ART...seeing yourself as Architecture

What kind of building do you see yourself as? Hhmmmm have I really thought of myself as architecture before? Not really but, apparently I’m the MIRA Tower in San Francisco for one, and for two, quite dazzling to boot! Seeing myself as a 39 storey building containing 392 residential units is quite the feat but so was building this place; ironically the MIRA Tower was under construction 2014 when we bought this property. Our friends at the city of Vancouver had me pay for the type of infrastructure that could support the MIRA TOWER but alas Project 851 is what we got and I can’t honestly say I’ve thought of myself as a Tower. Not that that is a bad thing as that tower is quite spectacular if I must say so myself.

Taking a stroll through google-land I find not only am I architecture MIRA is also a constellation, a series of song, a city in Portugal and Spain, and also rivers, ports and streams. A name of nature and wonderment all right but for our artistic purposes today we’ll stick to buildings of a MIRA kind.

My eyes danced upon many Hotels that fall into that category and range from India, Hong Kong, Italy, Turkey and Morocco to name a few but Vietnam is where my eyes landed; ahhhh to be able to travel again. What a great adventure it would be to travel everywhere and stay exclusively in hotels named MIRA. I look forward to those days, post COVID19, in perhaps 2 years — fingers crossed and we should be so lucky! Ahhhh to imagine travelling around the world visiting my name in hotel architecture while listening to Hotel Mira. Thinking of all things MIRA while mastering Dolce far niente. lol what a blast!!!

I like this kooky game of “defining yourself as architecture” that I’ve created. It’s a great distraction from these COVID19 times and tents / encampment invasions. MIRA will not be found in Palaces and Castles. NOT being there is kind of a surprise, not that I think of myself as one of those, but because it seems deserving (smile). My life adventures have been far from those types of structures but their majestic presence certainly are worthy of exploration and awe: like the art of sweet nothing.

If I am to be honest the most appropriate architecture for me, MIRA, would be one of collaboration, collective /compound or sustainable structure. In fact, I did a gig about 10 years ago with the team from Garbage Warriors in Jamaica and that experience resulted in an art installation called Ballroom 584. Just for fun and a little bit of trivia the white ball used in the sculptural part of the installation, where the time lapse shows the community adding the felt balls, is now in the foundation of the cement staircase leading to the studio on this site (853A unit). There are more than a few of these types of “trivia” here on site at Project 851. That paper mache ball was filled with broken bits of ceramics from a piece I loved that became shattered and the mache was from many years of accumulated receipts of adventures to Croatia with my mother.

The 584 was a direct reference to my address at the time in Strathcona as Project851 is to the address here on Union St. When thinking about experience in life it’s interesting to see the patterns we create; I’ve done some patterning with numbers and spaces or places tied to art a few times. An art project of 248 pins was connected to my Mom’s address in Omisalj Croatia, which is no longer that address, and of course the Ballroom mentioned and now what I like to think of as a swan song Project 851 (or maybe just a masterpiece). Patterns continue to fascinate me.

Recently, an interview was conducted here with Courtney Healey who is writing an article for Canadian Architecture featuring this project and Marianne Amodio; well deserved for Marianne!!. Bravo Marianne!! I seemed to have picked great people to work with as unbeknownst to me, Reece Terris was featured in this magazine as well. It made me happy to hear Courtney’s article will be in September’s issue where we’ll be able to read about Marianne’s vision, talent and collaborative efforts. It’s so wonderful to see she will be recognized. Note to self: get a box of those magazines and fingers crossed Mom in her swimsuit will be featured on the cover!!

The trajectory we find ourselves on in life comes from the accumulation of these interesting, not often planned, experiences. As I say you always need to leave enough room for your boat to float!! — that’s when life takes you in the destined direction of a fabulous journey. I hope you find yourself thinking about what kind architecture you are and that suits you perfectly at this moment in life. Koko imagines herself not as a building but as a sign.

This has been a little write up of towers to signs… Here’s Art dog Koko’s share:

PROGRESS...we've come a long way baby or have we?

Well as far as Project 851 we have come a long way and the dust has settled to the point we can reflect and reap the fruit of all labour. Sadly it is also a time where people have not been able to develop effective systems of understanding one another and that is such a shame.

Today we’re a little shame on things — shame on all levels of gov’t that aren’t working together, shame on those behaving violently to anyone or anything, shame on those who feel entitled to take from others and shame on those who are not thinking of more than themselves. This week a group of people occupied our local park and daily the situation gets worse. Here are a few things you haven’t read in the press — assaults, over doses and tree punching (yes tree punching). The residents of the neighbourhood, who are not activists, seem genuinely concerned about their community members being able to access the park. Interestingly, the media coverage hasn’t highlighted any of these issues.

I can’t imagine any person who doesn’t sympathize with the homeless but occupying a community park? When has that ever lead to a healthy solution? Perhaps Strathcona will be a first. Letters will be flying in this week no doubt as the Parks Board is failing in their responsibility to the stewardship of parks and the city may well be scrambling behind the scenes to correct a provincial and federal gov’t debacle. Where are those elected representatives and what are they thinking? How is this safe for anyone.

The solution, as I’ve said many times, is easy. Get your arses out of those chairs and start dancing with passion to make things work; provide safe places for people with mental health issues, give them drugs/medication (whatever you want to label it), feed them and provide medical care. Other countries like Holland, Portugal to name two have made it happen so what’s wrong with us? Are we really a society that prefers to put our tax paying citizens at risk and deprive their children and seniors of open space, especially during times of a pandemic? Crazy right?

How much do we spend on all the “services” to deal with the ineffective fall out? I heard more than one million dollars was spent on one case alone for one year; that was for a woman who was constantly in and out of the system over dosing and not recovering or getting rehab. Yes, true dat. We know solutions are out there and doable so come on let’s do, do, do. Let’s demand that all levels of gov’t dance in the same room and swing each other around until the effective plan is in place and all steps to achieve it. No rest until the dance is done — a true dance-a-thon.

Dancing takes leadership, style, connecting and balance.

ART...the House, the Contractor...

Reece Terris has been mentioned in this blog before but todays post will shine the light on Reece in his role as an Artist. Terris has been published for his work internationally, nationally and locally (ie. Canadian Art, Canadian Architecture, Vancouver Art Gallery, Georgia Straight…) when you google him take your pick of articles to read as there’s plenty to choose from.

I’m so happy to have his work in my collection and see how the pieces communicate with the likes of Sonny Assu, Lawrence Paul Yuxwelupton, Anida Yoeu Ali and others; he is in good company. Today we’re going to look at 3 works in the collection and one extra treat, which speaks to “Reece Terris renovating the art world” where we could say “Reece Terris is renovating the art of Madonna in the Project 851 world”.

Let’s start with American Standard from 2004. Read about this piece and get your mind blown with the great balance of clever witty art reference and the real world. That type of balance is exquisitely achieved in Terris’ work and only one reason I’m fond of his art — so I suggest you read the link that goes with this work that hangs appropriately in my bathroom:

Next let’s move to the living room and see the stunning Work Camp, Art Camp piece. This installation/ public art work was created in Austria while Terris was on an Artist Residency. The piece then was on exhibition in the public art gallery in Liechtenstein and now hangs in my home.

The final piece to share of Reece Terris’ work is “Good Bye Work” which too is appropriate for the space it occupies; that being, by the office in my home (smile). Loving the guys who were here working and happy to see them socially as the primary relationship now is what I think when I look at this piece. The story in the Vice article gives a quick reference to the work. Swing on by and I’ll tell you more…

It would be awesome to have more of Reece’s work and when I win the lottery he’s the guy I’m calling up to do a profoundly crazy installation for the public on this site.

Until then I can enjoy the installation he helped me with which was the Madonna in the Wall on the inside of the house. This piece developed from a dinner conversation with Marianne quite sometime ago. I was inspired by Michelangelo and the pieces in Florence where figures emerge from stones. The Madonna was purchased at an auction of Hugh Pickett’s estate and lived in my old place for some years. It wasn’t a problem for me to imbed her into the wall and when Marianne got her head around what I was saying she jumped on it like white on rice. Reece, was the man of magic that made it happen and took my original idea to another level.

Madonna Old and New; bringing on the backside

Madonna Old and New; bringing on the backside

The plan, originally was to have the backside of Madonna’s head come out of the wall; so the front was on one side of the wall and the back coming out the other side. Reece and I discussed the idea. When he was making alterations to the alabaster bust before she went into the wall he discovered an aesthetic challenge. Thank you City of Vancouver and all those silly regulations regarding codes etc,— that is a big drink in a big glass conversation for another time. The challenge being the look on the backside because of wall thickness: it resulted in a complete change of the backside.

Reece suggested flattening the back of her head and framing it into the wall. This would let more light come through as well as make the backside more conducive of a contemporary art piece. I LOVED IT!! The result is fabulous and subtle. It is not totally complete as there’s one more element to be tracked down to close the circle of Madonna in the wall.

Thank you Mr. Reece Terris, the artist, for being a part of Terris Lightfoot Contracting which made this project a masterpiece come to life!!