Browsing “Made In Vancouver”

 
This is Cam and Jill

Hana Pesut is the photographer behind the amazing Switcheroo photo-series that’s gaining fans all over the world for its sweet, simple concept: Before and after shots of couples in each other’s clothes. You’ve probably seen her work, recognize your friends, or heck, even yourself – she’s shot over 400 people for the series in over 7 countries so far. Capturing a moment in time in the lives of her subjects (and their relationships), the Switcheroo series is immediately, instinctually compelling. And has garnered attention in Vice, the Globe and Mail, and the Huffington Post, among other international publications.

Now, Hana is making a book – bringing the Switcheroo home and into ours. Check out her Indiegogo campaign: For $40, you can guarantee yourself a copy of this first edition of the Switcheroo book. You’ll be supporting a unique home-grown talent that’s put Vancouver on the map in a positive, creative way. There are lots of other options for you to contribute, from $5-$1200, any amount will help make this awesome project happen. She’s just past the half-way mark as of today – there are still 6 days left for you to put your name down for a copy. Do it! And read on for a brief Q&A with Hana, and more Switcheroo photos!

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When you see CiTR getting on the bus, you get up. You get up and offer her your seat with courtesy and respect because she’s 75 years old this year! Not that she needs to sit down – not by a long shot. She’d probably start a dance battle with you instead, and the whole bus would turn into one bad-ass dance party.

And a BADP (bad-ass dance party) is exactly what you can expect this weekend as our best-loved local student-run radio station celebrates its diamond anniversary. What began in 1937 as the UBC Radio Society, a small club with an hour-long weekly show on CJOR (1926-88), has evolved over the decades bringing us local treasures like Discorder Magazine, SHiNDiG, Nardwuar the Human Serviette, and Mint Records. The station has also been and is very much still an important training ground, embryonic petri dish, and right of passage for Vancouver bands, writers, and radio broadcasters – a creative, musical dojo that’s churned out a massive amount of talent these past 75 years.

CiTR, September 1980 from Scott Beadle’s Myspace Archive (!)

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So by now you’ve probably heard about THIS IS EAST VAN 2 – the second volume of the popular book that celebrates all that is awesome east of Ontario Street through 275 images taken by 117 local photographers, curated by Erin Sinclair and Rob Forbes. A labour of love for the two editors, proceeds from the book will go to a non-profit organization that is determined by a vote of participating photographers (the beneficiary of the first volume’s proceeds was Reel Youth).

With much fanfare, the book launched on July 7th with a very well-attended exhibition of 85 images from the book at the Interurban Gallery on East Hastings, and VANCOUVER IS AWESOME caught up with the busy duo of Erin and Rob and asked them to share a few of the images that they simply can’t shake from their brains.

Here are 5 such photographs, with their insight below each one:

Gary at the Sunrise – Andy K. Bond
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Erin: “The first time I saw this image I knew it would be one of my favorites. It is taken by Andy K. Bond who took the cover image of the first TIEV book. As with a lot of Andy’s images, “Gary at the Sunrise” captures a moment that is a bit odd and almost surreal because of it. I love that Gary is in mid sentence, that he is looking straight down the barrel of the lens, and that you feel as tho you could in fact be the one having the conversation with him. I also love the setting of the image. It is taken in Gary’s home, and each piece of it tells a little story. Every time I look at it, I find something else that leads me to ponder another aspect of his life. I find the horseshoe on the table the most intriguing….”

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Untitled – Andy Soloman
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Erin: “Cherry Blossoms, bikes and an impossible angle – This is East Van.
I moved to Vancouver ( and into East Van) when I was 18 years old and incredibly in awe of all the big city novelties suddenly at my finger tips. It was Spring, and amongst my first city bus rides, my first tastes of Pho, and my first days of film school, were these AMAZING East Van streets lined with cherry blossoms. It was like nothing I had ever experienced. Each year the cherry blossoms remind me of coming to Vancouver and all the newness that came with it.”

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Inside the diner

Text by Liam Ford and Jennifer Kim

Helen Hill is ready for stardom. The official greeter at Save-On-Meats, Hill is a familiar face on East Hastings. She’s been working in the area for the past six years, her presence in the community vouched for in the Hope in Shadows calendar of 2007. Now she’s a star of Vancouver-shot reality TV series Gastown Gamble– and she says she’s already feeling the attention. When asked if she’s ready for fame,

They do it already! “Oh hi Helen! Oh, that’s Helen. I know Helen.” All day long, I get it. People yell at me, “Helen, I love you!”

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