If you happened to wander through the Woodward’s building during Placemaking Week, chances are you’ve already familiarized yourself with Marcus Hynes’ playful artwork. His giant mural, entitled ‘Stay Positive’ was prominently displayed across the floor of the atrium, allowing passerby to literally step in and out of Vancouver's different neighbourhoods.
Marcus Hynes is a self-taught artist, graphic designer, illustrator and printmaker based in Vancouver. Although he is originally from Newfoundland, his current work typically draws inspirations from the “sheer awesomeness of the incredible city and Province in which we live” (which we at VIA obviously relate with). His love of cartography, colourful imagery and videogame aesthetics have resulted in a joyful iconography that encapsulates Vancouver’s whimsical West Coast charm as well as its glossy, cosmopolitan sheen.
‘Stay Positive’ was actually a collaboration between Marcus and fellow East Coast expatriate Justin Davis. Marcus designed and illustrated the map, while Justin came up with the concept, stewarded all of the logistics, and created some three-dimensional pieces to complement the artwork.
We were lucky enough to ask Marcus about the inspiration behind his new mural, what he hopes people take away from it and what excites him about art and life on the West Coast:
“We really just wanted to help inject some joy and positivity into people's lives, and give them cause to reflect on all of the wonderful things that make Vancouver such an incredible place to live. We have so much to be grateful for here, but lately it feels as though the collective conversation has become totally mired in cynicism and negativity around the state of the housing market. It's obviously a very important issue, but we have to be mindful that we don't deny ourselves the opportunity to be happy in the here and now by focusing such an inordinate amount of our energy on the problem itself. I don't pretend to know what the potential solutions might be, but one thing I can be certain of is that a positive mindset is a prerequisite for positive change, and so we wanted to use the exhibit as an opportunity to highlight everything that makes Vancouver truly special.”
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. So the next time you feel like Vancouver is getting down, remember to stay positive!
To buy a limited edition print of the mural, visit Marcus’ website, HERE.
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