VANCOUVERITES: Local Artist Andy Dixon Answers All Sixty Of Our Pointed Questions

photo: Jason Lang

Andy Dixon is a local artist and musician. He will be taking the stage at Pecha Kucha Night this April 26th to talk about his work and what inspires it. Since not every Scout reader could score tickets in time (oh, wait), we’ve asked him 60 questions in an advance effort to get to know him better…

Three things about the Fraser & King Ed area that make you want to live there: 1) Walking distance to Le Marche St. George. 2) Affordable rent. 3) Dosas everywhere.

Name the thing that you eat that is bad for you that you will never stop eating? Sour Patch Kids.

Default drink/cocktail of choice? Red wine.

The Vancouverite that you admire most and why? My friend, Matt Smith. Why? He least possesses the character trait I describe in my answer to question #30.

Best Vancouver place to be inspired by emerging artistic talent: The Waldorf. You’ve got the Black & Yellow gallery upstairs, local DJs in the Tiki Bar and local performers down in the Cabaret…and, of course, my own studio across the hall from the Black & Yellow gallery. You should see me drink a bottle of red wine in there. Serious talent.

Last art show that really blew you away: No painting has ever effected me quite like seeing Twombly’s The Italians at the MoMA.

The historical personalities, both good and bad, that fascinate you the most? David Koresh & Michelangelo (the Ninja Turtle)

What trend have you followed that you now regret? The early 90s trend of gigantic pants, tight ringer t-shirts and obnoxious wallet chains was pretty embarrassing.

The dumbest thing that you’ve ever done to your hair? For a brief time in the mid 90s I had a shaved head save for my bangs which were bleached white and braided.

What are the three things you’d like to change about Vancouver? 1) If it could have the climate of LA 2) the housing prices of the Maritimes 3) if we didn’t win the award for the worst dressed city.

Favourite breakfast? Fried eggs and toast made by my wife.

Your go to, no-frills place for dinner? Fassil, an Ethiopian joint on Broadway and Fraser.

If you could board a plane this afternoon, where would it be taking you? It’s a particularly grey day here in Vancouver as I type this so I’d choose somewhere warm. Italy, maybe.

The strangest place you’ve ever been to? In Pittsburgh, my old punk band needed a place to crash after the show (a usual occurrence) and ended up in this horror movie style situation with the psychotic bartender of the club who kept stealing our things and then trying to sell them back to us. He also had an attic room with an empty baby crib in it with no sign of a baby or a partner. The guy was so scary that some of us chose to sleep in the creepy abandoned townhouse next door, which had intentionally-torn family photos, children’s shoes, and filth.

The three books that you read that made an impact on you in your formative years? A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by David Eggers, The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff, Calvin & Hobbs.

What is the best way to get to know a neighbourhood? Visit its local liquor store. Read more

VANCOUVERITES: Ken Lum Surrounded By New Jersey Toughs & Being Scared By Bats

The good folks at Pecha Kucha always throw down with a solid line-up of people, but this month they present the best of the best. February 29th will be 20th installment of the popular 20 images x 20 seconds presentation format. To mark the auspicious day, organizers at Cause + Affect asked PKN enthusiasts to choose their very favourite of 226 past presenters. The result is the All-Stars Special Edition. Vancouver artist Ken Lum was one of the chosen (full list of presenters here), so we caught up with him to ask a few questions…

Three things about your neighbourhood that make you want to live there? The civic election card says Fairview but I live equally close to Mount Pleasant.  There are very few people living in the area where I live and that’s one reason why I like it so much–it remains largely undiscovered and yet so central. Another reason for living there is proximity to Michael St Clair Cleaners–they’re open Saturdays and Sundays and pretty much every day of the year.

Name the thing that you eat that is bad for you that you will never stop eating?  I don’t eat anything that I know is bad for me that I can’t stop eating.

Default drink/cocktail of choice? Tomato juice or red wine.

The Vancouverite that you admire most and why? I greatly admire Bill and Jack Wong of Modernize Tailors.  I first met them when I was about 5 years old, 50 years ago. Their lives teach us a lot about the history of Vancouver.

One sure-fire way to snap out of a malaise?  I tend to wallow in my malaises.

The historical personalities, both good and bad, that fascinate you the most?  Albert Einstein, Lu Xun, Aung San Suu Kyi, Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud, the Soong Sisters, Rainer Werner Fassbinder come to mind, but there are many others I could name.

What are the three things you’d like to change about Vancouver? Introduce a Ward Electoral System, greatly densify all arterial roads throughout Vancouver, more even distribution of public assisted operations (from senior’s housing to halfway homes) throughout the city, close down the aquarium or at the very least move it out of Stanley Park.

What does art do for community? I am not sure.

Your go to, no-frills place for dinner? The buffet bar at Whole Foods on Cambie.

If you could board a plane this afternoon, where would it be taking you? Though I have been to Peru, I did not have the chance to visit Manchu Picchu. I was not long ago in Hong Kong and can’t wait to go there again. I get my suits made there from W.W. Chan tailors.

The one place that you have the least interest in ever visiting? Pyongyang I would say is near the top of my list of places I have no interest in visiting. There are places I have been to such as Vilnius, Lithuania, Invercargill, New Zealand, Thunder Bay, Ontario and Columbus, Ohio that I have no interest in revisiting.

The strangest place you’ve ever been to? I found Dubai and Moscow both strange.

The three books that you read that made an impact on you in your formative years? When I was a young boy, I was quite affected by The Story of My Life, by Helen Keller, The Way of the Buddha, and Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heilein.

What is the best way to get to know a neighbourhood? Through the variety and quality of the ‘ethnic’ restaurants.

Where was the last place you traveled to for work or pleasure? Presently, I am writing from Banff, Alberta but I was in Tokyo just prior to coming here.

The strangest talent that you possess? I have a keen sense of direction no matter where I happen to be.

Shoe of choice? I have several pairs of D. H. Pollak shoes of Austria.

Your ancestry? Cantonese Chinese.

Your three favourite films? Pather Panchali (Satyajit Ray), Sunrise (F. W. Murnau) and The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums (Mizoguchi Kenji) come to mind, but I have a lot of favorites.

Architectural style that you most identify with? early International Style.

Your major character flaw? I internalize too much.

The character flaw in others that you can’t abide? Gossip mongers.

What are you the most proud of? I am most proud of my son, Linus.

What is the best thing about your work? The opportunity to really see the world, warts and all.

What is the worst thing about your work? The art world can often be as enervating as any other world.

What are you listening to as you answer these questions?  My wife is humming a tune and I am trying to figure out the tune.

What musical instrument do you secretly long to play? I really wanted to learn how to play the piano when I was little.

What is the game that you’re best at?  Badminton.

What is the one animal that scares you the most?  Probably a bat.

If you had a motto, what would it be? Suffer the small stuff in silence. Read more

Seen In Vancouver #324: Taking In The Weekend’s Amazing Eastside Culture Crawl

by Morna Cassidy | Friday night’s launch of the Eastside Culture Crawl brought out the city’s aesthetes and scenesters alike and, as a recent migrant to the beautiful west coast, I was no exception. My initiation into this festival was opening night at 1000 Parker Street; a night of open doors and open minds; a night of revelry and visual overload.

Images by Kin Chan and Morna Cassidy

Approaching the host venue is awe inspiring in and of itself. The façade is captured in many images promoting Vancouver’s art scene; it truly is a building with an obvious past and, more notably, a building with presence. Next time around I would recommend a compass for navigating the labyrinth of hallways. I’m still not certain if I hit all the studios, but I did feel a little like Alice In Wonderland while exploring these spaces, which were unbound by the arbitrary flow of the typical trade show type of exhibition. Travelling the crooked floors and uneven staircases, which only helped to convey the evening’s inherent sense of adventure, I quickly realized that there was as much art to the building as there was in its studios.

Wandering from room to room, the sheer exposure to art was at times overwhelming. While some of the host artists seemed dour and unapproachable, the more humble among them ranked highest on my list of the most impactful. The works ranged from tired, west-coast-folkish to truly astounding creations of artistic vision, the sort that makes the Eastside Culture Crawl an arts festival comparable to the best in the world. Stand outs were oil painter Cybele Ironside, interior designers New Leaf, and mixed media artist Shari Pratt. From metal workers, leather graphers, and furniture designers to photographers, painters, screen printers, and glass blower, the neighbourhood probably has more working artists in residence than Florence did during the Renaissance, and it showed.

As an incubator of creativity, The Crawl sets Vancouver apart and reminds us that there is no better way to become infatuated with a neighbourhood than to be a house guest of its artists. While I can now technically call my self a Vancouver resident, I still feel like a visitor at times. The Crawl made me feel at home.

———————————————————–

A self-professed lover of all things newsworthy and noteworthy, Morna Cassidy is an avid follower and critic of art and design, culture and trends. Previously working among the glitterati of the fashion world in Toronto and London, she recently left her sequined outfits to explore new adventures in Gore-tex (metaphorically speaking) here in Vancouver.

———————————————————–

EASTSIDE CULTURE CRAWL: Fifteen Minutes With Local Artist Wendy Sexsmith

From her bio, we know that Vancouver-based artist Wendy Sexsmith is well known for her “transgressive oil paintings of performers who push gender boundaries and traditionalist notions of beauty and success”, and that the Emily Carr grad (full scholarship, including one semester at The Cooper Union in NYC) has seen her work appear in several galleries and shows (Ayden, Centre A, Art For Life) and publications (Art In Motion, The Georgia Straight, Canadian Living). We also know that she’s an awesome neighbour, and that she’s showing in the Eastside Culture Crawl, which is happening right now. After reading this Q&A with her, be sure to head on down to her studio to eyeball her work!

Three things about Strathcona that make you want to live there? The folks here are so unique: tolerant, open, creative, communal, socially savvy and very eclectic; it is a bustling hub of creative and socially conscious entrepreneurial talent; everything that’s worth going to is a short jaunt away by bike.

How many years have you been participating in the Eastside Culture Crawl? 10 or so.

How would you would use to describe the ECC to someone who had never attended: socially magnetic and creatively inspiring.

A one sentence artist statement that describes your work? My work is about celebrating who you are and honouring that.

What are you most excited to be working on right now? I’m working on this huge mural on Commercial Drive behind Open Door Yoga. It brings me so much joy to work something out on such a big scale. I’d bliss out working on it everyday, even if i was doing it for nothing. Read more

DINER: Where To Stuff Your Face And Drink Your Fill During The Eastside Culture Crawl

by The Editors | As most Scout readers are likely already aware, the Eastside Culture Crawl (November 18, 19, 20) is a free, three day art crawl that covers the area bounded by Main Street and Victoria Drive north of First Avenue. Over 300 artists are participating, and it’s going to be freakin’ awesome. But where to eat and drink before, during and after your Crawl? Being the thoughtful folks that we are, we’ve lined up a list of key stops within (and just without) Crawl grounds: Read more

EASTSIDE CULTURE CRAWL: With Chrystale Thompson & Jeremy Van Nieuwkerk Of Melk

Melk is a collaboration of curious craft-making between local Vancouver designers Chrystale Thompson of Ecstatic Design & Communication and Jeremy Van Nieuwkerk of Shrapnel Design. We’re aiming to build an Eastside Culture Crawl game plan this weekend that involves a quick bite of sushi at Fujiya and a look see at Chrystale and Jeremy’s studio (just around the corner on Clark). We caught up with the duo the other day to ask them a few questions about our creative city and the Crawl…

Three things about your East Van that made you want to set up shop there: We love the people and community. It’s gritty elements and constant transformation make it quite inspiring. It’s also where we live. Our home is 4 blocks from our studio, which makes for an easy commute.

What will Vancouverites find at Melk? Warm cedar, white walls and black vinyl installations around the studio. Our art pieces are hung in the main showroom aside a selection of shirts, book bags, stainless steel cuffs and belt buckles. We also started a line of vinyl wall art and screen printed goods that are a lot of fun – moustaches, bears, birds, bikes and such.

How many years have you participated in the Eastside Culture Crawl? This will be our 5th year.

Three words you would use to describe the ECC to someone who had never attended: Overwhelming, inspiring, community.

What inspires you at Melk? Nature, human behavior and relationships. Current events and politics also seep in there quite a bit. We try to practice a “use every part of the buffalo” philosophy using leftover materials and transforming them into new objects of desire. Read more

EASTSIDE CULTURE CRAWL: A Few Minutes With Local Painter Kerensa Haynes

The Eastside Culture Crawl (November 18, 19, 20) is hands-down one of the best things about Vancouver during November. It’s the time of year when painters, sculpters, jewellery designers, carvers, photographers, potters, furniture designers, glass blowers and printmakers open their eastside studios to the public. The resulting nightly vibe of the already cool-as-hell neighbourhood rises to awesome levels. The Crawl covers the area between Terminal Avenue to Burrard Inlet between Main Street and Victoria Drive (handy map). This year there will be over 300 artists participating. That’s a lot of ground to cover, and a lot of artists to meet, so we figure it’s a good idea to meet a few of them in advance so as to better familiarise ourselves (and yourselves) with what to expect. Meet Kerensa Haynes.

“I explore expressionism, impressionism, realism and abstraction in my art.  When painting I let my intuitive mind reveal itself, the layers of oil represent my different emotions.  I am interested in perception, how we all perceive life from our own personal experience.  The subject matter in the painting is somewhat secondary.  My work challenges the way everyday images are perceived, so, for example, a pear is not simply just a pear but it becomes the state of mind of the audience.”

Three things about Mount Pleasant that make you want to live there: Biltmore Cabaret, The Lee Building (c1912), and the fact that most of my good friends live nearby.

How many years have you participated in the Eastside Culture Crawl? This will be my third year in the Crawl. I’m at 1000 Parker Street, Studio 350.

Three words you would use to describe the ECC to someone who had never attended: Explosive. Intimate. Original.

A one sentence artist’s statement to describe your work: The possibilities of an everyday object are explored visually and psychologically . You can see this here. Read more

EASTSIDE CULTURE CRAWL: A Few Minutes With First Time Participant Kari Kristensen

The Eastside Culture Crawl (November 18, 19, 20) is hands down one of the best things about Vancouver during November. It’s the time of year when Eastside painters, sculpters, jewellery designers, carvers, photographers, potters, furniture designers, glass blowers and printmakers open their studios to the public an the vibe of the already cool-as-hell neighbourhood rises to unprecedented levels of awesomeness. The Crawl covers Terminal Avenue to Burrard Inlet between Main Street and Victoria Drive. That’s a lot of ground to cover and a lot of artists to meet. This year there will be over 300 participating, so we figure it’s a good idea to meet a few in advance in order to better familiarise ourselves (and perhaps you) with what to expect. Meet Kari Kristensen. This is her first year as a participant. We caught up with her while she was taking a breather in Paris and asked her about what she had planned for her inaugural Crawl weekend.

Three things about your neighbourhood that make you want to live there: I’ve lived in East Van since I moved here 9 years ago. I love East Van. I am walking distance to the drive and all of its great restaurants and food shops. There’s also an expanding restaurant scene happening on Hastings Street, which is fantastic. I am close enough to my studio that I can walk or bike there. And lastly, I live across the street from Trout Lake which is great for exercise for me and my little dog.

How many years have you participated in the Eastside Culture Crawl? I’m excited about this year being my first as an artist. My previous studio was on Granville Island, a terrific little shop for printmakers called Dundarave. I moved into 1000 Parker Street almost a year ago for a change of venue and to specifically be part of the Crawl. of course, I’ve gone to the Crawl almost every year.

Three words you would use to describe the ECC to someone who had never attended: Fun, inspirational, eye-opening. Of course, I’ll have to get back to you after the 20th to see if my opinion has changed.

Why is Vancouver a good city for art? Vancouver, and BC in general, has a rich art historical foundation that’s endlessly impressive. This is the the city of Jack Shadbolt, Arthur Erickson, Emily Carr, Toni Onley, Bill Reid, Robert Davidson…you can’t help but be inspired when you see their work around. Read more

Twelve And A Half Minutes With Local Artist George Vergette…

George Vergette is an artist living and working in Vancouver. His work “uses both medium and content to insert the viewer into each piece, giving a personal dimension to his deceptively minimal works.” After seeing his show at Gallery Jones recently, we contacted him to ask a few questions about his work,  his impressions of the Vancouver arts scene and the animal he most identifies with…

Three things about the Hastings Sunrise neighbourhood that make you want to live there: I’ve lived in this area for about ten years and it’s pretty close to everything. Downtown is less then ten minutes away, Commercial Drive is five minutes away and New Brighton Park is also five minutes away, which is perfect because you can easily take your wiener dog for a run.

Your latest show was titled Stranded and Broke in a Strange Town. Can you tell us where this title came from? I collect books and this was on the back of a pocket book I have titled “A Swell Looking Girl”. It seemed to me that when you’re starting a new body of work you’re kind of left empty in your studio with nothing but whatever source material inspires you and the images of past work. So this title seemed like a good metaphor for the feeling you have in the studio when you’re putting together a show.

Beyond that, what’s the inspiration behind the work? Two of the main pieces in the show are more sculptural than the rest. One is what I call “the corner painting”, which consists of multiple panels that intersect in the corner. My work has a lot of reflection originating from the resin surfaces, so I had been thinking about using this idea of reflection and surface in a different way then I had ever done before, [like] what kind of shape or construction could I employ in a painting that would enhance or distort the typical reflection that comes from my work. There were a lot of different variations that came up in the studio but the corner seemed like the most complicated of all the structures, so I went with that. Read more

Chatting With Gastown’s Alex Usow, Polymath And Geniephobe

Alex Usow is a one man art collective based in Gastown. Aside from being a gallery owner, restaurateur and retailer, he’s a self-taught artist who believes in ghosts and – in the proper lighting conditions – looks exactly like Denzel Washington. He’ll be showing at The Cheaper Show on Saturday night.

A one sentence artists statement to describe your work: Picture Godzilla trying to open one of those classic combination locks – “Turn the dial right, stop at 35, then left making sure to first pass 35 and stopping at FRIG I HAVE GIANT HANDS!”

Three things about Gastown that make you want to live there: I own three businesses in Gastown. Sharks & Hammers apparel store, Sea Monstr Sushi and Catalog Gallery / Creative agency. At this point I’ve basically forced myself to live here by investing in this neighborhood that I love.

Best Vancouver place to be inspired by emerging artistic talent? For me, there is no one place for inspiration. The art gallery with a terrible abbreviated name (the VAG) is always great for inspiration by established talent, but for emerging talent it’s best just to talk to other artists and check out local shows like the ones at my gallery and at the art schools here.

What inspires your creativity? I’m inspired by mistakes and small moments where our brain stops discursively thinking.

Vancouver can be a challenging city for an artist (collectors are rare, studio space is hard to come by and the cost of living is high). Why would an artist choose to be here? Artists are notorious for making bad decisions. I love Vancouver thought because of the infinite potential it allows you to have. We’re a top tier, first world city where inspired people have all avenues for success available to them. Unless we choose to complain instead of create and sleep instead of fight.

Last art show that really blew you away: I recently illegally downloaded a pirated version of Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child and it was rad.

Local artist you admire: I’m currently enjoying the work by Andrea Wan, Nomi Chi, Dan Climan, Andy Dixon and the terrible all city throw-ups by MR.8.

One thing you would like to change about the art scene in Vancouver: I think paint brush stems are too long. I always cut them down to size. Seriously, sometimes the stem’s over a foot long and I have no clue why. If we made our own short stem paint brushes for Vancouver we could establish a name for ourselves as a city of artists who vehemently don’t need long brush stems and are pro-actively proud of it. Other than that I wouldn’t change a thing. Except I would change the terrible abbreviated name of the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Favourite way to get your hands dirty? Making dumplings.

How do you see Gastown changing over the next five years? Ideally, it will turn into a robot from outer space that can also transform into a truck. More likely it continue to walk the line between self-aware gentrification and a night time outdoor toilet for bridge and tunnelers. I’m good with all that but if we get a dog clothing store then I’m buying a pet alligator.

Are there any facets of your artistic identity that influence the way you approach business, or are the two sides mutually exclusive? Creativity in any of it’s forms is generally beneficial in problem solving, which is one way to define business. However, being emotional, aloof and loser drunk seems to work better in art than in business.

If the Mayor of Vancouver was a genie and could grant you three civic wishes, what would they be?  You don’t have to rub him…

1. Free citywide wifi
2. Dual Diagnosis Research Grants
3. Deport all genies

Words of wisdom for emerging artists living in Vancouver? Stay away from the brown acid and don’t give homeless people money – give them socks and Cheeseburgers.

MORE INTERESTING VANCOUVERITES

Next Page »