Western Canada's art magazine since 2002
25 August 2020 Vol 5 No 17 ISSN 2561-3316 © 2020
From the Editor
Portia Priegert
Police forces have come under increasing fire in recent months over the use of excessive force and racial profiling, a festering problem that prompted Canadians to gather at rallies to push back at systemic racism.
So it seemed timely when Vancouver writer Mark Mushet proposed a story about a project that looks back to the role of police in the so-called Gastown riot. The 1971 riot was actually a peaceful pro-marijuana rally that turned violent only when the cops were sent in to clear out the hippies.
This story is unusual for Galleries West in that it looks at project you can’t actually see at a gallery. It also required a leap of faith. Although I knew artist Neil Wedman is giving history a comic spin by envisioning the event as a fairground ride, I saw images of the work only a few days before it was posted because of holidays and other complications.
Mark, who used to publish a cultural magazine known as the Vancouver Review, revisioned now as an online blog and media site, simply said: "You'll have to trust me." While that's a line that has always made me nervous, the combination of a heat wave, a slow exhibition season and the startling news that my next-door neighbour had been in hospital with COVID-19 made me decide to chance it.
Now, you can be the critic and let us know what you think about Wedman's project. Perhaps someone out there was actually at the smoke-in and can offer a firsthand memory? I’d also welcome feedback on the Q & A format. Do you enjoy the form? Does it provide desirable depth, or should we stick to narrative writing that's easier to read on your phone or tablet?
This issue of Galleries West also has a story about murals, our second of the season, not in Vancouver this time, but in Calgary. I chose Venezuela-born artist AlfAlfA's eye-catching mural, a hybrid hare and tortoise, as the lead image. We all know that feeling of wanting to move full-throttle ahead, but being held back at the same time. I think it's a great metaphor for the pandemic.
A shout-out should also go to Alex Kwong, who offers a practical lesson in how to support other artists with his stunning mural of Simone Saunders, an emerging Calgary textile artist whose recent work deals with Black Lives Matter. It’s a particularly poignant gesture as another Calgary mural project to address systemic racism was put on hold recently by its organizers amidst threats and racist vitriol.
Other stories in this issue include a review of Winnipeg graphic novelist David A. Robertson’s memoir about his family's Indigenous roots. There are also three stories out of Vancouver. We look at terrific photo-based work by Pakistani artist Madiha Aijaz, an unusual show of British Columbia maritime paintings, and a new gallery focused on outsider art.
That last story, one of the Sneak Peak features we started publishing during the pandemic, has been this issue's most popular, with some 100 shares and more than 170 likes at last count. We truly appreciate when you share our stories through your networks – it helps spread the word about interesting art, which not only supports artists and galleries, but also expands the discourse about Western Canadian art.
Until next time,
CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE: Beverly Cramp, Mark Mushet, John Thomson