a little more Vancouver sculpture . . .

It’s beautiful here today, sunshine everywhere. I’ve had a splendid run, circling my little island twice, and now I’m puttering, catching up on all those tasks I haven’t been able to do with so many weekends away. I love having time in my own place, all by myself . . . puttering and creativity are so closely linked for me. Right now, I’m making lists (which include booking flights, always fun) and putting away most of the winter hats, the heavier scarves, all but one pair of gloves (also fun! bring on the spring, yes!).

And puttering also means getting caught up with some blog promises, posting, for example, these photos of public art I spoke of weeks and weeks ago. The works above are both from the Coal Harbour end of the city. Below is a close-up of the new Fairmont Pacific Rim building which is wrapped with words as described on the Fairmont website:

Art plays a leading role in the hotel, beginning with the building’s exterior. A
million dollar artwork, created by UK artist Liam Gillick, wraps around the
corner and up floors five through 22, providing a demarcation of the hotel and
luxury residences above. The artwork consists of 2’ high stainless steel letters
in Helvetica bold font and is a running line of repeated
text:lyingontopofabuildingthecloudslookednonearerthanwhenIwaslyingonthestreet(Lying on top of a building the clouds looked no nearer than when I was lying on the
street…).

I’m a sucker for art that features text — poetry, even better. Here’s another view so that you can see the words wrapping all the way up toward the 22nd floor.

Here’s a close-up of the nude male seen from a distance second from the top above. Again, poetic text is part of the attraction for me here. I’m also liking the layers, in this photo, of Nature (the tree), Art (the statue, of course), and Construction-Technology-Architecture in the background.

Whereas the artwork below layers itself into its landscape in a much more organic manner — the grass was too wet that day to slog across, but I think these treetrunk-like sculptures are actually worked in some kind of concrete, so that while they blend easily into the natural landscape, they neatly rhyme with the concrete buildings in the background.

Another sculpture I like, also in Coal Harbour, comes to us courtesy of the Vancouver Biennale 2006. It’s by Sorel Etrog, and it’s called King and Queen.

Interesting. When I look back through this post, I recognize how Vancouver-coloured all these sculptures are in their landscapes. Perhaps that’s why this sidewalk bench (near the Fairmont site) caught my eye with its jaunty red. . . .
Now, back on my island far from the city, I’ll be enjoying all the spring colours bursting onto the scene, and collecting a new set of photos for you.

Most will be taken in the garden, but I’ve already Polyvore-on-the-floor’ed one outfit for your viewing pleasure or curiosity or whatever. As RLS said so well, long ago, “The world is so full of a number of things / I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings” . . . May you be, this weekend . .