complaints about my work" he nds of miles along our hallway. clarifies. He alo removed tons of our trash and scrubbed our toilets thousands of times Lucky and hi crew wore ni of atthe end of ‘August. Tis came about after the Insitute put its leaning contract up fr tender. The previous con tractor held out for too much of a markup on the ‘minimum wages paid to Lack and hiscolleagucs. lower bid was received, and a new set of minimum ‘wage cleaners are now making the rounds, “Dont give them hard tm” Lucky sai on his las day of work about the peopl who were soon 9 replace his crew. "They've got to fee their families, and they need thee jb. I they mis anything, just let them knov and the’l pick it up. Don't let Glen ‘now Dott Anita know” Glen Blacks the man ager of the school’s facilities department; Anita Sharpe i the department’ second:-in-command, Tecan now be revealed that Lacy snot, never was, and never will be an ordinary cleaner ‘Thehints were thereto notice for any discerning person who took the time: the cordial inquires from Sir Licky about your well-being: the use of sie” and “madam as his habitual mode of addres Jing peopl; and his obvious devotion tothe univer: sal code of cleanlnes. Sir Lucky is « gentleman before he is anything ee Sir Lucky was twenty yeats od when he came to ‘Canada with his parents and brother about a dozen yeas ago. An uncle who immigrated carir had given Lucky’ family the impression that well pay {ng jobs abounded in Canada ~ ona forklift opera tor’ salary he dresed a fancy suit and ti, wore an impressive imported watch, and brought back ith him a bigsuitease packed with marvelous tf For Sir Lick, the elt of integrating into the ‘Canadian job market has twened out quite dif cently from the dream sowed by his uncle's fancy clothing and belongings. On recent visto Indi, ‘Si Lick fl obliged to tll relatives that he isthe proprietor ofa small business and that others who actualy work as janitors either operate taxi compa nes, own grocery stores, or workin respectable white colle jobs. "We don’ tel them tht we clean the toilets here. Thats shameful jb, especially for ws Pride ean be found in any honest work, and Sir Lucky showed pride in the honest work he did among us. Those who, through some laps in sens- tivity or attention, verge on desecrating lors st damp from Sir Lucky's mop were prompted gr ciously if somewhat firmly about respecting the rater good. Prone as we are to the pompous and pedestrian individualism that comes from leaving ‘one's mess for someone ele to clean up, how fort: nate we were until recently to ave Sir Lucky shake usback 10 ou better senses by rumbling about wth his Zamboni machine. ‘There are undoubtedly many who believe that the work done by Sir Lucky and his colleagues is Simple. They will be surprised wo know of lex insights and sub judgments his gentlemanly labours actualy required Thats relly challenging ob tha’ nota reg ular cleaning jo" Sir Lucky explains. "You are des: ing with artists, and sometimes its hard to judge whats garbage and what sat” (ver the course of his seven yeas atthe Emily ‘Car Institut of Art and Design, Sir Lucky became an expert in semiotics and its applications. The example of Duchamp’ urinal is instructive her. Signed by the artist and presented on a plinth i 3 allry setting it was considered to have sufcent semiotic justification to be classified a true work of art ‘Among Sir Lucky’ diy professional tasks was Aeciphering the semiotic warrant in the often ambiguous art production of students at the Institute. To iustrate how challenging this could ‘bse recounted the recurrence of sculptural mate rial being placed near garbage cans in the Institutes 3-D area. On simple reading, proximity toa garbage can signifies that materials are to be thrown out. On a more complicated reading, the proximity of materials toa garbage ean is acedental ~ the artist has fled to clue int the contxtalia- ing effect of the garbage can nd would benefit from attending more lectures in Modern Ar Survey. ‘third reading interprets the proximity ofthe Sir Lucky admits to one or two occasions when what he thought was the real thing — and what was disposed of accordingly — turned out to be art. arbage canto the materials as achieving an inter esting ambiguity by combining the other two read ings. The Iteralit implication (that garbage is sage) signified by proxi the garbage receptacle enters into the viewer’ space and engenders a ste specifi installation. The spa tilly extended and time-based framework of the art creates an immanent, critical commentary on theo: ‘laden approaches to studio-based art education. Sir Licky admits to one or two occasions when ‘what he thought was the real thing ~ and what was Aisposed of accondingly turned out o be art. Asa corrective tothe limitations ofsemiolgy, Sir Lcky often observed the Day- After Rule, an incremental, time-based self-reflexive strategy which he summa izes “If you'r not sure, leave it fr one night 1s ofthe material to stl there, then you can be more sue is garbage” Sir Lucky’s sophistication in deciphering the work of Emily Car studentsis not as remarkable as St migh gem when viewed inthe ight of his being a gentleman and having journeyed across the word's continents and cultures, He articulates bis IN THIS SECTION 29 31 IDEN’ TITIES Mary Kelly And The Historicization of Conceptual Art Judith Masta yoga ee eater ey aly Creativity and Compromise Jonathan Lander