een

6 PLANET oF THE ARTS

m0 Cg —

It is a room filled with pathos, naive optimism, and dashed
hopes. Men with greying hair and lined faces shamble about
clutching precious numbers and dog-eared plans, furtively
mumbling obscenities and hollow threats under their breaths.
It is a pathetic sight. It is the Permits and Licences Depart-

ment at Vancouver City Hall.

Historically, this chamber of horrors and despair has
been the exclusive ground of architects and designers and
contractors and the occasional home owner who mistakenly
thinks adding a sundeck to his home is a simple thing. (In
short order, Permits and Licences can demonstrate how it
is, in fact, a very complex , complicated matter). But-re-
cently, through no fault of their own, artists seem to have
been inducted into this miserable, unwilling “Club”. In-
creasingly, Vancouver artists are being asked to produce
“public” works: murals on the sides of buildings,outdoor
sculptures and the like. As long as Art stayed inside, the
City seemed willing to tolerate independence or, in extreme
cases, forgive and forget, but now that Art has hit the
streets, the City is bent on protecting it’s turf, and Permits
and Licences is its front line. Sequestered in upper floors,
there are Generals and Lieutenants and weak links in this
droll bureaucracy we pay for with our taxes. It is difficult to
adequately describe the finely tuned wringer an artist who
wants to do a “public” work is put through in the City of
Vancouver, but by way of me describing my own Kafka-
esque experience with the city this summer, you might get
some idea.

In July I was approached by the much-touted Vancouver:
designer David Vance to work with him on a commercial
renovation. David Vance’s recent projects include all the
Earl’s Restaurants, Cafe Fish, and the clothing store
Boboli. The project was Sound Plus Mobile, a very upscale
auto stereo sales and installation business at Sixth and Cam-
bie Street. The building, originally a dilapidated, unusually
uninspired piece of architecture was transformed on the in-
side to a very slick, tasteful interior complete with banners,
lights supported on girders, and anew VW Rabbit sitting in
the middle of the sales room where you can listen to your
potential dream stereo. It was clear this was not your aver--
age auto stereo store. The exterior of the store, facing Cam-
bie just as it enters the South end of the Cambie Street
Bridge, was stucco with a large window. David Vance’s
idea was to have painted a mural on the face of the building
depicting an old archetypal gas station from the 30’s, faded
and somewhat falling apart, as a counterpoint to the high-
tech interior. The owners of Sound Plus Mobile saw this as
an opportunity to include some signage indicating their
product in a subtle, tasteful way, as well as giving commut-
ers, mobile and pedestrian alike, something interesting and
fun to look at as they went by. Simple enough.

I started the mural in July, enlisting the considerable help
of Steven Craine, a third year ECCAD student. Within
three weeks, we were about 80% finished. The whole pro-
ject was going extremely well: the designer and owners
were delighted, the stucco surface (Isoren-F) was perfect
for the kind of painting we were doing, we were having fun,
and the mural was an immediate hit with the public. To that
end, the subject matter didn’t hurt: an old man on a porch
behind his old gas pumps waiting for the next car. It’s the
sort of “apple pie” imagery Norman Rockwell lived for.
However, the whole thing “worked”, and in the end the
image has considerable more substance (and logic) to it
than, say, acouple of whales flopping about on the side of a
building. Our days were punctuated with cars honking ap-
proval, businessmen wanting to hire us, and pedestrians
and camera-toting Expo tourists heaping praise on our ef-
forts. This was heady stuff indeed. It was just as we were
riding this wave of popularity with The People that Mr.
Lee, City of Vancouver Property Use Inspector, arrived on
the scene. The vigilant Mr. Lee had, from across Cambie,
noticed that the owners had constructed a window which
their building permit did not allow. Rushing to the scene of
the crime, he was chagrined to realize it was a troupe |’oeil
window. Nevertheless, instinct took over, and he started
demanding permits; first for the mural, and then for ourse-
Ives. Sensing an approaching storm, Steve, innately dis-

ANANANANAAAANANAANANANAAANAANAANANAAANAANAAANAANANANAAAARA AAA RAR

trusting authority, silently painted, while I, always practi-
cal, acted the grovelling apologetic “bad child” the situa-
tion seemed to demand. Amid threats of the mural needing
to be immediately removed from public view (ie: painted
over) it was determined the designer and business owner
had not obtained the proper permit for a wall mural, it not
having occurred to them that one was even required.

Mr. Lee was an instructive introduction to the City’s ap-:

proach to matters of this nature. When asked, in the most
polite terms, why murals needed a permit, he replied that if
the City had no control over such matters, public eyes could
be offended by all sorts of ugly murals and sculptures on
City streets. Fair enough, I thought, with some reserva-
tions,looking half a block south into the glare of golden
arches and the rival garishness of a revolving Wendy’s sign

by: BRENT BEATTIE

the permit the humorless Ms. Achiam told me the permit
would cost $41.00 but that would be doubled as a fine be-
cause we had already started the project. Also, in order to
apply for the permit, I personally would have to cough up
$150.00 to buy a contractor’s license. This seemed like
adding insult to injury. How many artists have contractor’s
licences to work in Vancouver? When asked why I needed
to have this licence the dour Cecilia told me the City has to
have someone to sue in case a can of paint was to fall on the
sidewalk. This is the same city which can’t keep prostitutes
and heroin pushers off the streets, but GOD DAMNIT
they’re going to control those errant paint cans on our
streets! | magnanimously suggested the city sue the owners
of Sound Plus Mobile, which seemed to satisfy Cecilia. It
was obvious Cecilia had no interest whatsoever in the mural
itself. One of the three photographs was _ perfunctorily
stapled to the application. When asked about the applica-
tion review process, she initially balked and then reluc-
tantly told me the application would be in the hands of one
Lincoln Chang in the Planning Department, and it would
take two weeks to get the Permit, and, implicitly,““don’t call
us, we’ll call you.” I walked out of the Permits and Li-
cences Department feeling I had not been amongst friends.

Two weeks passed without a word, and then, sure
enough, a letter arrived from the City. Over the signature of
R. Hiebert, Director of Permits and Licences, Sound Plus
Mobile and I were told the Director of Planning would not
recommend approval of the mural and it would have to be

across the street. I meekly suggested a few examples of cer-
tain ugly things which I presume were officially
sanctioned. Pressing my point, I boldly asked whether Mr.
Lee himself thought the mural at hand was ugly. No, in fact
he thought it was dandy, but then that brought up another
problem: what if it’s too attractive and pedestrians lurch off
sidewalks or cars hurtle off the bridge trying to get a look at
this mural! The forecast was looking grey for Public Art: It
can’t be too ugly and it can’t be too attractive. With the
City, NOTHING IS SIMPLE. At this point it was obvious:
the fat was in the fire, we would have to get a permit.

Painting ground to a halt on the mural, we photographed
what had been done, and, with photographs and the desig-
ner’s concept sketch, bravely trotted up to City Hall the
next day. There I met Cecilia Achiam, who handles such
exotic things as mural permits. It seems, at this point, the
City has a lot of difficulty fitting art or even “arty things”
into categories. Murals fall under the Sign Bylaw, and on
the permit application form, the only sub-category that
comes close to a mural would be the term “super graphic”
which covers everything from a large Happy Face to the
Sistine Chapel. Cecilia had already heard about me from
Mr. Lee: Brent Beattie, Art Criminal. Having completed

removed within 30 days. No reason was given, nor infor-

‘mation on if this decision could be appealed. It was a fait

accompli . ! was completely non-plussed, especially since,
if in fact there had been a problem, why was the artist or the
owner not consulted before a decision was made? No one
had called for clarification, in fact no one deciding its fate
had even looked at the mural eventhough it was 80% com-
plete, six blocks from City Hall. On my part, this probably
was the most innocuous, uncontroversial, accessible,
populist project I had worked on, and it had been blindly de-
nied with no reason given. On the business owners’ part,
here was something of which they were immensley proud,
and which supposedly the city was encouraging, (mainly
Free Enterprise Supporting the Arts and Artists), and with-
out any consultation or consideration they were being told
to paint it over. We knew we had been formally initiated
into “The Club” of miserable, manipulated designers and
architects and contractors.

There was an immediate flurry of activity: talk of peti-
tions, making it a BCTV news item, newspaper coverage,
etc. A born-again Christian Expo Tourist even promised to
pray for our mural. However we thought we would at least
give the official channels one more try. I got on the tele-

Kelly Wood
It is aroom filled with pathos, naive optimism, and dashed

hope.

Men with greying hair and lined faces shamble about

clutching precious numbers and dog-eared plans, furtively
mumbling obscenities and hollow threats under their breaths.

Meets
ment at Vancouver City Hall.

Historically, this chamber of horrors and despair has
been the exclusive ground of architects and designers and
‘contractors and the occasional home owner who mistakenly
thinks adding a sundeck to his home is simple thing. (In
short order, Permits and Licences can demonstrate how it
is, in fact, a very complex . complicated matter). But re-
cently, through no fault oftheir own, artists seem to have
been inducted into this miserable, unwilling “Club”. In-
creasingly, Vancouver artists are being asked to produce
“public” works: murals on the sides of buildings,outdoor
sculptures and the like. As long as Art stayed inside, the
ty seemed willing to tolerate independence or, in extreme
cases, forgive and forget, but now that Art has hit the
streets, the City is bent on protecting it’s tur, and Permits
and Licences is its. front line. Sequestered in upper floors,
there are enants and weak links in this
for with ourtaxes.Itisdifficultto
the finely tuned wringer an artist who
‘wants to do a “public” work is put through in the City of
Vancouver, but by way of me describing my own Kafka
perience withthe city this summer, you might get

ly 1 was approached by the much-touted Vancouver:
ner David Vance to work with him on a commercial
vation. David Vance’s recent projects include all the
Earl's Restaurants, Cafe Fish, and the clothing store
Boboli. The project was Sound Plus Mobile, a very upscale
‘business at Sixth and Cam:
ly adilapidated, unusually
uninspired pieve of was transformed on the in
side to very slick, tasteful interior complete with banners,
supported on girders, and a new VW Rabbit sitting in
the middle of the sales room where you can listen to your
potential dream stereo. It was clear this was not your aver:
‘age auto stereo store, The exterior ofthe store, facing Cam
ie just as it enters the South end of the Cambie Street
Bridge. was stucco with a large window. David Vance's
idea was to have painted a mueal on the face ofthe building
depicting an old archetypal gas station from the 30's, faded
and somewhat falling apart, as a counterpoint to the high
tech interior. The owners of Sound Plus Mobile saw this as
an opportunity to include some signage indicating their
product ina subtle, tasteful way, as well as giving commut
ers, mobile and pedestrian alike, something interesting and.
fun to look at ast by. Simple enough,

I started the mural in July, enlisting the considerable help
of Steven Craine, a third year ECCAD student. Wit
three weeks, we were about 80% finished. The whole pr
ject was going extremely well: the designer and owners
‘were delighted, the stucco surface (Isoren-F) was perfect
forthe kindof painting we were doing, we were having:
nd the mural was an immediate hit with the public, To that
tend, the subject matter didn't hurt: an old man on a porch
behind his old gas pumps waiting forthe next car. I's the
sort of “apple pie” imagery Norman Rockwell lived for.
However, the whole thing “worked”, and in the end the
siderable more substance (and lo

than, say, couple of whales flopping abou
building. Our days were punctuated with cars honking ap-
proval, businessmen wanting to hire us, and pedestrians
‘and camer ists heaping praise on our ef
forts. This was heady stuff indeed. It was just as we were
riding this wave of popularity with The People that Mr.
Lee, City of Vancouver Property Use Inspector arrived on
the scene. The vigilant Mr. Lee had, from across Cambi
noticed that the owners had constructed a window wl
their building permit did not allow. Rushing tothe scene of
the erime, he was chagrined to realize it was a troupe l'oeil
window. Nevertheless, instinct took over, and he started
demanding permits; first for the mural, and then for ourse
Ines. Sensing an approaching storm, Steve, innately dis:

ESSN

a pathetic sight. It is the Permits and Licences Depart-

trusting authority, silently painted, while I, always practi:
cal, acted the grovelling apologetic “bad child” the situa
id. Amid threats ofthe mural needin
moved from public view (ie: painted
‘ver it was determined the designer and business owner
hhad not obtained the proper permit for a wall mural, it not
having occurred to them that one was even require

Mr. Lee was an instructive introduction o the City’s ap-
proach to matters ofthis nature. When asked, in the most
polite terms, why murals needed a permit, he replied that if
the City had no control over such matters, public eyes could
be offended by all sorts of ugly murals and sculptures on
City streets. Fair enough, I thought, with some reserva
tions,looking half a block south into the glare of golden
arches and the rival garishness ofa revolving Wendy's sign

‘across the street. [meekly suggested a few examples of cer-
tain ugly things which T presume were officially
sanctioned. Pressing my point, I boldly asked whether Mr
Lee himself thought the mural at hand was ugly. No, in fact
he thought it was dandy, but then that brought up another
problem: what iit’s too attractive and pedestrians lurch off
Sidewalks or cars hurtle off the bridge trying to get a look at
this mural! The forecast was looking grey for Public Art: It
‘can't be t00 ugly and it can’t be t00 attractive. With the
City, NOTHING IS SIMPLE. AC this point it was obvious:
the fat was in the fire, we would have to get a permit.

Painting ground toa halt on the mural, we photographed
what had been done, and, with photographs and the desig
ner’s concept sketch, bravely trotted up to City Hall the
next day. There I met Cecilia Achiam, who handles such
{exotic things as mural permits. It seem

City has a lot of difficulty fitting art or even “
ino categories. Murals fall under the Sign Bylaw, and on

the permit application form, the only sub-category that
‘comes close t phi
which covers everything from a large Happy Face to the

Sistine Chapel. Cecilia had already heard about me from
Mr. Lee: Brent Beattie, Art Criminal. Having completed,

the permit the humorless Ms. Achiam told me the p
‘would cost $41.00 but that would be doubled asa fin
cause we had already started the project. Also, in order to
apply for the permit I personally would have to cough up
$5150.00 to buy a contractor's license, This seemed like
adding insult to injury. How many artists have contractor's
licences to work in Vancouver? When asked why [needed

to have this licence the dour Cecilia told me the City has to
hhave someone to sue in ease can of paint was to fall onthe
sidewalk. This is the same city which can’t keep prostitutes
streets, but GOD DAMNIT
they're going to control those errant paint cans on our
streets! I magnanimously suggested the city sue the owners
‘of Sound Plus Mobile, which seemed to satisfy Cecilia. It
was obvious Cecilia had no interest whatsoever in the mural
itself, One of the three photographs. was. perfunctorily
stapled to the application. When asked about the applica-
tion review process, she initially balked and then rel
tantly told me the application would be in the hands of one
Lincoln Chang in the Planning Department, and it would
take two weeks to get the Permit, and, implicitly,"don’teall
us, we'll call you.” I walked out of the
ceences Department feeling lad not been amongst friends,

and heroin pushers off

Two weeks passed without a word, and then, sure
‘enough, a letter arrived from the City. Over the signature of
R, Hiebert, Director of Perr

Mobile and I were told the Director of Planning would not
recommend approval ofthe mural and it would have to be

removed within 30 days. No reason was given, nor infor:
mation on if this decision could be appealed. It was a fait
‘accompli . [was completely non-plussed, especially since,
ifn fact there had been a problem, why was the artist or the
‘owner not consulted before a decision was made? No one
had called for clarification, in fact no one deciding its fate
had even looked at the mural eventhough it was 80% com-
plete, six blocks from City Hall. On my part, this probably
was the most innocuous, uncontroversial, accessibl

populist project Ihad worked on, and ithad been blindly &
‘ied with no reason given. On the business owners” part,
here was something of which they were immensley proud,
and which supposedly the city was encouraging, (mainly
Free Enterprise Supporting the Arts and Artists), and with
fot any c

to paint it over. We knew we had been formally
into “The Club” of miserable, manipulated designers and
architects and contractors.

There was an im

rediate flurry of activity: talk of peti
TV news item, newspaper coverage,
‘etc. A born-again Christian Expo Tourist even promised 10
pray for our mural, However we thought we would at least
sive the official channels one more try. I got on the tele-