Beyond Robson
Beyond Robson is a web site about Vancouver culture.
Guerrilla "Paste-Up" Street Art, Vancouver Style
I've been seeing some especially creative paste-ups around the city lately. To me, that's a very good sign. It signals a city that has an growing scene of young artists willing to get out there and slap their pieces on walls for the public to see -- whether those pieces are small, odd quotes or full-on works of art.
Dipped in homemade liquid adhesive made from vegetable starch and water and based on a craft fostered since ancient times, these lovingly-applied (and often immediately torn-down) paste-up pieces are notorious and important parts of the urban street art scene. Every city I've been to around the world has its own forms of paste-ups -- whether they are called "wheatpastes," "flyposts" or "poster bombs." Many are outwardly political and display controversial ideas, some are beautiful and whimsical, and almost all are applied and maintained by anonymous, faceless artists.
The whole idea of sharing one's artwork without intending to make a profit -- indeed, with the knowledge that by revealing that art, one risks getting arrested -- is a romantic concept. As an artist myself, I believe it also raises some important questions. Should the role of the artist be to please the public or to embody philosophical ideals? What is ultimately more satisfying -- to make money off one's work or to participate in subversive artistic movements?
Dichotomous concepts like these mirror similarly polarized legacies of some of the most well-loved (and hated) street artists of our generation, from the gorilla-faced (and feminist-minded) Guerrilla Girls to the anonymous Parisian student Princess Hijab to the famous Banksy to the timeless Posterchild. Philosophical debates aside, here are a few of Vancouver's most well known paste-ups.
Do We Have to Say Goodbye to the Olympic Lanes?
It's been 11 days now since the closing of the Olympic lanes on Broadway and various other major thoroughfares in Vancouver, and I'm still in a state of mourning. As a cyclist and transit user, there was nothing better than whizzing down Broadway nary a parked car in sight while being overtaken by buses as they made their way past traffic in lanes that were reserved just for them all day long.
I remember when the transit plan was announced months ago, that there was doom-and-gloom projections over just how awful traffic was going to be if we shut down all these roads and took away all this curbside parking. But, a few days into the Olympics, it was obvious that those prophecies of gridlock and honking horns hadn't come to pass. Instead, the roads were much clearer, with Translink reportedly reaching their goal of reducing road traffic by 30%. In fact, after talking to those that still drove by car into work during the Olympics, they found their commute faster.
It has long been argued that expanding roads and access to roads to alleviate congestion may in fact actually exacerbate it in the future. This is the kind of 'if you build it they will come' thinking -- where with more roads come more cars -- that urban planner Jane Jacobs spoke of in her 1960s book The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Basically, Jacobs' conclusion was that giving preference to cars, which she called the "erosion of cities", breeds more cars, but giving preference to other forms of transportation , which she called the "attrition of automobiles," breeds better alternatives.
Filtered Water on Every Corner?
We've all been there. You're thirsty as anything and make for a water fountain. You lean over the edge, press the button, open your mouth, and see a stomach-turning pile of spit, mould, or leftover gum sitting two inches from your face.
It's not the most appetizing experience, and it may be a small part of why people on a quest for clean, healthy drinking water still choose to buy one-time-use water bottles instead of filling up a reusable bottle at a public tap or water fountain.
Here's a thought: if there were machines stationed around Vancouver that would pump out free, mineralized, filtered water for you to refill your water bottle with, would you use them?
Mr. Lee's General Store & Haberdashery
Mr. Lee's General Store & Haberdashery (109 E. Broadway) is the one-stop shop for today's modern man looking to add a few classics to his collection. If you grew up in the suburbs like me, you'd be familiar with the term 'general store' and what it embodies, but for those who didn't (lucky you), I will elaborate. A general store is traditionally a local retailer that crams as much stuff as they can into a (typically) small space so that it's the only store you'll stop at to pick up your general goods. Its inventory usually consists of routine stock -- food, home hardware & dry goods. Mr. Lee's embodies everything a 'general store' or 'haberdashery' would be, but with a modern take.
Hot Ticket: Fake Blood & Boy 8-Bit, Efterklang, Said The Whale, The Big Pink, Arctic and more
I thought the free shows were over, but it looks like there are some more in this batch!
Live music picks from Wednesday, March 11 to Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Going on a First Date with the Victoria-Fraserview Neighbourhood
One of the things I love about living in a city is the fact that, right when you are about to resign yourself to a general feeling of apathy because you think you've explored every nook and cranny to be explored, you inevitably stumble upon a neighbourhood you never even realized existed.
This weekend, while lying in a sunny grass field off Victoria and 38th, I realized that the whole area is a bit like that new guy in class with the James Dean-style haircut and worn leather jacket -- it's scruffy, edgy and a little off-beat, just enough to stand out from the crowd (ie, the south Granvilles and Cambies, yawn.) Also, although it has some of the same interests as me (good Mexican food, Vietnamese people, weird meat shops and locals) there's just something about it that remains elusive and intimidating.
Maybe its the baffling mishmash of ethnic foods or the way the street looks like it will continue infinitely into the horizon, kind of like Queen's street in Toronto when you get close to the Eastern European area. Perhaps it lies in the fact that I have never been invited to even one house party in the area. Or perhaps it's the faded brightness of street-side buildings and the lack of condominiums or height of any kind in the surrounding market-style vicinity. Either way, upper Victoria St. continues to leave me feeling somewhat bewildered as a non-Vancouver native.
However, it's the kind of bewilderment that I know is easily solved, at least when it comes to the elusive new guy in class, by going out for a few drinks to ease the situation up a bit. So, for the Victoria-Fraserview neighborhood, I decided to initiate the virtual equivalent of those drinks -- a bit of quality old-fashioned Wikipedia e-stalking to find out exactly what this Victoria neighbourhood is really all about.
Vancouver Art Gallery: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
There has been back-and-forth talk for years about whether the Vancouver Art Gallery should move to a new site in order to construct a larger, more eye-catching art gallery in which to showcase more of the gallery's collection than can fit in the current building. The VAG moved to the old courthouse building where it is now in 1983 after Arthur Erickson, this city's most beloved architect, redesigned the building at a cost of $20 million dollars. Now the province has committed $50 million for the move and construction of a new building at a new location in the city -- however, $50 million seems like a low-ball estimate to me for what the VAG has in mind.
What they have in mind is a superstar architect designing a superstar building that will be twice as big as the current building. This is a surefire way, it seems, to build international attention to your gallery, as seen with Toronto's addition to the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Royal Ontario Museum, both done by internationally renowned architects and the focus of much debate in Toronto.
The VAG has rejected a site at False Creek, and has their eyes set currently on the parking lot near the Queen Elizabeth Theatre -- the site of the Vancouver Olympics Livecity Downtown concert and pavilion grounds. The catch? The land is so valuable that the VAG may have to share it with (what else?) condominium buildings, which would definitely put a crimp in the VAG's plans to have a stand-alone architecturally eye-popping building. It's not surprising though, as Vancouver's cultural attractions are usually attached in some way to a condo tower through density transfers, so perhaps in some cynical way it is almost fitting for Vancouver's art gallery to be dependent on condo towers.
Morning Brew: Paralympics Party, Province Slashes Sports, Low Snow Pack Worries, No Stat for You
Paralympics aim to keep Vancouver's party going -- but they're going to need to break out the strong stuff as Disabled again on BC Liberals' Hit List.
Province slashes gaming grants to arts, culture, sports groups. Hey, that gold medal game was great huh?
How does The Guardian like us now? Cypress Bowl re-opens for business Tuesday. That makes no sense. Did you have to airlift snow during the Olympics? And is there so little so pack that potential water shortages are forecast this summer?
100th Anniversary of International Women's Day: March 8, 2010
Today marks the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day and if it weren't for a quick news scan this morning, I would have had no idea.
Where it was once cool to loudly champion women's rights, many women now balk at being labeled a "feminist." In many eyes, the feminist movement should have ended with emancipation, the right to work outside of the home, university degrees and the rise of the mini-skirt. "They have equality and jobs, what can they possibly want now?" some ask. There are men and women who feel the gender equality campaign has made "enough" progress.
But when we witness the Canadian Women's Ski Jumpers in court numerous times unsuccessfully fighting to have their sport instated in the Olympic Games, when journalists comment on the fashion sense of our female politicians before their political abilities, when women are still struggling to make the same wages as men, and girls still feel a boob job will get them happiness, it is hard to be satisfied with this so-called level of equality.
Morning Brew: World Cup Next?, Translink taser videos, New Art Gallery plan stalls
Olympics are over, now start praying. "We are, it seems, fighting to stay asleep." Wherein Allen Garr accidentally comes up with a great 90s instrumental post-rock album title.
Could Vancouver and Seattle bid for World Cup? Holy shit people relax, its Boxing Day and you're already thinking about next Christmas.
ORN Spokesperson Destroys Journalists Recordings. In fighting monsters it is important not to become one yourself.
Unpopular HST will create jobs, better pay in B.C: report. I guess if the unpopular premier won't do it, somebody has to.
Vancouver Music News: Yukon Blonde's new video, Music Waste looking for musicians, and Prairie Cat going on tour
In this edition: Yukon Blonde's new video for their song "Wind Blows", Music Waste Festival looking for musicians and Prairie Cat touring western Canada! Plus a live video of Zaac Pick at the Streaming Cafe.
Vancouver's Character Exposed Through Random Word Graffiti and Sign-Defacement
There's something about haphazard street words and sign-defacing that really fascinates me. I feel like it reveals more about a city's character than its official signage, advertisements and well-cleaned parks. In Vancouver's case, these written street dialogues reveal a side of the city's residents that's cheeky, a bit angry, and pretty amusing.
Whether we're drawing mustaches on attractive models pictured in ads on bus stops, scrawling 'F$#@ THE POLICE' in alleyways, leaving the public with a well-thought out quote written on the wall, or spray-painting our graffiti tags because we're 18 and looking for trouble, us Vancouverites sure have a lot to say when we can say it anonymously.
I remember reading an Adbusters piece about Sao Paulo's radical move to completely ban outdoor advertising in its streets. The law was put in place by a conservative mayor based on his mandate to rid the city of "visual pollution," and involved the take-down of "over 15,000 billboards, 1,600 oversized signs and 1,300 metal ad panels" (see photos here). Adbusters described the city as a "battlefield strewn with blank marquees and partially torn-down frames." I couldn't help but wonder what our city would look like without our advertisements. Would blank billboards become covered in these types of hand-written words, street art and graffiti? Or would we have no compulsion left to leave our mark without ads and signs to provoke that creativity (and cheekiness)?
Click for more examples after the jump of what Vancouverites have to say.
Contest: Commuting with Massive Attack
Hopefully no one looks down on me for this but I hadn't fully listened to Massive Attack until a month ago. I really don't know how that happened. But you know, there's always that band that everyone talks about and for some reason, you miss the train. Then years later, you discover the musical talent of this band and you're officially a newbie. Sadly, Massive Attack was that band for me and I think I may be a Massive Attack newb.
Despite being a newb, Massive Attack's new album, Heligoland, has become my commuting soundtrack. This may sound weird to some but I really appreciate my transit time. It's a time when I can listen to music that eases my mind as I pass by the interesting and beautiful scenery of Vancouver. One particular song from this album , "Paradise Circus", is now a favourite of mine when commuting. It's like a soft lullaby you would sing to a distraught unwanted lover and the vocals are basically beautiful whispers; eerily perfect for ears amidst transit.
Massive Attack is planning on coming to Vancouver on May 29th. They will be playing the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park. Even better, Beyond Robson has a pair of tickets to give away to a lucky reader. Just tell me your favourite song to listen to while commuting (bus, car, skytrain, seabus, or train) by commenting below. It doesn't have to be a Massive Attack song either. Just whatever song you're into right now. We will randomly select a comment and send an email to the author (aka winner).
CONTEST NOW CLOSED
Congratulations Devon! You're the winner! And thanks to everyone for submitting their comments! It was great to see everyone's favourite commuting songs/albums. I'm definitely going to add these to my library!
Morning Brew: Curling Cool, Dead Teens in Ministry Care, MDs pay for RNs out of pocket
Olympics have made curling cooler than ever. Uh, yeah -- okay, Dad.
In the meantime, everyone will be making a fuss about how those teens died because they were on the 'party drug' ecstasy. Not much I'm afraid will be made about the fact they are a product of the Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society. Put that on a fucking inukshuk and sell it for a couple grand.
B.C. doctors offer to pay for OR nurses. Yeah, because that's the way our health system should work. "So Mr. Hot Shot M.D., you want a nurse to do all your dirty work? Well then you better pay up, Dr. Fancy Pants."
Shipwrecked sailor ate lichen to survive Vancouver Island wilderness. Hey did you know that lichen is a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus and an algae? Holy shit I'm bored, can we bring back the Olympics?
A Fake Jazz Rebirth
Fake Jazz is back. The Wednesday weekly exhibit that took place at the Cobalt since 2006 has a new home at Lick @ 455 Abbott Street. First night featured experimental stalwarts Ahna, Stamina Mantis, Yellowthief and Shearing Pinx. It looks to be a steady and exciting buildup each Wednesday night with new and regular bands/artists/musicians eager to improvise and perform. It's been a long time coming.