 place 5726 Reserved
digital chromogenic print, approx 10.5" x 13.5” $95 Vancouver occupies land that was traditionally the territory of the Musqueam and other Coast Salish people. It was never ceded in any of the recognized ways. First Nations (indigenous; Native Canadian) people in BC experience marked inequalities as a result of generational oppression and systemic racism. This photo was taken on the day the "Truth and Reconciliation Report" was issued by the government. Looked at optimistically, it's an acknowledgment of the atrocities committed over the last ~300 years by colonial forces. The term genocide is used, and is in my opinion accurate, but of course that caused immediate angry rejection of the entire report and all its findings by many nonnative and some native people. Will it lead to any substantive change? Wait 'n' see. Learn more about the artist and this show here.  place 0550 Urban Wildlife
digital chromogenic print, approx 10.5" x 13.5” $95 We're not accustomed to thinking of ourselves as part of urban ecology, but when you become attuned to it, you can gauge the affluence of an area without even glancing at the buildings. Rats are an obvious example, but to me the plants are more telling. The plants of poverty around here are mostly non-native invasive species — Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) being the most obvious. It forms dense, impenetrable thickets ideal for rats, songbirds, and other small critters, but it's also the choice of a lot of urban campers because the police generally don't want to wade into a sea of thorns to evict someone. The berries are edible, too, and delicious; some people see them as food and gather them, others see them as "attracting pests.” Ironically, the original native flora and fauna persist only in areas where a lot of money is spent to keep it that way. Learn more about the artist and this show here.  place 1041 Forest Fires
digital chromogenic print, approx 10.5" x 13.5” $95 For the last few years, Vancouver has been in the path of smoke drifting in from fires inland, to the north, and from Washington state. Among the first obvious consequences of climate change: for the last ten years or so, invasive non-native insects and pests that would not have survived the colder winters we used to have, have killed huge swaths of forest. The most immediate social effect is that the lumber industry is hurting; the pests damage the wood in ways that make it worth less, and government tariffs have not been reduced to allow for economically feasible harvest. Mills and secondary processing plants have closed, and the transport network has stalled. Mill towns are being shut down. Decreased rainfall, hotter summers, and the volume of standing deadwood have year after year encouraged massive forest fires. Sometimes for a week at a time the sun is a red dot in the yellowy grey sky, if it's visible at all. A fine layer of grit and ash collects on surfaces, and health authorities warn to stay indoors. For all the good that does. Learn more about the artist and this show here.  place 0041 Port City
digital chromogenic print, approx 10.5" x 13.5” $95 The Downtown East Side from the water. The city is a seaport, which influences every decision from zoning to healthcare. It's among the biggest international seaports in North America and provides easy access for products manufactured overseas and shipped in containers through the port. It's one of the main sites where Canada's natural resources are shipped out. Most of what you see from here is zoned as port land or light industrial — a thick barrier between residential or commercial areas and the sea, preventing access for most people. So while the DTES is near the sea, there are very few places where you can actually touch it. The environment is gritty, low-rise, noisy, often dirty and polluted. It's a part of the city that the wealthy try to avoid. |
|
RSS Feed