Woodwards District

Located in Gastown, Vancouver, the Woodwards building use to be a department store (like The Bay or Sears). Bankrupt in the 90's, the building was boarded up for years where Vancouver's homeless community would camp outside of, until they finally decided to convert the abandoned area into a condominium complex. The complex includes condo, parking, a downtown SFU campus location (including art gallery), theater, and retail spaces. A lot of people are afraid to buy in the area because it boarders one of Vancouver's largest homeless communities, but that boundary is being pushed further east and the area has fast become a very trendy neighborhood.

http://www.woodwardsdistrict.com/
97 Water Street
Vancouver

Boulangerie Chopain

When I'm staying in downtown Vancouver, one of my favorite cafe's in my neighborhood is Boulangerie Chopain. A quaint and modest little french bakery and cafe, they make some of the best croissants in town (the ones shown are a pistachio croissant and a chocolate almond croissant)... and chocolate truffles... and single cakes... and... just go check it out.


Boulangerie Chopain.
1165 Davie Street, Vancouver.

Seasick Steve

Seasick Steve.
pretty cool dude from Mississippi, USA. check him out on Jools Holland too.

Art Installations in Vancouver

Martin Creed installation on the Wing Sang building in Chinatown (Vancouver real estate and art collector Bob Rennie's headquarters)... (more on this building later): "EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT", 2009.


Ken Lam permanent installation on Clark Dr. and 6th Ave: "EAST VAN", 2010.


Stan Douglas piece installed in the new Woodwards condo complex: "Abbott and Cordova, 7th August 1971", 2009.


Ken Lam installation in offsite Vancouver Art Gallery site at the Shangri La Vancouver hotel and condo complex: "From Shangri-La to Shangri-La", 2010.


Liam Gillick poem on the Southern and Eastern facade of the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel: "THE CLOUDS LOOK NO NEARER THAN WHEN I WAS LYING ON THE STREET", 2010.


5 years ago, none of these pieces would exist... I'm not a big fan of the Olympics, but I have to say I love how it's propelled my city in a multitude of culture directions (just one being art).

food creations w10 #03

Broccoli & asparagus pasta.

a simple recipe for those nights where you need a quick tasty fix.

in a pan, heat up extra virgin olive oil at a relatively high heat. Throw in bacon, anchovies, garlic, red pepper flakes and sautee for a few minutes. Already done in a pot, is the boiled pasta, broccoli & asparagus. Throw in the pasta, broccoli and asparagus to the pan, toss it around, and you're done.

Michael Lin at the VAG

Michael Lin, A Modest Veil.

This installation is Micahel Lin's solo exhibition at the VAG (Vancouver Art Gallery). The installation is a huge hand-painted mural based on traditional Taiwanese textiles that covers the Georgia Street facade of the VAG.

The installation is in place from January 23 - May 02, 2010.

Expo '86

Posters found on Robson Street, Vancouver from Expo '86, the last huge event hosted in Vancouver.

Vancouver Trip

I just returned from Vancouver (no doubt, one of the best trips I've had to Vancouver)!

Many posts on that to come!

Mr. Brainwash, NYC, 2010.02.14

Mr. Brainwash opens his first ever New York exhibition (second show ever) on February 14/10. Best known for his work with Madonna on the celebration album cover, Mr. Brainwash does pieces of an Andy Warhol aesthetic.

Icons, is running from February 14—March 31 at 415 W. 13th St, NYC.

London residence of John Pawson by John Pawson

A topic that I am currently interested in is cohesive aesthetic representation of an individual or firm.

Projects where the individual is their own client makes the best case studies. Case and point.

Masuza humidifier by Shin Okada

no energy usage... no noise... just the benefits and pleasantries.

The Masuza humidifier is made of Japanese Cypress and functions simply through the evaporation of water from the wood into the air. This process evaporates water six times faster than if you left in in a glass.

if that's not enough... it also has a lemon scent.

Exit Through the Gift Shop

A Banksy film about street art.
To be released in Spring '10.

Show & Tell Gallery Pt. 03

Nimit Malavia, I can't love you, but we can romance

displayed in the rear portion of the gallery, is a collection by Nimit Malavia titled, I can't love you, but we can romance. The style of the artist has clear inspiration from Japanese comicbook anime. All the pieces are creating simply using acrylic, charcoal, and graphite on paper. The pieces have a very genuine and modest quality that would be true to a person who simply enjoys to draw. Similar to Tassar Lo's colleciton, this collection also seems to have a narrative quality as a whole (a quality that would be in keeping with the inspiration of comicbooks). The exhibition is running from February 05-28, 2010.


Show & Tell Gallery is pleased to welcome Nimit Malavia to his first solo exhibition. "I can't love you, but we can romance" is developed around the notions of relations and the reluctance of accepting a love that is real, and instead embracing a romance, that is forever a charming dance of attraction.

Many of the paintings portray ideas and emotions that aren't expressed easily through words, but can be felt in the heart of the viewer. An attempt to depict the human love story, and appreciate the beauty behind the essential moments of loss and hurt. Nimit's hope for this type of relationship, to be satisfied simply longing for his work, and the passionate fury of it all. The paintings for this solo try to elaborate on these feelings, often times depicting the more tragic outcomes of love and loss, focusing on the classical romance of these moments.

Nimit Malavia was born in Ottawa, Canada in 1987 and is a graduate of Sheridan ITAL's BAA - Illustration program. A hopeless romantic at heart, Nimit has always had a deep interest in folklore and storytelling; particularly the more unconventional tales of love, those which depict heroism and honesty. He often tries to portray these grand and classic notions in his work. Nimit uses a variety of media to create nuanced, yet emotionally charged paintings that speak to the essential moments of the human experience. Through his artistic practice Nimit strives to create images that will tell their own story, and communicate his romantic view of the world with others.

Show & Tell Gallery Pt. 02

Tessar Lo - Everything we wanted, in our nostalgic future,

This will be Tessar Lo's first exhibition in Canada. A series of paintings which contain a strong overall sense of a desire for an age of youth, innocence, and unparalleled fantasy and imagination. Even in a painting of a troubling scene, the paintings still seem to maintain a sense of serenity and youthfulness. Depicting capture scenes of a child's perspective on life or representations of a child's dreams, it is apparent that the child is most likely the artist himself. Interestingly, examining the title of the exhibition itself, it further speaks to this point not by what it says, but more importantly by how it is punctuated; the improper use of punctuation would suggest that Tessar Lo is completely trying to embody the child depicted by even writing like a child. The collection speaks of a child's most significant moments, providing a cohesive narrative.

Show & Tell Gallery is proud to welcome Tessar Lo to his first Canadian solo exhibition and first exhibition with the gallery. This body of work titled "everything we wanted, in our nostalgic future," reflects on the vastness and importance of wonder, a feeling that is often lost with the maturing in to adulthood. The narrative in these works is universal, stories that speak to the soul, creating a feeling of awe, comfort, and inspiration, all the while embracing the imagination. The combination between narration and wonder creates vignettes of possibilities, dreamscapes with no specific time and of no specific location, genuine moments which occur with in us all.

Making a conscious decision to work with simple shapes and explore different textures Tessar aims to achieve a tranquil flatness that speaks of stillness. This concept is based on the fact that so much of society is glazed over and superficial, yet we all have the potential to feel and be moved if we choose to let go and be "little" even for just a moment. Giving a slight nod to naïve painting, this body of work resonates with the same humility of creating without necessarily utilizing polished techniques but exploring the basic desires and passions we all have when we allow ourselves to let down our guard and embark on the feeling of wonder.

Tessar speaking about the show:

"This body of work I am painting in a means that is blatantly narrative. Often there is a stigma in using narrative in painting, yet it's the thing our lives and histories are based upon. We live and learn from the stories of others, through tradition or plain word of mouth - all the while creating our own. These stories can be as big or as little as you make them, but hopefully have elements that can affect any one of us deeply."
Tessar immigrated to Canada with his family from Indonesia in 1989. Though he is culturally Indonesian and Canadian, his Chinese ethnicity played a major part in his maturing as an artist. Influenced by the mysticism of Asian cultures and coupled with the multiculturalism of Canadian society, Tessar takes a universal approach to his artistic practice. His attitude toward image-making is much the same as his outlook on life, to posses the understanding of how vast the world really is. Tessar often uses mixed media to create whimsical, thought provoking paintings that delve into the universal constants of humanity. A calming look in to the human soul. Tessar strives to make art that can transcend his native cultures into a language we all can understand.

Show & Tell Gallery Pt. 01

a gallery in the same light of my own mind (in reference to "showings and tellings"). a very modest gallery just west of the intersection of queen st. w and ossington st.

an excerpt from the gallery about the gallery:
"Show & Tell Gallery is located in the heart of downtown Toronto and was founded on the premise of offering marginalized and often disregarded artists a space to display their art. Providing a comfortable environment for collectors both new and established to discover new artistry, Show & Tell Gallery introduces an exciting roster of emerging and seasoned artists from across North America, Europe, and Asia. Show & Tell Gallery presents a large main exhibition space as well as a smaller project area for artists to display their work. In addition, the gallery provides custom framing services, retails art books, limited edition prints, magazines, sculptures, and other related wares.

Black Hoof Cafe (aka What you could be doing instead of going to IRP)

A late late brunch for one includes:

* a Black Hoof Cafe Caesar
* Brioche French Toast with Foie Gras.

* warning*
attention to detail... interesting design to cutlery. simple to the eye, interesting in the hand.

food creations w10 #02

roasted pork chop with a raisin grand marnier cream reduction

pork chop roast seasoned and then seared on all surfaces. thrown in a 350 degree oven for 1.5 hrs or so (depending on the size of roast).

pour cream and grand marnier into the pan with the seared bits for 2 minutes until bits are dissolved. Throw in white raisins and reduce until reached desired consistency.

plate up and enjoy!

To my two friends who help me during the latest of late nights.

You're my perfect complement as well as each others.

Alexander Mcqueen 1969-2010

in loving memory of Alexander Mcqueen - an icon, a visionary, a legend.

you created beauty from the uncanny.

An old favorite made even better - The Matech Ford GT

food creations w10 #01

Braised beef shank stew.

A simple and satisfying recipe for those cold winter days.

• beef shank
• french trio of veg (celery, onion, carrot)
• black olives
• red wine (full and well rounded)
• beef stock
• thyme and bay leaf

for a twist, add horseradish sour cream for garnish.

(recently took up the common suggestion to freeze portions for quick meals at home and it's changed my life.)

Day one

"Today for show and tell, I brought my point of view."