Archive for December, 2011

If you’re a hip hop history nerd then you already know that the rap group Public Enemy came together in 1986 and released their first album, Yo! Bum Rush the Show, in 1987.

If you’re a Vancouver punk rock history nerd then you already know about the newsprint publication, entitled Public Enemy, that the Georgia Straight launched almost a decade previous, in 1978, which lasted six issues.

At the intersection of these two seemingly unrelated pieces of music history meet two Public Enemy logos which both utilize the same typeface and share a very similar design (although P.E. the group expand on it with the addition of “man in crosshairs” icon). Now I know that there are more than a few design nerds (like myself) out there who read V.I.A., and I would love to hear what you all think of this. Is it a cut and dry case of there not being many typefaces available in the 70′s and 80′s and the designers having Stencil in front of them and going the obvious route with the stacked layout? Did both parties have an actual stencil that they used to design their logo as it was pre Adobe Illustrator times when both were designed? Or perhaps was it a little more sinister than that?

Advertisement for Public Enemy paper as it appeared in a 1979 volume of the Georgia Straight

Logo of Public Enemy the rap group, unveiled in 1987

We’ll be asking the folks at the Straight for their thoughts and any insight they might have, and I’m imagining they might just shrug.

In the meantime, discuss!

Every day we share a single photo from our Flickr Pool shot by one of our faithful and talented readers (that’s you!)

When I saw this photo in our Daily Flickr Pickr pool today, I just knew I had to feature it. It’s just an amazing photo taken down on The Pier in Lower Lonsdale in North Vancouver by a very talented photographer, Clayton Perry. If you’ve never been to The Pier in North Van, you really should check it out. It’s basically a 700ft long dry dock that’s a remnant of the ship building heritage of the North Shore of Vancouver. It offers some of the most amazing and unique views of Downtown Vancouver, the North Shore mountains and Stanley Park. Grab your camera and go!
Back to this photo though, everything about it is perfect; the waning light, the symmetry, the colors, and the little cloud up in the sky. Beautiful! Very nice work Clayton.

Enjoy The Pier by Clayton Perry

John

SCENE AND HEARD showcases the independent music scene here in Vancouver. With 27,917+ artists, boasting 129,552+ tracks, the CBC Radio 3 web site is the absolute ultimate authority, and the home, of independent music in Canada. With that massive library along with tools for members (free to join!), we’re taking advantage of what they’ve set up by bringing you a fresh batch of music every week featuring local groups who have tracks (entire albums, even!) on the R3 site.

It’s almost New Years Eve and once again we’ll be at the annual One Night Stand concert at the Media Club…
So we put together a quick playlist of the Vancouver musicians who will be there to ring in the new year!

Nicholson Road is an ongoing photo project aimed at sharing and celebrating the different communities in Metro Vancouver. Each week Vancouver Is Awesome will be featuring an image from the previous week, shot in one of the many ‘hoods around town in order to draw your attention a little bit outside of the hyper-focus that we usually have on the City of Vancouver. Metro Vancouver Is Awesome, and you should get out and explore it!

I don’t know about you, but this has definitely been my preferred type of weather at this time of year.

Happy Boxing Day from the Fraser River in City Centre, Richmond!

Archives of the Nicholson Road project can be found HERE.

Like many other cities, Vancouver’s diverse, multicultural background has given way to the creation of several alternate names. These names — given in admiration, as matter-of-fact descriptors, or in jest — observe the many facets of our local industry, culture and geography. Bestowed by both residents and visitors, they suggest the multitude of histories that collectively define Vancouver.

By Any Other Name is a design exhibition that considers the unique narratives implied within Vancouver’s alternate names. The exhibition is on view at the Canada Line platform in Waterfront Station.

Vancouver Is Awesome is featuring all of the seven participating designers, their designs as well as brief interviews. For more information visit byanyothername.ca.

Salt Water City – Interview with Carolina Becerra

What do you do? What are you currently working on?
We are the design team at Science World BC. Each one of us is working on different projects ranging from exhibit design, wayfinding, new marketing and corporate collateral materials, donor recognition and all the events that will be happening at the end of the month to relaunch the new building. As well, some of us teach, and most freelance and do our own artwork.

Where does the name Salt Water City come from?
Saltwater City (Haam shui Fahw) is the name that Chinese immigrants used in the mid 1800s to refer to Vancouver.

What was your approach?
For the poster we wanted to incorporate symbolism from Chinese cultural elements. The aesthetic was inspired by the art of Chinese paper cutting. Some of the symbols we’ve included are:

1. A five-clawed Dragon representing prosperity, and the promise of wealth. It can be read as an 8, a lucky number in Chinese, or an “S”, for Salt Water City.
2. 50 coins, one for every dollar of the Head Tax.
3. The seal of Salt Water City in Chinese
4. Clouds/smoke rise from a row of incense and …READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>

LOCATION: Cypress Mountain I really hope that my (self-proclaimed) super-fantastic research skills haven’t done me wrong today and that you are indeed looking at a beautiful image of our beloved local mountain. I am unfortunately no longer a slope-slider (major balance issues and bloody noses are my excuses here) but my better half is and Cypress is his slope of choice. As a relatively recent immigrant to our fair land, he has mentioned that he will only feel truly initiated into Canadian life once he bites the bullet and forks over the cash for a season pass. Maybe next year? Despite the fact that my days of riding down mountains are behind me, I can most certainly appreciate the otherworldly (dare I say awesome?) feeling of being above the clouds, on top of the world and Chrissy’s image brought that all back. Thanks for this Chrissy…here’s to many more safe and happy downhill days in your future! Happy winter everyone!

There was a lot of amazing photography in the pool this week folks, please keep posting and spreading the word about the Unplugged Flickr Pickr.

It’s that point in your consciousness where you can feel at one with nature, escaping the trappings of the day-to-day to an almost dream-like place where nothing else seems to exist besides you and your natural surroundings. It is our opinion here at VIA that Vancouver holds a unique place in the civilized world in that reaching this state often requires no more effort than simply pulling off to the side of the road, pocketing your keys and taking a few steps into the forest

Every day we share a single photo from our Flickr Pool shot by one of our faithful and talented readers (that’s you!)

Is Vancouver a creative city? Do we cultivate a culture of individual creativity, on a personal level? I certainly think so, and every now and then, we find little gems of creativity where someone has taken the time to create something just absolutely wonderful.
Take today’s submission by vayak, who captured this really neat photo of a hedge that someone has let grow to the point of being able to sculpt and trim into a figure climbing a wall. Very very cool. Blew me away when I saw it.
Dunno where in Vancouver this was taken (I’d love to find it), but it’s a sure fire, hands down example of why Vancouver is Awesome. Not only do we have a whack of super talented photographers out there snapping awesome photos, but we have super talented landscape artists too. :)

Enjoy Creative Gardening by vayak.

John

Welcome to The Playground, a place for Vancouver families.Every week I post a roundup of upcoming family-friendly events and activities. I’m always on the lookout for fun stuff to do, so if there’s something happening that you think I should know about, don’t hesitate to contact me.

There is no shortage of Christmas lights in Vancouver this time of year, but very few combine lights with heights.  We recently spent an evening enjoying the Canyon Lights at the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park.   I’m not the biggest fan of heights but there was lots to see at the park that didn’t require being a couple hundred feet above the ground. Here are  few highlights from our visit:

Thousands of lights adorn the trails that meander through the Rainforest, which makes for a beautiful juxtaposition of traditional Christmas trees against the forest.  Lots of Totem Poles lined our path.

The suspension bridge is beautifully lined with lights and it’s an interesting twist to this tourist staple crossing it at night.   The same goes for the Treetop Adventures which is the closest I think I will ever get to being an Ewok.   This provides a great view of the entire park lights.   We also braved the Cliffwalk, the park’s latest attraction.  All are beautiful but high so I’m sure braver folks would enjoy these attractions more than me.
…READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>