VMF2020: Marpole
Located in southwest Vancouver, Marpole is one of the city's oldest neighbourhoods. This one time working-class community has an ancient First Nations heritage and modern industrial past related to logging and fishing along the Fraser River. Today, it has grown into a multi-ethnic and diverse neighbourhood filled with a variety of public art including three new murals from this year’s festival!
While exploring the neighbourhood be sure to view the permanent crosswalk installation by Musqueam artist Robyn Sparrow across Granville Street at the Marpole Safeway (8475 Granville St.). This artwork reflects the First Nations artistic and cultural heritage of the community. There are also several excellent examples of Musqueam weaving along the sidewalk in front of the Safeway. You can also spot one of Vancouver artist Ola Volo’s first public works, on an electrical box at the corner of 70th and Granville Street.
VANESSA TAYLOR
“Birdhouse”
8155 Granville Street
Mural Statement:
“This pieces sits on the edge of community neighbourhood and business. With the warm colours and common flora/fauna species, movement is created from our day to day routine to the warmness and safety of our homes.”
“Love All Your Neighbours”
8337 Granville Street
Mural Statement:
‘“Love your neighbour’ is a famous quote (Christian commandment) that with an added word “all” serves as an important and timely reminder to the general public, as well as Christians who are familiar with the original wording. It may be easier to choose which neighbours to actively love, but the true meaning of the quote doesn't exclude anyone.”
“Waves”
8646 Granville Street
Mural Statement:
“This design was inspired by iconic imagery of waves in traditional Japanese art, most famously popularized by Hokusai’s “The Great Wave”. I wanted to take what many people may traditionally be familiar with as “Japanese” art, and provide my own interpretation of it. As a Japanese Cantonese immigrant to Canada, I’ve always sought out representation of my own cultural identity. Through the abstraction of traditionally Japanese visual iconography - from the waves often seen in Ukiyo-E woodblock prints, to the floral patterns seen on many traditional fabrics - I hope to provide a fresh perspective for the viewers. The white blobs of smoke that contrast and float over the overall composition are in reference to the “breath of fresh air”, with visual treatment that is similar to speech bubbles commonly seen in Japanese manga. This duality of Traditional v.s. Contemporary is a topic that I often tackle in my own personal work, and thought that it would be relevant in reflecting Vancouver’s prevalent immigrant and Asian community.
The physical wall space and neighbourhood also played a factor in the final design. Being on the smaller side, the wall that I was assigned is on the sidewalk directly facing Granville Street. Therefore, in order to create visual impact in working with a smaller surface, I decided to take an unapologetically bold approach by incorporating a lot of movement in the composition and vibrancy through the colour palette.
Migration is a global phenomenon, and Vancouver is no different, evident with the recent surge in Asian-owned restaurants and businesses. This wall on the building of Ikura Sushi is no exception. I hope that this mural contributes to the amplification and visibility of this community and those who are part of it.
I believe that art has a crucial role to play in transforming, redefining and reimagining who we are . I believe that when we share our images and tell our stories, we illustrate the human struggle — and this has the power to win over broad audiences. When we share our images and tell our stories, we illustrate our humanity that transcends beyond our cultural, socioe-conomical, political and other differences. Art drives ideas home in a way that is unmatched by any other medium. We need multidimensional, complex stories about who we are; we need to represent ourselves in our full humanity. And through this mural, I hope to be able to transform, redefine, and reimagine these communities both in a physical and ideological sense.”
See the other 8 neighbourhoods’ new murals from VMF2020: Robson, Gastown, River District, South Granville, Downtown, West End, Mount Pleasant, and Strathcona.
Download our free Mobile App for self guided tours and more information on the 250+ murals across the city! Look for the "2020 Marpole" Collection to find these 3 new murals!
Photos by Gabriel Martins
