Planet of the Arts Volume 7 Issue 6 Ze CAR FR And I’m like ‘Gasp! You want me to write?’ And so chatchatchat, and ‘How much would you be paying?’ And he’s like,’Um...fwenty dollars?’ And I’m like: ‘What a sucker!’ And he’s like: ‘What a sucker!’ “So | ended up doing this column writing about art. Which is what I had been doing anyway in Emily Carr, so it was no big deal. “There was no strike, they all lost their shirts. I didn’t find out what they were really up to until years later, anyway. Then Mac Parry at Vancouver magazine had me do an article—actually I’ve got it here, let me show you.” We climbed out of our chairs (me with some difficulty) and moved into another room. In this room there were dozens of tools and objects tacked to the walls with odd labels sorrounding them, An empty table rested in the centre of the room, the last of the day’s light spilling through a window onto it. There were one or two cardboard boxes in a corner which Doug began to search through. “It’s only in the past week I’ve started getting organized,” he explained. Covering the whole of one wall was a white poster with a grid illustration on it. “Oh, look, it’s the Elements,” I muttered. “Oh, no...that’s going out with the next book. If you look, it’ snot really the Elements.” Doug explained. I, . turned to the poster: again and studied it. Sure enough, the symbols were rather odd. And the Ele- ments’ names had been replaced with words like ‘Post- Modernism’ and ‘Police’. It made no sense to me. Doug explained that his next book, Sham- poo Planet, would becoming out in Au- gust. | would have to wait until then to decipher the chart. Doug pulled out an oldissue of Vancou- ver magazine and showed me the first article he had writ- ten for it. There was an photograph of a false Rauschenberg he had concocted with Derek Root for the story. We then moved back into the living room. “What was ECCAD like when you started going in 1980?” | asked. “That was the very first year down at the new location. All there was on the Island was the school, a fraction of what the market is now, and the Arts Club Theatre. It was really just abandoned warehouse buildings and marshland and junk. It wasn’t like Epcot Centre. I think that did effect the way people went to school back then. The place was very different. “You could park your car anywhere you wanted. The make up of the students was different, too. Half the students were senior students where you had twenty-five and over. There were a lot of ex-Hippies going to Art school. Myself, like yourself, | was basically a kid from the ‘burbs a year or two out of high school. I was, like, a rarity. | mean, that was about as colourful and unusual as being.a 37 year old ex-BC Hydro worker who dropped out of the rat race and joined Art. “From what I hear, nowadays, it’s just mostly kids straight out of high school.” Doug stopped then and turned to look out the window at the darkness. “So there was a motley mix of people,” he concluded. “Did you get involved much with things at Emily Carr?” | asked. Doug looked at me and smiled. “In 1982 students were fantastically apathetic. There was a Student Society back then and no one in the entire school would run,” he said. “Sounds familiar,” I said. DOUG COUPLAND, DEREK ROOT, ANGELA GROSSMANN IN 1984 (ANDY, CLAIRE AND DAG?) page = “I mean,” Doug went on, “no one was into anything. It was just dead beat. Like, leave me alone. That was the official motto. So myself, Angela Grossmann and Derek Root...and another woman...we decided, well, what the hell? Why not run for Student Society? We got in by acclaimation.” “So what did you do?” “What'd we do? Well, we had absolutely no political credo. I mean, we couldn’t have been less political if we consciously tried to be less political. We spent all the money on Pub nights. “For Christmas ’82 we rented a great big, six-tiered Liberache punch fountain with lights and stuff. We went out and we bought, oh gosh, 8000 [?!] bucks worth of free booze. We had 54-40 come in and we had what feminist contingent there was at the school back then do mud wrestling to make a point. We had Bill Featherstone come in dressed as Santa. We spent another 500 bucks on, like, toys and stuff like little paint brushes . ‘ “The theme was...it was very Slim Whitman. The whole notion of Slim Whitman having a Christmas. This failed, sort of lounging, you know, joke of a singer. It just got out of hand. ‘Christmas with Slim, will you be there?’ Everyone started making costumes...it culminated with Glen Mosely from 3-D—I don’t know where he is now. “We phoned Slim at his house in Tennesse...on the stage, we had it hooked up to speakers. It was sort of like: ‘Slim, we’ re phoning from Vancouver!” "“FUCK OFF!’ -click-.” Doug fell back in his chair laughing. “It was great! Made the CBC National news!” “How did you get into 3- D at the school? Did your experience with Physics take you there?” “3-D., How did 3-D hap- pen?” Doug sat quietly for a time, quite stumped. “3-D happened because in the summer of 1982 Sam Carter had to drop off a station wagon to someone who was living in L.A. and he didn’t wantto go down there all by himself. So myself and Angela and Derek sort of drove down with him in the station wagon. “We were driving L.A. looking...and | wanted to buy a map to the stars homes. We got one from from these Bad News Bears types at the corner of Doheaney and Santa Monica. I wanted to send it up to Vancouver and [ was sitting there like,’ Duouy, howamI gonna put this in the mail?’ Sam got a piece of cardboard and folded it up in a triangle and said: ‘Look! Unless you start getting 3-dimensional really quick people are going to begin talking!’ | said: ‘Gasp!’ And I came back and signed up for 3-D...because | didn’t want people thinking I was not 3-dimensional.” “So you never approached ECCAD with any deliberate approach or focus. Things just kind of went for you,” I said. “Well, that’s what Art school is all about. No, I think if you told me in 1979 that a few years later I would be graduating in sculpture I’djust go: ‘you're mad!’ Y’know, no way. I think as long as you’re enjoying something—you know—pursue it. That seems to work.” When we’d finished talking, Doug accompanied me down the elevator. We shook hands at the front door and I thought how strange it was that the total admiration I had held a few hours earlier for this author had been transformed into a personable friendship. photo-JCW A complete transcription of the above interview (which is actually only a fraction of the whole) is available for a nominal fee fromLUNATIC PRODUCTIONS, clo Planet of the Arts . Andrew Robulack would like to thank JCW for the photograph used as part of this interview. oy IS THIS GLASS HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL? Christmas 1982” Emily Cart College of Art and Design Emily Carr College fur Kunst und Gestaltung LEY-.9-. PZ AFT TY ERIS THE KAYAK: Croucning down on your knees, put your arms above your head and wriggle. Bob up and down and then trirl. The cycle is complete after you've done this four times. You are now one with God. WAFFLING: Passing the buck and/or fudging on an issue because one does not care about or know about that issue, GROVELLING: A form of self- deprecation tangentially re- lated to snivelling Planet of the Arts Volune 7 CARF And I'm ike ‘Gasp! You want me write?” And so chatchachat, and How ‘much would you be paying?” Ad he's like,'Um. went dollars?” And I'm like: ‘What a sucker! And he’s like: "What a sucker” “So ended up doing ths column writing abou ar. Which is what had been doing anyway in Emily Cre, so it was no big del “There was no srike, Ue ll ost ther shins. [did't fing owt what they were realy ‘upto util years later, anyway. Then Mac Par at Vancouver magazine had me do an ‘ticle—actally I’ve got here, let me show you." We imbed out of our chairs (me with some difficulty and moved ino another om. Inthisroom there ere dozens of tools and objects tackedto the walls with odd labels sorrounding them. An empty table rested inthe centre ofthe rom, the lastof the day's Ligh spiling through a window onto it. There were one or two cardboard boxes ina ‘comer which Doug began to search through. “Is only inthe past week I've started geting organized” he explained. Covering the whol of one wall was a white postr with a grid illustration ont. “Oh Took, is the Elements,” I mutered. “Oh, o..ha's going out wilh thenext book. fyoulok,it’snotrellythe Elements.” Doug explained. 1 turned to the poster again and studied it Sure enough, te symbols wererather cd, And the Ete ments’ names had been replaced with words like “Post- Modernism’ and "Police. Itmade m0 sense 19 me. Doug, explained that his next book, Sham poo Planet, would ‘ecomingoutn Au gus. I would have 1o wait until then to decipher the char. Dougpulledoutan ldssucofVancou ver magazine and showed me the fist ance be had writ tenforit There was an photograph of a false Rauschenberg he had concocted with Derek Root fr the try. We then moved tack into the living room. “What was ECCAD like when you stated going in 1980?" asked That waste very first year down athe new location. Allthere was onthe Island was the schoo, /factonof whatthemarket snow, andthe Ans Cb Theatre twas really jut abandoned warehouse buildings and marshland and jun. tt wasn't ike Epo. ‘Cer, think that dd effect the way people went to school tack then. The place was very diferent “You could park your car anywhere you wanted. The make up ofthe students was itferent, too, Half the students were senior students where you had twenty-five and ‘over. There were alt of ex-Hipies going 1 An schol. Mysl ike youself I was tuscally a kid from he “burbs a year or two out of high school Iwas, like aay. ‘mean, that was abou a colourful and unusual as being a 37 yer old ex-BC Hydro worker who dropped out ofthe rat race and joined Ar. “From what [hear nowadays, its jst mostly kids sight out of hgh school.” Doug stopped nen and tured to lookout the window athe darkness. “Sothere was amotley mix of people” be conclude. “Did you gt involved much with things a Emily Car?” asked. Doug looked atme and smile, “In 1982 students wee fanatally apathetic. There was a Student Soiey back then and no one inthe entire school would run," he sud “Sounds familia,” sid ‘DOUG COUPLANO, DEREK ROOT, ANGELA GROSSMANN IN 1988 (ANDY, CLAIRE AND O46?) Issue 6 page 9 “mean,” Doug went on, “noone was into arith. twas just deadbeat. Like, eave ‘me alone, Tat was the official moto. So myself, Angela Grossmann and Derek Root.and anor woman...we decided, well, wha the hell? Why no run jor Suen Society? We goin by acclamation.” “So what did you do?” “What'd we do? Wel, we had absolutly no politcal credo. Iman, we couldn’ thave bene political if we consciously tried to bees political, We spental he money on Pub nigh. “For Chrisumas "82 we rented a great big, sxtiered Liberache punch fountain with lights and stuff We went ou and we bought, oh gosh, 8000 [?! bucks worth of free booze, We had 54-0 come in and we had wit feminist contingent there was atthe school buck then do mud wrestling to make a point. We had Bill Featherstone come in essed as Santa, We spent another $00 bucks on ike toys and stuff ike ile paint brushes “The theme wast was very Slim Whitman. The whole notion of Stim Whitman having a Chrisumas. This aed, sor of lounging you know, joke ofa singer. It just got ‘out of hand, “Christmas with Sim, will you be there?” Everyone stated making costumes. culminated with Glen Mosely from 3-D—I don't know where hei now “We phoned Slim at his house in Tenesse..on the stage, we had it hooked up t0 speakers. Iwas sor oflike: “Slim, we're phoning from Vancouver!” FUCK OFF” lick Doug fll back in his chit laughing. “It was great! Made the CBC National news! How did you gt into 3 Dat the school? Did your experience with Physics “3D, How did }D hap, pen?” Doug sat quit fora time, happened because summme of 1982Sam Canter had to drop off a station wagonto someone who was ving in. A. and he did't swanttogodownthereall by himself, So myself and Angela and Derek sot drove down with him inthe ‘eto-F sation wagon. “We were driving LA Joking. and waned io buy amapto he stars homes We got one from from these Bad "News Bears types athe corer of Dobeaney and Santa Monica, {wanted to send it up to Vancouver andl vas sting there like,’Duouy, how amd gona pu thi in he mail” ‘Sam got a pice of cardboard and folded it up in a riangle and suid: ‘Lok! Unless you ‘art geting 3dimensional really quick people are going to begin tallng!” | sid: “Gasp!” And came back and signed up for -D..becase | didn't want people thinking 1 was no 3-dimensional.” “So you never approached ECCAD with any deliberate approach or focus. Things just kind of went for you," said “Well thts what Ant scholisall about No, lthink if youtold mein 1979 ha few years later wouldbe graduating n sculpture ’djus go:'you'e madi” Y"know,n0 way. {think as long as you'r enjoying something—you know—pursue it That seems to work.” ‘When we'd finished talking, Doog acompanied me down the elevator. We shook hands a the front door and I thought how strange it wa thatthe total admiration [had held few house for this author had ben ransformedinto personable friendship. A complete transription ofthe above interview (whichis actually nly afaction othe whol) is available fora nominal eefrom LUNATIC PRODUCTIONS, clo Planet of the Anis. Andrew Robulack would lite tthank CW for the photograph usedas part ofthis intern. go, IS THIS GLASS HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL? ence tod Pesbenires czar THE KAYAK: Crouching down on your knees, put your arms above your head and wriggle. Bob up and down and then trirl. The cycle is complete after you've done this four times. You are now one with God. WAFFLING: Passing the buck and/or fudging on an issue because one does not care about or know about that issue, GROVELLING: A form of self. deprecation tangentially re- lated to snivelling