| Lancette Arts Journal Founded in 2000 |
Feature Reviews |
November 2004 |
By Alidë Kohlhaas
For many years now I have written about the unusual Christmas trees that have delighted me at the annual tree event at the Gardiner Museum of Ceramics. This year it is a little difficult to write about these trees because I have not actually seen them, but the Gardiner has been kind enough to supply me with photographs of the baker’s dozen of trees that were, as always, especially created to be auctioned off in late November to raise funds for the museum.
If you have read my story about last year’s series of trees, you will already know that the Gardiner is undergoing major re-construction. Its small temporary space at McCaul Street, just down from the Art Gallery of Ontario, was not able to hold the trees for viewing by the general public. Museum members had a chance to briefly view them at a private location, where the auction had been held, but there was no media viewing, no meeting of the creators of the trees. It is, consequently left up to our imagination what the 2004 series of trees would have looked like, as neither you, the reader, nor I, the writer, have seen the actual trees.
The theme of the 16th annual Twelve Trees of Christmas 2004 is "Treasures of the Gardiner Museum", a theme that all of the designers followed faithfully. These treasures are: Sevres Porcelain represented by Pretty in Pink; Maiolica - Fruit in Porcelain which resulted in Nordic Nights; Commedia dell"Arte is represented twice - by Harlequin and All the World is a Stage; Chelsea English Porcelain is evoked Good Enough to Eat; Delftware by Royal Blue; Meissen by Music, Frolic and Delight; The Cumming Collection by Tea for 2005; Japanese Porcelain by Geisha Tree; Staffordshire Porcelain by Holiday Cheer; Blue and White Chinese Porcelain by The Three Friends of Winter; Contemporary International ceramics by a Tree for Peter; and Contemporary Canadian by Canadian Eh!
The pictures below focus in on only a section of some of the trees. A few in all of their glory will be scattered in the rest of the page. What strikes me rather strongly is that this year few trees contain even the slightest hint of what a Christmas Tree is all about, namely Christmas. Have we become so removed from the spiritual aspect of Christmas that we leave any allusion to it out from the decoration of this important symbol of what is the second most holy holiday in the Christian calendar? Sure, the trees are fun to look at, but should there not be more?
What does the Christmas Tree represent? First of all, the tree represents new life; life in this case, as represented by the birth of a special child, Jesus. That is why an evergreen tree is used. Although it can be said that the tree comes to us from pagan customs, like mistletoe and holly, it nevertheless is the symbol of life. Of course, these days it is not always practical to use a live tree, so we have learned to accept man-made trees, including white ones. The latter, of course, we pretend, represent a tree covered in snow.
Secondly, its lights represent the stars, and thus heaven. Now, true these trees all have lights. Still, that is not enough in itself. These days, all kinds of trees are lit all year 'round. The crown of the tree is supposed to be the brightest star of all, the star that led the three Magi to a stable in Bethlehem, where they brought presents to a child called Jesus. The crown, however, does not have to be a star, it can also be an angel or any other symbol that can be related to the birth of Christ, such as a single poinsettia (real or otherwise), which is called Flor de la Noche Buena (Flower of the Holy Night) in its native Mexico. A teapot, however, just doesn’t do it, nor a bunch of oranges. Call me a curmudgeon, but I feel that it is time we return to the meaning of Christmas, and to a somewhat less heavily decorated tree. Some of the designers might take a hint from the effective, but simpler design that the Tate Gallery's annual Christmas Tree displays. It, too, is created for charitable purposes.
Still, we hope these Gardiner trees will bring about a bit of cheer as they have in previous years. They were, after all, created for a very good cause. And just to give you a little extra push toward the holidays, below is the beloved poem that appeals to every child in us. So, let us be children!
'Twas the night before
Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."
The poem has been ascribed to one Clement Clarke Moore, a Bible professor at New York's General Theological Seminary known for his lack of humor. But, according to Professor Don Foster, a literary forensic expert, who teaches at Vassar College, Moore could not have been the author. By closely studying various texts, he concluded that it was probably written by Major Henry Livingston, Jr. Foster is the expert, who identified the Newsweek writer Joe Klein as the person behind Anonymous, the writer of Primary Colors, and who also confirmed that Ted Kaczynski wrote the Unabomber manifest.
Copyright © 2004-8 CamKohl Arts Productions