drawing by Nicola Sampson To the editor, I was reading your article on the renovations and thought that I'd like to add a few points about our new con- course gallery. I have to admit that the concourse was in need of some serious cosmetic surgery. There were plenty of things that needed to be repaired or replaced. I just think that they got a little carried away. Let's start with the lighting. These new fixtures are fitted with full spectrum flourescents. They may be designed to present work in their truest colours but the problem is where and how they are hung. On account of the room being so big they had to install the lights eight bulbs wide to get enough light into the room. Instead of carpeting the ceiling with fixtures the lights were hung straight down the middle of the room causing the people up in facilities to suffer from sun burns and retinal damage. This is what replaced our direction lighting. Say good bye to the ability to create a mood for your work. Along with the directional lighting, also gone. is the ease to hang suspended sculptures. When they took out the cat walk and direction lighting they also removed the over- head beams. So now instead of just signing out a step ladder, you're going to have to go get the scissor lift and go all the way to the ceiling to run a.cable. I'm curious as to where the beams went to. The last report was that they were cut into three foot lengths and hauled away. I'm sure that there's a sculpture student out there that is shedding a tear right now. Working our way down we find that we now have a new huge wall to hang our work on. First thing we have to consider is that most students are not working on a scale that will be done justice by this wall. This means. that the top half of the wall will go mostly: unused. Even if you did hang your work up there, where would you view it from? If they had considered leaving our beloved catwalk, they could have built their movie screen on the other side of the room. Then there would be someplace to enjoy. the work from. Replacing the old staircase is the "new and improved" version. The stairs are obviously too narrow for two way traffic to pass comfortably. The reason for this is our new swinging walls. If the new stairs were to be a proper width then there would be only.a couple of feet between them and the opened walls. The space between the two cre- ates a bit of a bottleneck as it is now. This bottleneck I guess is O.K. because according to Greg Belamie they don't want the gallery to be a thorough fare anyway. Not a good design ethic to put form before function: Another design flaw is the choice of materials for the stairs. Go stand underneath them and look up. It shouldn't take long to realize that the privacy of anyone wearing a skirt is going to be infringed upon. Whether it be accidentally or intentionally is not the point. You just don't make transparent stairs for public places. Walking down the stairs you get a sense of danger from the pitch. Even though they may be within code that doesn't make them any less uncomfortable to walk down. Then there is that last step. It's camouflaged the same colour as the floor and about three inches too short. It makes me wonder if they even had plans when they built it. Now that we're in the mid- dle of our new presentation space we start to realize just how much space there really is, especially when the hinged walls are closed. We realize that with the new walls and concrete floor that our concourse is as cold as the inside of a twenty cubic foot freezer. To take the chill off the room they installed brand new doors. I'm glad that our receptionists are warm now but the designers just traded one problem for another. WE all know that they are too small and awkward to open, especially with your hands full. The doors themselves, like the rest of the gallery, are not very people friendly. We've seemed to have compro- mised our show space for a space that is meant to be shown. The gallery is not so much about what's in it as who designed it. You would think that after all the negative feed back on the south building that the folks in charge would have learned their lessons. You'd think that they'd stop hiring these rock star architects and actually hire someone that would design a space for the people that are going to use it. Speaking of architects, we have several on staff that probably would have made good consultants seeing as they walk through the space on a regular basis. We have been told that there was just no time to consult the people that actually use the space as to what they would like to see. The almighty Ron then tells us that plans have been in the works for years. I guess ten years is not enough time to hand out some photocopied opinion polls. What seems to be really happening is once again a few people deciding what is best for the rest of us and WE pay them for it.Maybe if they didn’t have their heads up their "Big Apple"s, they'd realize that we are not New York. We're not even on they same coast. Maybe they would realize that Vancouver is a young city trying to come to grips with it's own identity. Part of that identity was uniqueness of our Concourse Gallery. Now we look like every other snotty, unapproachable high art institute. Jim Stamper 30 Influx * Magazine February 1999 eS February 18, 1999. February 1999 Vol. 14, #2 6 ee ie A magazine about art, media, design and culture; produced at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. Managing Editor Alexander Duff Jane Brookes Jason Armstrong Jason McLean Production Manager Jeff St. Jean Genevieve Clouthier Jennifer Moreau Jim Stamper Editor-at-Large Julie. Proulx. Tara Delong Kevin Langdale Leslie Grant Layout Lionel Doe Geneviéve Clouthier Renan Costa Lima Marlene Madison Plimley Meghan Mccullough Mia Thomsett Editor and Nancy Kivisto Advisement Nic Lyons Harald Gravelsins Paul Murray Paul Williams Story Group Renan Costa Lima Derek Brunen Sean Clancy Sean Clancy — Sean Rorison Cristina King Spark Suez: Holland Design Group Tara DeLong Genevieve Clouthier ~ Una Bachinski Renan Costa Lima Xero Alexander Duff Advertising Manager _ Cover Image Cristina King Genevieve Clouthier This Issues Glo ad by-Dennis Boyle Contributors nh Se Aaron Powell Obsession ad by Nancy Alicia Fennell Bleck Alyssa Hutsul : Bernadette Wycks Acknowledgments Bill Cupit Ron Barron and Cliff Veley Carlos Mendes for computer network Chris Jones and digital scanning assis- Christine Carter tance and support; Cristina King William Cupit for photog- D. Ratzcliff raphy resources. Daryl Kirkham David Carter Apologies to Martha Gonzalez Placios whose name was misspelled in the last issue. David O’Regan Demian Petryshyn Dennis Boyle Genevieve Clouthier Harald Gravelsins Heather Howe lan Wilson James Muir Letters Policy Letter-writers and contributors please take note: Influx reserves the right to amend or refuse material in the interest of a respectful exchange of well-consid- ered thoughts within the justifiable limits of a free and democratic society. Written submissions should be forwarded on comput- er disk to ECIAD Room 140 North Building, 1399 Johnston Street, Vancouver BC,V6H 3R9, or via e-mail to: influx@eciad.bc.ca. Submissions deadline for the March issue y, ring by Nel Saron ‘To the editor, was reading your article on the renovations and ‘thought that Fd like to add afew points about our new con- ‘course gallery. Ihave to admit thatthe concourse was in need ‘of some serious cosmetic surgery. There were plenty of things ‘that needed to be repaired or replaced. just chink tha they ‘0 itl carried vay. ‘Lets start with the lighting. These new fixtures are ‘ited with fll spectrum flourescents. They may be designed to present wotk in their truest colours but the problem is ‘where and how they are hung. On account ofthe room being so big they had ro install the lights eight bulbs wide to get ‘enough ligt into the room, Instead of carpeting the cling ‘with fxrures the lights were hung straight down the middle of the room causing the people up in facts to suffer fom sun ‘burns and retinal damage. This is what replaced our direction lighting. Say good bye tothe ability to create a mood for your ‘work. Along with the directional lighting, also gone is the ‘ease to hang suspended sculptures. When they took out the cat walk and direction lighting they also removed the over- head beams. So now instead of just signing outa step ladder, youte going to have to go get the scissor lift and go al the way othe exling to run a cable. I'm curious as to where the ‘beams went to The last report was that they were cut into thee foot lengths and hauled away. Im sure that there's a sculpture student out there thats shedding a tear right now. ‘Working our way down we find that we now have a ‘new huge wall 19 hang ou work on. First thing we have to contider is that most students are not working on a scale that willbe done justice by this wall This means thatthe top half ofthe wall will go mostly unused. Even ifyou di hang your work up there, where would you view it from? If they had considered leving our beloved catwalk, they could have built their movie sereen on the other side ofthe room. Then there ‘would be someplace to enjoy the work from, Replacing the old staiease isthe "new and improved" version, The stats are obviously too narrow for ‘wo way trafic to pass comfortably. The reason for this is our new swinging. walls. If the new stairs were to be a proper ‘width then there would be only a couple of fee between them and the opened wall. The space between the two cre- ates abit ofa bottleneck asi is now. This boreneck I guess {is OK. because acording to Greg Belamie they dont want the gallery o be a thorough fare anyoray. Nota good design ‘thie to put form before function, Another design aw i the choice of materials forthe stairs. Go stand underneath them and look up. It shouldn't take long to realize that the privacy ‘of anyone wearing a skits gong tobe infringed upon. ‘Whether it be accidentally or intentionally isnot the point. You jst don’ make transparent stairs for public place. ‘Walking down the stars you get a sense of danger from the pitch. Even though they may be within code that doesnt ‘make them any less uncomfortable to walk dovwn.‘Then there 4s that lst step I's camouflaged the same colour as the floor land about three inches too short. It makes me wonder if they ‘even had plans when they built it. Now that were in dhe mid dle of our new presentation space we start to realize just how ‘much space thee really i, especialy when the hinged walls are closed, We realize that with the new walls and concrete floor that our concours is a cold asthe inside ofa twenty ‘cubic fot freezer. “To take the chill off the room they installed brand new doors. Tm glad that our receptionists are warm now but the designers just traded one problem for another. WE all know that they are too small and awkward to open, especially ‘with your hands full ‘The doors themselves, lke the rest ofthe gallery, are not very people friendly, Wee seemed to have compro- mised our show space fora space that is meant tobe shown. ‘The gallery is not so much about wha’ in itas who designed. ‘You would think that afterall the negative feed back on the south building that the folks in charge would have earned ‘their lessons. You'd think that they/d stop hiring thse rock star architects and actully hire someone that would design a space for the people that are going to use it. Speaking of frchitecs, we have several on staff that probably would ave ‘made good consultants seeing as they walk through the space fn a regular basis. We have been told that there was just no time to consult the people that actually use the space as to ‘what they would like to see. The almighty Ron then tells ut ‘that plans have been in the work for years. [guess ten years ‘is not enouigh time to hand out some photocopied opinion polls. What seems to be really happening is once again afew people deciding wha s best forthe rest of us and WE pay ‘them for it Maybe if they didn’t have their headsup thei "Big ‘Apple's, they realize that we are not New York. Were not even on they same coast. Maybe they would realize that ‘Vancouver is a young city trying to come to grips with is ‘own identity. Pat of that identity was uniqueness of our Concourse Galery. Now we look lke every other snotty, uunapproachable high art institute. Jim Stamper 30 Influx? Magazine February 1999 February 1999 Vol. 14, #2 ‘A magazine about art, media, design and culture; produced at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. Managing Editor Jane Brookes Alexander Duff Jason Armstrong Jason MeLean Production Manager Jeff St.Jean Genevieve Clouthier Jennifer Moreau Jim Stamper Editor-at-Large Julie Proulx Tara Delong. Kevin Langdale Leslie Grant Layout Lone! Doe Genevieve Clouthier Marlene Madison Plimley Renan Costa Lima ‘Meghan Mecullough ‘Mia Thomsete Editor and Nancy Kivisto Advisement Nic Lyons Harald Gravelsins Paul Murray Paul Willams Story Group Renan Costa Lima Derek Brunen Sean Clancy Sean Clancy Sean Rorison Cristina King Spark. Suez Holland Design Group Tara DeLong Genevieve Clouthier Una Bachinsli Renan Costa Lima, Xero ‘Alexander Duff ‘Advertising Manager Cover Image Cristina King Genevieve Clouthier This Issues Glo ad by Dennis Boyle Contributors Aaron Powell ‘Obsession ad by Nancy Alicia Fennel Bleck ‘Alyssa Hutsul Bernadette Wycks Acknowledgments Bil Cupic Ron Barron and Cif Veley Carlos Mendes for computer network Chris Jones and digeal scanning asis- Christine Carter ‘tance and support Cristina King ‘Wiliam Cupie for photog- D.Rawliff raphy resources. Daryl Kirkham David Carter David ORegan le Mart Gner Demian Petryshyn Supe DoE ‘aig nthe Bee. Genevieve Clouthier Harald Gravelsine Heather Howe fan Wilson James Muir Letters Policy Lleter-writers and contributors please take note: Influx reserves the right to amend or refuse material in the interest of a respectful exchange of well-consid- ‘ered thoughts within the justifiable limits ofa free and democratic sociery. ‘Written submissions should be forwarded on comput- ‘er disk to ECIAD Room 140 North Building, 1399 Johnston Street,Vancouver BC,V6H 3R9, oF via e-mail to: influx@eciad.be.ca, Submissions deadline for the March issue is February 18, 1999. eee