Art Along the Waterfront A Review of Two Public Art Installations: Welcome to the Land of Light by Henry Tsang and Brush with Illumination by Buster Simpson photo by Alexander Duff by Kelly Hart Midsummer 1973: four teenagers under the influence of LSD run through a completely new subdivision. As I recall we were terrified by the hallucinatory misconception of being trapped in an architect’s model. Pristine yards and freshly paved roads had all collaborated to suffocate a strawberry field of my youth. Combine this fact, with the influence of window pane acid, and it is understandable why I was experiencing such a dra- matic stage of dislocation. Recently, (under the influence of nothing more than coffee), I was revisited by a degree of the same sensation. While preparing to review the second phase of Concord Pacific’s eight million dollar public art program. Located at the Round House neighbourhood, this phase consists of four major public art pieces valued at 1.25 mil- lion dollars. I was primarily interested in two works, Welcome to the Land of Light by Henry Tsang and Brush with Illumination by Buster Simpson. Having very little experience with the genre of public art, I was feeling a little unsure of myself. It was a dark, wet day. The wind had swept away most pedestrian traffic. The surroundings of modern "Waterfront liv- ing" gave me the same chill of detachment I had experienced 25 years earlier. Polished architectural “symbols of luxury" sur- rounded me in an ominous, surrealistic spasm. Their decorative blinds were drawn for "utmost privacy". Did anyone really live here? This setting of a "Seafront Community for the fortunate few" was triggering several frustrating social issues for me. I thought for a second the wind carried the smell of the rotting infrastructure of East Hastings rooming houses only blocks away. I couldn’t help but feel like a trespasser. Private garden signs stood as sentries on the edge of "estate-like" grounds which neat- ly met up with contemporary towers and condominiums,. creat- ing a sanitary, untouched quality. I buttoned up the top of my jacket to fend off the cold and began to search for the installations. Before I could find Henry Tsang’s or Buster Simpson’s installations I’m confronted by Street Light, an installation by Toronto artists Bernie Miller and Alan Tregebov. The volume of the piece is massive. You cannot go further without passing under it. Impossible to ignore, I stood staring into the rain trying to take in all of this huge work. My first impression was that of an entrance into a World Exposition or Theme Park. The heavy steel truss-beam structure naturally marries itself to the thumping con- struction of more shiny palaces near by. The 4' x 8' historical images and text spin tales of the area’s dynamic history, memo- ries permanently buried under the current environment of fash- ionable residences. z Passing under this work I could make out the seawall protruding through the weather. WELCOME TO THE LAND OF LIGHT: Unaware of what form Tsang’s work is going to take, I mistook the first glimpse of it as merely a city sign proclaiming the geographical location. To my surprise, Welcome to the Land of Light blended in with the railings so well I almost missed it. Attached in the middle of the seawall railing screens, Tsang installed two horizontal rows of metal letters that parallel each other around the seawall. I stood back and let Tsang’s work stretch out before me. A top row appeared to be another language, and the bottom a loose translation in English. Strategic placement seemed to allow the fragments of sentences to hint at meaning. Just as I was enjoy- ing the subtleties of this work, my eye was distracted by colored placards evenly spaced along the top of the railing. Haphazardly attached, appearing to be temporary, longing for a coin operated telescope as a companion. These placards would be more at home in a national park or sales convention. Each are transcribed with explanations of the installation. In the interest of being an informed critic of this work, I dutifully began to read one of the placards. An image came to mind of the culturally elite wander- ing out of their private‘ gardens, reading these placards and 18 Influx: Magazine March 1999 A Complex Blend of Common Sense retreating back home feeling comfortably informed. Disgusted, I backed off. I could not believe these placards were a part of Tsang’s vision for this work. It seemed evident that they were added to the work after its initial conception. The addition seemed to be a denial of the complex blend of common sense that Tsang was working to achieve. Placards aside, Tsang’s interest in "Feng Shui", the proper balance of human existence with a natural order, appeared to be alive in his work. Offering a blending of the architecture, this work proposes to complete a climate. The words quietly com- municate a philosophical insight into the complexities of a con- tinually changing social structure. As I stood on the edge of False Creek, exposed to the cold environment, I could not come to terms with the existence of these placards. Somewhat confused, I turned my back on Tsang’s work and moved forward in search of Buster Simpson’s Brush with Illumination. continued on page 24 m2 a compiled by Heather Howe - Chaos & Creation Series VPL, central branch Topic: The Age of Extremes. Speaker: Don Burbidge. Noon, in the Alice McKay Room. - The Vancouver Institute Lecture Series Dr. John MacDonald, Co-founder, MacDonald Dettwiler Remote Sensing. 8:15 pm in the Lecture Hall 2 Woodward _ Instructional Resources Centre @ UBC. For more info. call 822.1444 77 - Chaos & Creation Series VPL, central branch Topic: On the “Good Ship Coherence: It’s the only way to Confidence. Speaker’: Dan Nykon. Noon, in the Alice McKay Room. 79 - New Accents on British History Series Reformation and Political Culture in Sixteenth Century Provincial. Robert Tittler (Prof. of History at Concordia University). 5:30 pm @ SFU Harbour Centre. For info call: 291.5100. - The Vancouver Institute Lecture Series Professor Jane Coop School of Music, UBC . 8:15 pm in the Lecture Hall 2, Woodward Instructional: Resources Center @ UBC. For more info. call: 822.1444 - Chaos & Creation Series VPL, central branch Topic: The Sandinista Revolution. Speaker: Peter Prontzos. Noon, in the Alice McKay Roomm. ¥ Se The Vancouver Institute Lecture Series Professor Ann Kaplan, English and Comparative Literature, State University of New York at Stony Brook. 8:15 pm in the Lecture Hall 2, Woodward _ Instructional Resources Centre @ UBC. For more info. call 822.1444 - Chaos & Creation Series VPL, central branch Topic: The Patterns of Chaos. Speaker: Chuck Sigmund. Noon, in the Alice McKay Room. * Also in March, The Legacies Project, Thoughts on the Millennium continues with Richard Landes, Director for the Centre of Millennium Studies, Boston University, discussing the history of millenarian movements, the apocalypticism of the year 1000 and the origins of the modern west. Times and venue TBA. Call 822.1460 or 291.5853 The School of Landscape Architecture will begin their annual community lecture series. ** Women Filmmakers: Refocusing The aim of the conference is to establish a dialogue between local filmmakers, those working in feminist film theory and the inter- ested public. Evening of Friday, March 19, to Noon Sunday, March 21, Harbour Centre SFU. Evening of Friday, March 26 to Noon Sunday, March 28, Royal Bank Cinema at the Chan Centre , UBC at the Chan Centre , UBC. Call 822.9171 for info. $35.00 for students per weekend. 3 Art Along the Waterfront A Review of Two Public Art Installations: Welcome to the Land of Light by Henry Tsang and Brush with Illumination by Buster Simpson by Kelly Hart Midsummer 1973: four teenagers under the influence ‘ofLSD run through a completely new subdivision. As recall we were terrified by the hallucinatory misconception of being ‘wapped in an architect's model Pristine yards and fesly paved rads had all collaborated to suffocate a strawberry feld of my youth. Combine this fat, withthe influence of window pane ‘cid, and itis understandable why Twas experiencing sucha da mati stage of dislocation, Recently, (under the influence of nothing more than coffee), Iwas revisited by a degree of the same sesation. While preparing 1 review the second phase of Concord Pacific's eight nillon dollar public art program. ‘Located at the Round House neighbourhood, this phase consists of four major public art pices valued at 1.25 mil liom dollars. I was primarily interested in two works, Micome 0 ‘he Land of Light by Henry Tsang and Brash with Hination by Buster Simpson. Having very litle experience with the genre of public art, Tas feling a le unsure of myself. ‘ewas a dark, wet day. The wind had swept away most pedestrian traffic. The surroundings of modem "Waterton liv- {ng gave me the tame chill of detachment I had experienced 25 years eater. Polished architectural “symbols of fury” site rounded mein an ominous, surrealistic spasm. Tie decorative Blinds were drawn for"utmort privacy”. Did anyone realy live here? This setting ofa “Seafront Community for the fortunate few" was triggering several frustrating socal issues for me. 1 thought fora second the wind carried the smell ofthe rotting infrastructure of East Hastings rooming houses only blocks aay. T couldn't help but feel ike a trespasser. Private guen signs stood as setres on th edge of "estte-ike" grounds which neat Iy met up with contemporary towers and condominiums, ceat- ing a sanitary, untouched quality. I buttoned up the top of my jacket to fend off the cold and began to search forthe installations. ‘Before I could find Henry Tsang’s or Buster Simpson's ‘nsallations T'm confonted by See Light, an installation by ‘Toronto artists Bernie Miller and Alan Tregebon. The volume of the pice is massive. You cannot go further without passing under it Impossible o ignore, stood staring into the rain tying to ake in all of this huge work. My frst impression was that of an {entrance into World Exposition or Theme Park. The heaty steel ‘russ-beam structure naturally martes itelfto the thumping con- struction of more shiny palaces nearby. The 4x § historical mages and tet spin tals of the area's dynamic history, memo- ries permanently buried under the current environment of fash fonabe residences, Passing under this work I could make out the sexwall protruding through the weather. WELCOME TO THE LAND OF LIGHT: Unaware of what form Teang’s work going to take, I mistook the fist glimpse oft as merely acy sgn proclaiming the _cographical location To my surprise, Wcome tthe Land of Light blended in with the rings so well I almost mised it. Atached {nthe mile of the seawall railing sereens, Tsang installed wo horizontal ows of metal leters that parle cach other around the seawall, I stood back and let Tsang’ work stretch out before me, A top row appeared to be another language, and the botiom loose translation in English. Strategic placement seemed tallow the fagments of entences to hint at meaning Just as Iwas enioy- Jing the subleies of this work, my eye wa distracted by colored placards evenly spaced along the top ofthe rung. Haphazardly attached, appearing to be temporary, longing fora coin operated telescope asa companion. These placards would be more at home ina national park or sales convention. Each are transribed with explanations of the instalation, In the interest of being an Informed eric of this work, Tdutifly began to read one of the placards, An image came to mind of the culturally elt wander- Ing out of their private gardens, reading these placards and 18 Influx? Magazine March 1999 A Complex Blend of Common Sense retreating back home feling comfortably informed. Disgusted, I backed off. T could not believe these placards were a part of ‘Tsang’s vision for this work. Ie seemed evident tht they were added to the work after ite inal conception. ‘The addition Seemed tobe a denial ofthe complex blend of common sense that “Trang was working to achieve ‘Placards aside, ‘Tsang’s interest in “Feng Shui", the proper balance of human existence wih a atural order, appeared to be alive in his work. Oflering a blending of the architecture, this work proposes to complete a cimate. The words quietly comm ‘municate« philosophical insight into the complexities of a con- ‘inually changing socal trot. 'As Isto on the edge of False Cree, exposed tothe ‘old envionment, could not come to terms withthe extence of these placards. Somewhat confused I turned my back on Tsang's ‘work and moved forward in search of Buster Simpson's Brash eth Taniaron confined on poge 24 Sa compiled by Heather Howe - Chaos & Creation Series VPL, central branch Topic: The Age of Extremes. Speaker: Don Burbidge. Noon, in the Alice McKay Room. - The Vancouver Institute Lecture Series Dr. John MacDonald, Co-founder, MacDonald Dettwiler Remote Sensing. 8:15 pm in the Lecture Hall 2 Woodward Instructional Resources Centre @ UBC. For more info. call 922.1444 17 - Chaos & Creation Series VPL, central branch Topic: On the “Good Ship Coherence: It's the only way to Confidence. Speaker’: Dan Nykon. Noon, in the Alice McKay Room. - New Accents on British History Series Reformation and Political Culture in Sixteenth Century Provincial. Robert Tittler (Prof. of History at Concordia University). 5:30 pm @ SFU Harbour Centre. For info call: 291.5100. 0 ~The Vancouver institute Lecture Series Professor Jane Coop School of Music, UBC . 8:15 pm in the Lecture Hall 2, Woodward Instructional Resources Center @ UBC. For more info. call: 822.1444 - Chaos & Creation Series VPL, central branch Topic: The Sandinista Revolution. Speaker: Peter Prontzos. Noon, in the Alice McKay Roomm. 27 - The Vancouver Institute Lecture Series Professor Ann Kaplan, English and Comparative Literature, State University of New York at Stony Brook. 8:15 pm in the Lecture Hall 2, Woodward Instructional Resources Centre @ UBC. For more info. call 822.1444 31 - Chaos & Creation Series VPL, central branch Topic: The Patterns of Chaos. Speaker: Chuck Sigmund. Noon, in the Alice McKay Room. * Also in March, The Legacies Project, Thoughts on the Millennium continues with Richard Landes, Director for the Centre of Millennium Studies, Boston University, discussing the history of millenarian movements, the apocalypticism of the year 1000 and the origins of the modem west. Times and venue TBA. Call 822.1460 or 291.5853 The School of Landscape Architecture will begin their annual community lecture series. ** Women Filmmakers: Refocusing The aim of the conference is to establish a dialogue between local filmmakers, those ‘working in feminist film theory and the inter- ested public. Evening of Friday, March 19, to Noon Sunday, March 21, Harbour Centre SFU. Evening of Friday, March 26 to Noon Sunday, March 28, Royal Bank Cinema at the ‘Chan Centre , UBC at the Chan Centre , UBC. Call 822.9171 for info. $35.00 for students per weekend. x