Sidney

When we first moved into Strathcona, we were very excited to find that we had a little neighbor the same age as our  Sofia . It took them two summers to truly hit it off as amazing friends. It is beautiful to watch as they mature from toddlers to beautiful little girls and now both big sisters. Even though they are alike in many ways, and love to do similar things, they are different in very complimentary ways. We are looking forward to watching them grow and learn through many more years of friendship.

Jacqui Cohen Carries the Torch to Gastown Canada 2010

Jacqui Cohen hired Jonathan to capture her jog to Olympic glory, taking her turn in the torch relay through Gastown early this morning.

It was a sight to see, watching Jacqui ignite her torch with our famous steam clock and the north shore mountains as a backdrop.  Ms Cohen embraced the crowd as she made her way along her 300m stint, waving and smiling, stopping along the way for photos with friends and various members of the community.

Her family was in tow to cheer Jacqui on, including her mother who was perhaps one of the most stylish ladies in the crowd. We managed to snap a photo of Jacqui with her mom and daughter – three beautiful generations!

Jacqui then finished her run by celebrating with her family, friends and staff at the Army and Navy store on Cordova Street.

Congrats to Jacqui for representing Gastown and Vancouver so graciously and congrats to all the torch bearers across Canada that have made this journey so special and memorable for all of us.

With just hours to spare until the Opening Ceremonies, we’d like to wish everyone a wonderful Olympic experience.

GO CANADA GO!

Bienvenue à Vancouver

T-minus one day people. Jonathan is out and about chasing the torch, trying to capture the throngs of celebrities scheduled to run their 300 metre relay today and tomorrow. It’s a truly exciting time to be in Vancouver.

Sure, the scenery is amazing, the temperature is mild and it has been rated as one of the most livable cities in the world time and time again. However, one thing a lot of these publications fail to touch on is the people. Aside from the mountains, the ocean and the naturally chilled west coast vibe, Vancouver is a multinational city with a wonderful mix of people, resulting in a mélange of cultures, food and festivals.

With the Opening Ceremonies welcoming the world tomorrow, we thought we’d share some of our favorite faces. People our visitors can expect to see while meandering the streets of Vancouver. Because, really…it’s our diversity in people that makes our city so grand.

Vancouvers Gift of Gastronomy

Over the past few years, Vancouverites have been privy to a plethora of new places to get their nosh on, from cozy cafes to upscale eateries. We’re lucky enough to relish in the spoils of our multi-cultural city and learn a little bit about each others backgrounds while we’re at it. Now that we’re on the heels of the biggest international event to ever take place in our fair city, we felt it was time to shed some light on Vancouver’s food culture.

From the trendy watering holes of Gastown to the yuppie-yet-friendly haunts in Yaletown, this is just a mere nibble into the Vancouver foodie scene. Our eclectic mix of ‘hoods’ is what keeps our city happening when it comes to food, in our humble opinion.

Among some our faves is the Salty Tongue on Abbott Street. Whether you’re up for a hearty lunch or looking to share a long table dinner with friends, be sure to pop in and say hello. Goldfish on Mainland is great for a little glitz and some sinfully delish seafood. Try the BC Albacore and Ahi Tuna Tataki to start. Parlais vous en francais? Us neither, but the folks at Les Faux Bourgeois will take care of you in this quaint yet happenin’ spot on E 15^th where Fraser and Kingsway collide. Toulouse et Puree – do it.

 

Heading to the West End, long-time local favorite Tapastree is tucked just off Robson, yet patrons never seem to have a problem finding them. Go with a group and gourmandize on a fine selection of tapas. Speaking of tapas, shoot over to the Drive and let your Latino lover tendencies take over at Latin Quarter. After dinner, burn off the sangria by getting your krunk on to the live house band.

Refuel on West 4^th features some fabulous local offerings like their Crispy Skin Ling Cod. Check them out for brunch on the weekend, their buckwheat waffle will make you go buck wild. Moving on over to the hipster scene of Mount Pleasant, The Cascade Room has a cool and casual vibe, with much of their menu sourced locally.

Some local advice to our international visitors from near and far – be sure to explore the outer areas of our city as well as the downtown core. You never know when you’re going to stumble upon your next great meal and meet some friendly Vancouverites too.

Bon appétit!

A Man and His Horse

During my morning stroll to the studio, I was visually accosted by the image of this giant white horse with a man strapped to his back. Not enough coffee, I thought? Not the case. Turns out John Fluevog has graciously agreed to display the work of David Robinson, specifically his Equestrian Monument piece, in the storefront window of his Water Street location.

 

To say that the sculpture is eye-catching would be an understatement. The enormous size alone demands the attention of nearly every passerby. Just over lunch today, I watched as people passed by the store, not one able to walk by without taking a peek.

The way Robinson plays with exaggerated proportions reminds me of a Salvador Dali painting, at least from my uneducated perspective. With all the international visitors pouring into town, it’s a great time to showcase some of Canada’s greatest artistic talents.

 

Artist’s Statement:

The equestrian monument prevails in endless variety across the history of art.
In a time before I had learned of their often violent and imperial past, with the eyes of a child I saw these archaic bronzes in their simplest and most mythic form: full of narrative, free of history.

This first impression has stayed with me as I find myself returning time and again to the unraveling and reprising of the equestrian theme in my own artwork. Now thoroughly out-moded, and thus freed of its political harness, I periodically inquire after this troubled partnership of man and beast as they wander the imagination – a vivid motif in search of a better story.

David Robinson’s Equestrian Monument can be viewed at John Fluevog on 65 Water Street until July. www.fluevog.com

“Robinson’s work underscores the possibility that the sacred is with us still, even in the midst of our secular, consumerist society.” – Vancouver Sun

Birch Bark Biting

While walking around Gastown last week, we stumbled upon an art gallery around the corner featuring some really beautiful pieces that we wanted to share with you. The art form is known as Birch Bark Biting. There was a little girl playing in the front window that reminded Jonathan of Sofia, and given he’s missing his little girl who has been vacationing in Brasil, he had to pop over to say hello. The girl’s Grandmother came outside and invited us into the gallery to have a look.

Years ago, before technology took over as our primary source of entertainment, an ancient First Nation tradition was used to entertain the kids during the shorter days of winter. Prior to European contact, the art of Birch Bark Biting was commonly used as a source of entertainment. The people would create patterns on birch bark by simply biting it, which would light up when held in front of a campfire, depicting dreams and stories that were shared and passed on to newer generations. Today there are only 3 known First Nation artists in Canada (and possibly North America) who still practice this traditional art form.

 

 Pat Bruderer, also known as Half Moon Woman, was born in Churchill, Manitoba and is the mother of 5 children. Pat grew up in the Mosakahiken Cree Nation Reserve in Manitoba and now resides in Chase, BC. An acclaimed artist, Pat has won many awards at the Annual Trappers Festival in The Pas, Manitoba and was the Juried Art winner in 2000. She also facilitates several workshops in traditional Birch Bark Biting.

Pat believes Birch Bark Biting has many teachings: patience, respect, kindness, creativity, medicine, imagination and sharing. Birch Bark Biting is like people – no two are the same and every one is special and beautiful in their own way.

Pat uses the 4 elements in her work: earth, water, wind and fire. She strongly believes that First Nations people should strive to maintain their traditional art forms. Her art has been featured in the Glenbow Museum, Museum of Man and Nature and several private collections in Canada, Switzerland, Scotland, France, Germany, Africa, China, Malaysia, Hawaii and Alaska. 

The gallery is now closed until after the Olympics and is being used as a media centre throughout the Games. It’s disappointing that these pieces won’t be featured over the coming weeks, given their rarity and close ties to our Aboriginal history, which is why we felt it was important to share this fascinating artwork with you.

To view Pat Bruderer’s online gallery, visit the Half Moon Studios website: www.halfmoonstudios.com

Kla-how-ya

The phrase Kla-how-ya, which is the Chinook word for “welcome”, was the phrase of the day as visitors were greeted at the Pan Pacific yesterday during a media event which marked the erection of an aboriginal village in the lobby of the hotel. Representing First Nations from around B.C., the village will showcase their culture and remain in the Pan Pacific’s spectacular lobby throughout the Olympic Games.

We were lucky enough to shoot the ceremony side-by-side with the talented Deo Cruz, who was able to help us capture all of the key moments as an event of this scale usually requires more than one shooter. We call him our secret weapon.

16 First Nations members got a hand from the hotel’s kitchen staff to carry the massive 40-foot ceremonial canoe Raven’s Song, which will be the focal point of the village, through the front doors and up two flights of stairs to a stage. The canoe was built by Bill Helin in 1993 for a journey to the Commonwealth Games in Victoria and is said to have been on eight different journeys since then.

 

Helin, along with six apprentice carvers, took more than four months to carve Raven’s Song, representative of a Tsimshian war canoe, out of a 540-year-old red cedar log. The raven is also the most profound character in First Nations mythology.

The Kla-how-ya village officially opens to the public on Feb.12. For 16 days following, it will showcase traditional dancing, cedar-bark weaving, aboriginal fashions, jewelry making, carving and storytelling.

Vancouver Comes Alive

Who’s got the fever? We’ve got the fever…Olympic fever that is. The city is transforming before our eyes, with a new pavilion, party house or building wrap by the day, so it seems. Vancouver is alive with Olympic buzz, so we’ve been buzzing about town shooting and capturing as much of the excitement as possible.

Stop by the GE Ice Plaza at Robson Square for free ice skating in the heart of the city. This is something suitable for the entire family and skate rentals are available onsite. The kiddies will love it!

One block away, standing in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery you’ll find the Vancouver 2010 Countdown Clock with a huge Olympic building wrap just across the way. The Hotel Georgia’s Canadian flag wrap is a slight testament to our patriotism (I use the word ‘slight’ in jest ofcourse – the sucker is massive!). The Bay building across from the art gallery is decked out with banners of folks sporting the official Olympic memorabilia. Has everyone snagged some red mittens?

Take a stroll through Yaletown and check out Flagwalk, a series of flags placed along the sidewalk representing all of the competing countries that will be gracing our city streets in just a few weeks.  Meander a bit further along the seawall for views of the Olympic Village on the south end of False Creek. We snagged a few shots here.

As the excitement continues to build, we have to concur with the below vid:

You Gotta Be Here

Rodney Graham Through the Forest

As the buzz begins to grow, famed Canadian artist Rodney Graham prepares to present his work at the prestigious Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona later this month.

Starting out in Vancouver in the 1970s, among one of his earliest works was Camera Obscura (1979; destroyed 1981) a site-specific work that consisted of a shed-sized optical device on his family’s farm field near Abbotsford. Entering the shed, the observer was confronted with an inverted image of a solitary tree. Both prior to this and throughout the 1980s and 90s, Graham employed the technique of the camera obscura in his work.

During the crazy snowstorm of ’08, we had the pleasure of shooting the artist in his home here in Vancouver. We were asked by Tony Millares III of Urthwurks to come by Graham’s home to photograph a book shelf he had designed for the artist and ended up capturing a few candid snaps.

 

An outstanding element of Graham’s upcoming exhibition – Through the Forest – is a major compilation of books and sculptures, installations and machines based on books of Graham’s that come from a peculiar library that shows his interpolations, appendices, bookmarks, reading and exhibition devices in the style of Judd, among other pieces. The exhibition also includes the series of 21 pictures Picasso, My Master (2005), his first incursion into painting, which reconstructs the aura of mastery that surrounds Picasso’s work with a touch of humour.

Through the Forest runs from January 30th through May 18th. If you happen to be in Barcelona over the coming months, be sure to swing by.

30 Days, 30 Nights

 

As we continue the countdown to the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, which seems to be coming at us fast and furious with only 30 days to go, the city is preparing with a few final touches. One of which was the resurrection of the famous Birks Clock.

Situated on the corner of Hastings and Granville in front of the Birks store, the clock hasn’t worked for years, confusing many as they hoof it to work in the morning or back to work after a boozy lunch. They actually removed the time piece temporarily for 2 years to make way for Canada Line construction on Granville Street. The clock was first erected in 1909 and was moved to the corner of Georgia and Granville in 1913, where it remained until 1994 when it was moved back to its original home. Back in the day people used the clock as a meeting place before hitting the town – “meet me under the Birks clock”. I wonder if people still say that? Seems like it’s more common to say “meet me at the Starbucks on…”. How boring.

We had the opportunity to shoot the re-installment of the clock, following some much needed repairs by horologist Ray Saunders who gave the clock a complete overhaul and restoration. It was an exciting moment to see a piece of history put back in its place, where it will sit for many years to come. Now visitors to Vancouver during the Games and beyond will always have a point of reference while exploring our beautiful city.