Live Blog: CARP Conference- Part Six

Moses introduces Charles Pachter, the first speaker of the fourth session, by inviting him to “come and talk to us about the artist as the artist ages.”

Pachter is one of Canada’s leading contemporary artists; a renowned painter, printmaker, sculptor, designer and historian.

Very fitting then, for him to do his whole presentation through imagery. His teacher in elementary school gave him a D minus in art.

Pachter shares a piece Margaret Atwood made at 25, a photo of him and Alexander Calder and many of his art pieces from over the years. Amazing.

He labels his group of artists PEEVED for “Practically Everybody Else Vaguely Ethnically Defined.”

His presentation is a wonderful moment of nostalgia. Showing us a fresh image: “I bought this building on Shaw [in Toronto] for $90 000.” Those were the days.

“I lost all 14 properties in the ’80s to 25 per cent interest. The kids don’t know what a recession is. I ran off the Japan”

He shares a photo of Moses from 1979, explaining that “Moses was one of my greatest inspirations. Buying my art before anybody else”

Charles Pachter’s art is extrordinary and he is hilarious and full of life!

Eric Peterson is an entertainer who has graced stages across Canada as well as Broadway, London’s West End, Edinburgh and more.

“I am in the posession of a demon, an old art demon… My hair is growing out of my head and is start to grow on my shoulders.” Peterson jokes. “My bum has fallen off and is being made up for by my man breasts” (This man is mighty funny.)

“I used to be able to act like an old man. Now that I actually am old I don’t really like it – my vanity has been tarnished. In the TV world, when you are eight to 22, you are in your prime. 22 to 35, you are a superhero … Up until 40 you are offered parts. After 40 you are in decline … you are offered diseases. I have had a lot of cancer since after I turned 40.”

Peterson says we have to look at the positive side, “once television figures out there is a large market to sell to out there [Zoomers], I am going to have a lot of parts.”

He tells us about his idea for a TV show built around “the Silver Surge,” an old superhero who saves old people from their age related problems.

Imagination is what is going to get him through his older years.