There were three experts and then there was me, on the fringe. We huddled in chill February air around a clutch of worksheets made for ranking denim; a scale from 1 to 5, which referred to a host of measures I’d neither heard of before nor would have considered valuable had it crossed my mind. Lined up along the sidewalk, backs to the brick, stood seventeen bold humans, in seventeen pairs of admirably worn-in jeans. It was our job, experts plus me, to judge.
The reason? Gastown’s dutil. Denim runs a yearly “Fade-In Contest,” in which the moderately cultish world of raw denim celebrates fidelity to the jean.
thanks to Jenn Campbell for all photos
If you don’t wash your raw denim jeans for a year, maybe more, then they will be rank anddutil. Denim will rank them. There were actually a total of seven judges, since dutil. runs an online version of the contest as well. But for our in-store purposes, there were just us four, and I’ll happily admit that I was hopelessly outclassed.
These are men of passionate expertise, whose sartorial acumen is second only to their deep understanding of denim production processes: where the cotton is grown, how the cloth is manufactured and under what conditions the prototype is tested. These are men whose business cards reflect their denim-based ideologies: a penchant for durability, weight and style. Matt Townsend, from Nudie Jeans, David Strong from Freenote Cloth, and Jeffrey Lee from Doublewood Project each came, in their own ways, close to proselytizing, so fervent was their belief in their product.
Mathes, Townsend, Strong and Lee
And why not? If blue jeans are the most democratic of wearables, then these hard-working, sophisticated men were making a claim for inclusivity even as they made clear that raw denim is about one thing, and one thing only: that those who wear it be passionate, too. So passionate, in fact, that the prohibition against washing has been elevated to an art.
Perhaps not democracy, then, but pure meritocracy.
winners of dutil. denim’s ‘fade in’ contest
For the measure of a perfect pair is contrast, which means preserving that dye—never letting it seep out in the wash—in all the right places, and letting the white of the weft come through in others.
The marks of a perfectly worn-in pair of raw denim jeans? Patterns of wear and preserved dye that attest to the patterns of a body in motion. Honey-combing, behind the knees, from the denim bending and crinkling; whiskering, a kind of starbursting out from the top of the thigh and over the front pockets, which is produced by sitting, bending at the waist, picking up that which has fallen, tying your shoes. There is stacking, marks that form when the jeans are too long and bunch along the ankles, and then there is pocket fade, front or back, in the shape (almost exclusively) of an iPhone.
The winners walked away with new jeans, c/o the brand sponsors, and I walked away with a sense that, if one means to live a life of strong and passionate ideals, one could do worse that to take up selvedge denim as a symbol of that intention.
Jillian Christmas // illustration by Carmen Faye Mathes
I encounted Jillian Christmas at the Play Chthonics poetry reading series, at UBC’s Green College, a bit of a while ago. She was performing, along with fellow slam poet Chris Gilpin, the kind of poetry that creates audience– pulls you in, makes you close your eyes, makes you part of her sound. &, though her audience was small, we were captivated. I needed to hear more. It would be best for you, probably, to listen to the audio of the performance, we’d be on the same wavelength, that way.
Sad Mag: Who are you? Jillian Christmas: My name is Jillian Frances Yanika Christmas. I am a poet. I am a workshop facilitator for Wordplay Poetry in Schools. I am the Artistic Director of Verses Festival of Words. I am Aunty to several small adults. I like to think that I am an adventurer. As far as I know, I am the undisputed double thumb-war champion of the world, but that is a long story.
SM: When/how did you decide that poetizing was your vocation? JC: I knew that I was a poet at about 12. I was lucky to have allot of wonderful people who encouraged me to write throughout my life. But it wasn’t until I was about 24 that I ever considered that I would be a performer. The stage was not a natural choice for me, but it was so exciting that I had to be a part of the action. Once I fell in love with it, I wanted to share that feeling with younger poets.
SM: Why Vancouver? How would you describe the literary scene here (so far)? JC: I love the scene here, it is one of the major reasons I chose to move to Vancouver. From my house in Ontario, I would watch poets like RC Weslowski, and C.R. Avery, Lucia Misch, and The Fugitives on youtube. I couldn’t help but have an immense amount of respect for the work they were and continue to be doing. It is out of the box, thoughtful, quirky real and inspiring. It made me want to write, it makes me want to keep writing. Also, mountains. I think every poet should have their own set of mountains.
SM: What is your proudest moment as a poet? JC: Having my mother tell me that she trusts me enough to let me tell her story on stage. That was big.
SM: We hear you’ve got a penchant for dirty haikus. Care to explain?
JC:
The filth in my-Ku
Lies not in the words, But the
mind of the reader
SM: Best thing you’ve heard/read lately?
JC:Leah Noble Davidson’s Poetic Scientifica. It aptly fleshes out the remarkable and necessary intersection between the logical and emotional mind of the artist. It’s like holding a prism up to the light and watching all the notes of Clair de lune tumble out. Illuminating.
SM: Wordsworth, in the 1802 Preface, says that he chose for his poems “incidents and situations from common life, and..[would] describe them, throughout, as far as was possible, in a selection of language really used by men; and, at the same time, to throw over them a certain colouring of imagination, whereby ordinary things should be presented to the mind in an unusual way.” I feel like there’s a similarity here to slam poetry, in spirit if not in form. Do you see yourself mixing these elements in your poetry? JC: I do try to mix these elements in my poetry, as well as I can. It is important to me that the language that I use in my performance be accessible to people of many walks of life. I want to reach a wide audience, so I often try to explore universal topics, while inviting the reader into the hopefully interesting workings of my own mind and placing the poetry in the context of my own experience. I think there are stunning connections all around us, in the abstract, as well as in the tangible things we sense every day. I believe it is my job to find those connections, and hold them up to the light.
SM: Where are you as you answer these questions? JC: Sitting in my apartment looking out at the fog that is swallowing the city. Nestled pretty cozily beside three of my favourite men, two of whom are cats.
SM: Favourite Vancouver person place or thing? JC: This is the part of the interview where I should probably come clean about my Commercial Drive waffle addiction. But since I am in recovery, I will offer something else instead. Lately, I’ve been loving the song of the fog horns, they make for a delightful lullaby. It is even better than counting sheep… or waffles. Do not count the waffles.
SM: What are you excited about right now? JC: The thing I am most excited about is the upcoming Verses Festival of Words. Managing Director, Chris Gilpin, and I are in the thick of programming for this year’s Verses festival and I cannot give away too many details yet, but we are very excited about the caliber of show that will be happening in Vancouver this coming April 5th-12th. One thing I will say is that we will be having the incredibly talented Ivan Coyote back for a second year, and this time Ivan will be performing with the incomparable Rae Spoon. It takes a lot of restraint for me to not turn into a fan girl while I type that. It is going to be spectacular! Look for more show updates as they turn up on the Verses website.
When Sad Mag hears about an event that combines art, fashion and utilitarianism, we get interested. When it turns out the show will also give back to the community, we’re totally on board. dutil. denim in Gastown is throwing the DENIM + ART Fundraiser Show & Art Rafflethis Thursday at their location at 303 W Cordova. Sad Mag had a chance to chat with dutil.’s PR team, Jenn and Thalia, and one of the artists, Anna Tidlund, about the what and why of DENIM + ART.
Sad Mag: Who are dutil. denim?
Anna Tidlund: dutil. is a denim store that opened in 2006. They curate and sell a selection of quality denim products, both from big name brands to micro brands.
SM: Jenn and Thalia, could you tell us a little about the DENIM + ART Fundraiser Show & Art Raffle. What is happening now, and what will happen the night of?
Jenn and Thalia: In September 2013, dutil. sent out a call for submissions. We invited local creative minds to create literal ‘denim art’. We chose nine artists from the Greater Vancouver Area to explore the connection between denim and art by turning old blue jeans into non-wearable art. On Thursday, October 24th between 7pm and 9pm PST the artists will exhibit their multi-media works.
dutil. believes that artist should be able to make a living off of their works of art, but also recognizes the various obstacles that prevent most artists from succeeding in doing so. The DENIM + ART show aims to reward artists for their efforts by giving them 75% of the proceeds raised from the event. The remaining 25% of proceeds raised to The Vancouver Coastal Health’s Art Studios – a not-for-profit organization that utilizes art in their rehabilitation and recovery programs for youth and adults who live with serious and persistent mental illness.
SM: What sparked the idea for DENIM + ART?
Anna Tidlund: DENIM + ART is a show that, in part, seeks to raise awareness about the relationship between the two, denim plus art! Denim is a signifier for many things: identity, for artists such as Diego Riviera and Jackson Pollock, and for its accessibility in everyday use and utility, for pop culture, and even history. The show is also meant to be a way to raise funds for The Art Studios which is a facility that offers mental health and psychosocial rehabilitation with art as therapy and to build a community where their art practice is accessible, safe, and accepting.
SM: Anna, as an artist participating in the show, what will be your contribution?
Anna Tidlund: I work mostly with digital media dealing with the absurd and the act of art production. Lately I’ve been working on a series of cinematic animated gifs, and the contribution to the show will be a gif.
dutil. had given each artist some denim to work with, with the sole guideline being that the denim could not be wearable as the finished product. I wanted to make something concerning the physical and personal relationship of material commodity, and the possibility of its alternative history. Its acquisition and destruction that is kind of held in limbo by the law of its own coding, the piece is called Ctrl-Alter-Del.
You can see it below!
SM: Do you know the other artists who are participating? If so, what are other’s contributions going to be like?
Anna Tidlund: Surprisingly, I have a few friends who are also participating in the show (just because we applied without the knowledge of the other). There is a great range of stylistic and conceptual differences that I’ve seen so far. Every person took the project in different ways so it will be fantastic to see them all together. There will be sculpture, painting, and digital media.
Inspiration strikes. Like lightening? Or something much less dramatic? This year, at Vancouver’s Queer Arts Festival, a group of inspiring and inspired writers has been brought together for “A Literary Soiree: A Celebration of Poets and Writers.” It will be hosted by Rachel Rose at the Roundhouse Exhibition Hall at 7:30 on August 6th.
Rebecca Brown c/o Andrea Auge
Of the five participating writers, the following four: poets Rachel Rose, Billeh Nickerson, Betsy Warland and writer Rebecca Brown, were kind enough to allow Sad Mag glimpses into the inspirations for their new or forthcoming works (Gregory Scofield will also be there on the 6th). Sad Mag asked about new projects and favourite Vancouver moments, in order to glean a little about what compels these writers’ interest and engagement. Reading over their responses, it became clear that to be inspired is the most flexible and atemporal of feelings: a response that might occur immediately or might take years and decades to coalesce. Like lightening, then, but with a slow burn.
For Rebecca Brown, who is the author of twelve books of prose, inspiration means being elevated by others: “Though I am not ‘inspired’ as an artist, other artists’ work inspires me,” says Brown, “I am rarely, if ever, ‘inspired.’ The word suggests someone filled with urgency or commitment. Or the simple, necessary act of breathing. On the one hand art making/writing is necessary to me (though not as necessary as breathing…). On the other hand, it is for me usually quite labored and erratic; hardly as even or regular as breath.”
“I used to have this notion,” continues Brown, “[which was] inspired, that is to say, misinformed, by romantic notions of an artist being possessed, as if by a god or passion, to make something. That some muse or spirit comes upon one, possesses one, and gives one some message/object/word. More like some divine madness than the sweaty slog I go through to find words. Having said that, though, I am inspired, in the sense of being encouraged or sustained, by others’ art and words. When I see the amazing things my friends create or do, when I read and read again work by Kafka, Woolf, Stein, Flannery O’Connor, Fanny Howe, I am moved, elevated, encouraged to live more.”
Brown’s newest project is the curation of a group show on the theme of “Devotion” at the Hedreen Gallery in Seattle on August 7th. Participants in the shown include professional visual artists, as well as “folks who don’t think of themselves as artists,” notes Brown, such as “a beekeeper, a teenage boy who collects sports caps, a librarian, a priest, a dj, a restauranteur– but each of whom is lovingly devoted to something.”
Rachel Rose is similarly inspired by those outside forces, past and present, with whom and with which she has engaged. Her newest project, which comprises writing poems about “mythic and monstrous women,” aims “to give voice to the female beast.” It was inspired “by many things,” says Rose, “studying Beowulf 20 years ago; VIDA and CWILA, rage and hope and curiosity and wanting to honour those women who misbehaved, whether literally or mythically, and who were transformed into fearsome legends in order to keep the rest of us in line.”
Billeh Nickerson
Betsy Warland, in contrast, recalls the exact moment that inspiration struck. Warland, who has been writing “Oscar of Between” since 2007, describes her inspiration as that moment “when a trapdoor of understanding sprung open beneath my feet when seeing the Camouflage Exhibit at the Imperial War Museum in London.”
Warland explains “Oscar of Between” as a series in which “Oscar, who routinely is addressed as a woman, then as a man, then man, then woman within seconds apart in public [finds] a label for herself that finally fits: a person of between.”
Billeh Nickerson, whose fifth book, Artificial Cherry, will be released by Arsenal Pulp Press this upcoming February, was inspired to return to “the naughtier side” of his writing. After books about fast food and the Titanic, Nickerson’s newest is an offering that he describes as “cheekysweet.”
What strikes me most about all these different inspirations, is the way they expand and contract over time. Some inspirations become recognized only retroactively, or, in Brown’s case, one notion of what it is to be inspired is dismissed and other notions taken up. When I met Rose the first time, it was at the Vancouver 125 Poetry Conference, which was organized by then-Poet Laureate Brad Cran. At the time, I was tasked with interviewing poets who were involved with the conference, and I had decided to ask each one of them the same final question: if you could describe your work in one word what would it be? Rose’s answer, which broke my “one word” rule, did so beautifully, and has really inspired and stuck with me. She said her work was about “Connecting-yearning. Yearning to connect.”
Connecting, and yearning to connect, is so often about finding confluences and points of shared interest. When I asked the QAF poets about their favourite aspects of Vancouver, I received responses that gave me that thrill of recognition for all the inspiring moments that the city has to offer. For Rose, it is “the flats at Spanish Banks at low tide…” which, of course, go on for what seems like infinity. For Betsy, there was “No question about it = The Drive!” and for Nickerson, Betsy’s answer provides a kind of coincidental connection: Nickerson noted “I live on Commercial Drive. I love it when a large shipment of fruit comes in and the grocers sell big bags of the older stuff for a dollar. Once a thrifty artist, always a thrifty artist.”
Dean Thullner is my neighbour. He and his husband, David Veljacic, opened Volume Studio Gallery Ltd.’s doors a couple of months ago, only a block from my apartment. What was once a flower shop has been turned into a bright and sparkling hair salon-cum-art gallery. And they’ll still sell you flowers (with 10% of the florist’s annual profits going to St. Paul’s Hospital, no less). It’s been sidewalk chats, pink tulips, and puppy love ever since.
I mean the puppy-love part seriously. Whenever I walk by with my boyfriend and our dog, Safie, she scrambles along the sidewalk to get to Dean’s door. There Dean will be, with his husband or one of his stylists, with a dog treat in hand and a word about the beauty of the day. The shop is always filled with people, fresh art hangs on the walls, and they even have a shop dog whose “stage name,” Sweetie, is a testament to her geriatric gorgeousness.
Volume Studio is an important addition to the West End, and to Vancouver. It represents a new kind of gay lifestyle in Davie Village, one that brings health and community-involvement to the fore. Dean speaks about a generation of men who suffered during the HIV epidemic of the 1980s, who fell, perhaps, into drugs and alcohol as an escape, and who, in many cases, are no longer with us. Dean, given three-months to live at age 29, is now, along with his husband, taking community-building to the next level through their involvement with St. Paul’s Hospital, Brilliant! A Show of Love for Mental Health, HIV and AIDS, and Pride Week 2013.
Sad Mag: Who are you?
Dean Thullner: I’m Dean Thullner—community enthusiast, creativity curator, HIV-positive thriver—I am also a founding partner of Volume Studio Ltd. at 1209 Bute Street, in the heart of Davie Village.
Volume Studio is my seventh business, and it is also my favourite business, because this business isn’t about me. I turned 50, and all of a sudden I’m in the latter part of my life, and so this business is about giving back. I love it.
But, as you know, in my late twenties I almost died. When you are told that you only have three months to live, and you are HIV positive during a big epidemic, you really learn to take care of yourself. Oddly—and people don’t like to hear this—but being diagnosed HIV-positive was probably the single most wonderful thing that ever happened to me, in hindsight.
I’m not judging anybody. But having to live your life for the everyday, having to think that each small illness might be the beginning of the end, and not really knowing that I was going to be here until November 11, 2011 when St. Paul’s Hospital announced that HIV is about living and not dying. Up to that point, I really didn’t want to sustain a future. Now that I am 50 and I have this second chance—and I have the community’s backing—I really want to say thanks to the people who have helped me, and who’ve helped others living with HIV/AIDS.
SM: Can you describe the support networks and caregivers that have helped you recover from your HIV health crises?
DT: I survived the worst of the epidemic. Now, thanks to St. Paul’s—and St. Paul’s Hospital, a lot of people don’t realize, are one of the leading hospitals that came up with the cocktail, a treatment known as Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy or HAART. They changed the world. Whereas other hospitals may have opened their doors, at St. Paul’s they opened their hearts and their doors. In the 80s, St. Paul’s opened up a whole floor for gay men suffering with HIV/AIDS and St. Paul’s looked after them until they died. And the Hospital did that for the first twenty years of a thirty-year epidemic, without even knowing what the repercussions were going to be.
It was a really unique situation. Because Vancouver had probably one of the highest gay demographics in the country…we really felt [the HIV epidemic]. In the early 80s, when I moved here, Davie Street was filled with gay restaurants and coffee shops and flower shops and drag queen revues and then, bang. All the older men were gone. All these younger men, with no mentors, were basically living fearful lives, and this really contributed to [gay drug culture in the 1990s.] It was a difficult time in the community.
Now, we are turning it around. I see [in the West End] not at 80s or 90s version of what Davie Village was, but a new, fresher version of healthier choices, healthier lifestyles, and younger people wanting to give back to the community. It is exciting! And I hope that I can help out.
SM: What does community mean to you?
DT: It means recognizing where help has come from, and giving back. Volume Studio believes in the fortitude of the organizations that it supports, and we give back to those organizations.
SM: What is Volume Studio and how does it help build community in Vancouver?
DT: Volume Studio is a hair salon, an art gallery, and a flower shop.
At Volume, we really support all levels of the artistic community.
The first Friday of every month we invite a local artist to show their work. The artist donates 20% of their proceeds to the ward of their choice at St. Paul’s Hospital or to the charity of their choice.
[I have been throwing] Brilliant! A Show of Love for Mental Health, HIV and AIDS, every year, an event which reaches out to as many artistic people as possible. This year we’re featuring fashion, hair, makeup dance, theatre…we’ll have an art auction where we take local art. Everything is community-community.
SM: What hurdles or challenges has Volume Studio had to overcome?
When we took this space over on a sub-lease, we thought that we would get a couple months free rent and we would just put some glitter and feathers around and it would be fine. Instead, it was filled with dust and mould and rats. We couldn’t go near it for three months. That saga [getting it cleaned up and passing the health inspection] went on and on and on.
The other thing that happened was that no one has ever had a flower shop and a hair salon and an art gallery in one, and because of the city’s colonial laws, we had to fight for our right to sell flowers and art in the same building we were cutting hair. Now, anyone can get a license to open a hair salon and a flower shop or gallery space.
SM: People often accuse Vancouver of being “no fun city.” Do you agree or disagree?
DT: I don’t believe that at all! I came here from a small area in Winnipeg and, when I arrived, it was during Expo and I’ve had fun every day since.
SM: Favourite Vancouver person place or thing?
DT: My husband David. I love him. He’s my best friend and he’s the florist at Volume. He’s an amazing person…we’ve been together eight years. We’ll be together forever.
SM: What are you most excited about right now?
DT: Brilliant! A Show of Love for Mental Health, HIV and AIDS, I am so excited. I’m so excited about how excited the community is. The theme is “Fashion Through the Ages” this year, so we’re celebrating 120 years of fashion and music and talent and iconic figures. We’ve drag queens, we’ve got singers and dancers and choreographers and performers, not to mention all the fashion: the hair and makeup and clothes.
It’s going to be probably about 168 people in a 55-minute fashion show that’s going to blow Vancouver away.
Tickets are only $75 and you get a $50 tax receipt.
I am also very excited that, this year, the Vancouver Fireworks [the Festival of Light]has finally decided to recognize that Gay Pride begins at the same time, which they’ve never ever recognized before. So, the community reached out and I took it and decided to host the event with Simone [drag queen Christopher Hunt]. So Simone and I are doing a “Sport a Speck of Pink” party—you have to wear a speck of pink to get in—and it will be at Brand Live, which is sponsored by the Keg. Partial proceeds from the fireworks ticket sales go to St. Pauls’ Hospital.
The party is on August 3, in a huge tent, and it’s is usually just a party for the Keg, so primarily heterosexual, but it came up that why, on the evening of Gay Pride’s launch, we never recognized it? So that’s what we’re doing! Next year it’ll be even gayer.
The other thing that I’m really excited about is that John Ferrie is showing at Volume Studio and he is one of Vancouver’s hottest artists. We are expecting a great turn out —it’s on the 2nd of August.
Canadian filmmakers are competing for a one million dollar budget and distribution at Cineplex Theatres. It’s a competition. Votes have been cast and teams have been ousted, and only the Top 10 remain. That’s the CineCoup Film Accelerator production model. Incroyable, non?
Out of the Top 10 remaining teams, six are from Vancouver, eclipsing everyone else in the country. The shocking thing, however, is that even though Vancouver is representing in terms of talented filmmaking, the fan support appears limited. And the stakes are high: the top fan– that is, the fan who uses social media to promote their favourite Top 10 contenders– gets to go to the Top 5 event at the Banff World Media Festival. They get an advisory seat on the final selection jury. They, in other words, get the power to help award one team a cool million.
Where do you think the most active CineCoup fans hail from? The answer is not Vancouver. On the leader board at this time, Monday night, the top three fans are from Toronto, Edmonton and Regina. Which is not to say that they aren’t helping to support the awesomeness of the Vancouver contenders– Grade Nine, The Mill and the Mountain, Scam, Alien Abduction, The Fall and Bad–but seriously: where are the Vancouver fans? The Top Ten Leader Board is a wasteland.
It’s not too late! Voting for the Top 5 begins May 30th and ends June 2nd. Together, Vancouver fans can make a difference in this competition. All you have to do is sign up and watch the trailers (there are only ten left! Easy peasy! Plus, they are super entertaining) and you can earn enough votes to help keep Vancouver films in the Top 5.
These teams have worked extremely hard. Last month, prior to the Top 10 reveal, Sad Mag interviewed the incredible Sean Horlor, who is one third of the trio behind The Mill and the Mountain. “We’ve still got a long way to go!” says Horlor, “So far, CineCoup has given us a space to be shiny and showcase our knowledge as filmmakers and entrepreneurs. Now it’s time for us to find the financing and connections to get our films made.”
Jay Rathore
Jay Rathore, of Grade Nine, recalls “Honestly…I don’t think I really grasped the weight of what I was getting myself into when I first signed up. I knew I was in for a lot of work, but the reality of grinding out the weekly mission video’s, with very little money, and while juggling my regular life, is brutal. Especially considering I’m the kind of person who only really operates at full throttle when it comes to creating content.”
Nevertheless, Rathore says, “as tough as this process was, and continues to be, it has been such an empowering experience. The pressure of the extremely small production time for the weekly missions has forced our team to be resourceful and decisive. Relying on our wits, creativity and production savvy we continue to produce content we are proud of. We have tested our selves on so many levels, in a way that we would have never done if it wasn’t for this accelerator. As Cinecoup winds down I find myself feeling physically exhausted, but mentally and creatively, more charged than I have ever been in my life. What ever happens with Cinecoup, I know now, more than ever, that I will make movies.”
If you missed our New Wave/Electro-Pop party last Saturday, first of all, big mistake, HUGE! Secondly, don’t fret too much: you can still check out all the awesome photos from our Disposable Camera Project at the Gam Galleryuntil June 1st & you can drown your sorrows/dance the pain away with this mix of music from that night.
A maven of music, a food snob and a stickler when it comes to good design, those of us who know Pam regard her as a passionate person for all things creative. Pam received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emily Carr University of Art& Design in 2006 and her diploma with honours in Illustration and Design from Capilano University’s IDEA Program.
When Pam isn’t doing her design magic for Sad Mag, she enjoys being a soprano diva in the Kingsgate chorus, making elaborate meals and then eating them, and making daily playlists for your listening pleasure.
Vancouver Notables is the ongoing interview series where “No Fun City” shows off. More like burlesque than a talent show, Vancouver Notables wants you doing what you do best, but with sequins on your nipples. Tell us who you are, what you’re doing that’s of note and why, oh why, are you rocking that boat?
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Sad Mag’s newest treasure, photographer Rommy Ghaly, is a New York born, local guy, who moved to Vancouver from Berlin. He takes photos of people on the streets, in the bars and often times when they’re unaware. He’s contributed to Scout Magazine, ION Magazine, and Discorder Magazine and hopes to create a bit more awareness of the Vancouver art and music scenes through his photography.
Rommy shot the gorgeous Cinema piece for our next issue, Mad Mad World. He also interviewed photographers Michael de Courcy and Ian Ruhter –and turned the camera on them for a change. Amidst all that, Sad Mag managed to corner Rommy and ask him about his own photographic endeavors, his entrée to the Vancouver art scene, and what it means to seek community.
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Who are you?
I’m Rommy. I was born and raised in NY, left in 1996, and have spent my time living all over North America and Europe. I work in the video game industry and pursue photography on the side.
What is your artistic background and how did you become interested in photography specifically?
I’ve never studied art nor photography. I picked up a 35mm camera (Nikon FM2) in November 2011. Since then, I’ve amassed a collection of old film cameras (I have sixteen by my last count) and have spent all my free time tackling film photography obsessively over the past year and a half. My style is documentary, capturing street candids, the Vancouver night scene, and the rapidly-changing character of the city as it grows beyond its adolescence.
photo c/o Katie StewartYou’ve recently moved to Vancity. What prompted the pilgrimage?
I’d been living in Berlin after losing my job and was recruited by a company to come work in Vancouver (my day job is in the video game industry).
How long have you been here now?
I’ve been in Vancouver since January 1st, 2011 (just over two years).
What was it like breaking into the art scene here?
I’m just getting my feet wet. I have a tough time considering myself an artist, but I’d like to think I’m actively involved in trying to capture the art community with my photography. Doing that has really helped me to meet creative people in the scene here, so it’s going well, I suppose. But it’s not easy. People have their friends and their peers. It’s a bit closed.
How did you get involved with Sad Mag and what are you contributing to the next issue?
I pursued Katie Stewart following the last issue. It was a beautiful bit of work. Sad Mag is one of Vancouver’s gems in this grassroots arts scene. It has deep connections with the artists and goes way further into try to understand and document the scene than a lot of the rags and blogs in this city that frankly don’t have a fucking clue what’s going on.
People often accuse Vancouver of being “No Fun City.” Do you agree or disagree? What for you makes Vancouver unique?
I found it tough at first. But now that I’ve made my friends and found the creative people that make this city awesome, I’ve learned to redirect my anger at City Hall and its ridiculously prohibitive policies surrounding things like alcohol, street art, noise, and condos. Vancouver’s art community is one of the most tight-knit and talented communities I’ve had the pleasure of seeing first-hand, and I’ve lived many places. In the end, that’s why the creative community sticks around and will continue to do so in the face of great adversity.
Favourite local Vancity spot?
I’m really digging the programming at The Cobalt, the beer at Alibi Room, and the “kick your feet up and get drunk” nature of Pat’s Pub and LanaLou’s, not to mention the wealth of after-parties.
Where are you as you answer these questions?
Sitting at work, listening to Röyksopp.
Last album you listened to?
Junior by Röyksopp.
What are you most excited about right now?
Figuring out the big summer plans, collaborating with friends, and determining how to help take this city from sterile small town to bustling cultural hub.
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On Saturday–THIS SATURDAY!–May 18th, Sad Mag presents a dance party with your favorites 80s, new wave and electro-pop covers. Vancouver music legends (or soon-to-be legends) will be singing their hearts out to songs by The Talking Heads, New Order, Cut/Copy, The Organ, The Knife, Humans and many more. Come check us out!
Tannis Ling, Paige Cowan, Michelle Fu, Hannah Reinhart, Ken Tsui, Michele Guimond and Megan Lau at Bao Bei // photo c/o Leigh Eldridge
Vancouver Notables is the ongoing interview series where “No Fun City” shows off. More like burlesque than a talent show, Vancouver Notables wants you doing what you do best, but with sequins on your nipples. Tell us who you are, what you’re doing that’s of note and why, oh why, are you rocking that boat?
Sad Mag cornered the team behind Vancouver’s new Chinatown Night Market and asked them all sorts of questions about the history of the Night Market, how it’s going to reemerge (re-surge!) this year, and the challenges they’ve faced in getting it there.
Alright, team: introduce yourselves!
ML: I’m Megan Lau. I’m Sad Mag alumni and family. I read, write and sometimes take pictures.
MG: I’m Michele Guimond. I work for a big organization by day doing marketing PR etc… but by night I like to use my marketing powers for good, connecting with people with a good idea that want it heard.
MF: I’m Michelle Fu. I’m an artist and designer, and the co-founder of 221A, a non-profit artist run centre based in Chinatown, Vancouver.
KT: I’m Ken Tsui. I’m a filmmaker and host of pop-up events around Vancouver. I currently have the honour of working with the Vancouver Chinatown Merchants’ Association as a program director for this year’s Chinatown Night Market.
HR: I’m Hannah Reinhart. I’m an arts administrator in Vancouver, and am thrilled to be able to say I’m a part of this crazy talented group.
TL: I’m Tannis Ling. I own Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie, which is a restaurant that sits on Keefer St. where the market happens every year. I’m the [Night Market’s] Managing Director.
Photo c/o Chinatown Night Market & Glasfurd + Walker.
ML: I grew up in Vancouver. As a kid, I went with my parents on their grocery trips in Chinatown every weekend. Back then, the neighbourhood was loud and alive. Those memories have a big place in my heart. I got to know the market around 2006, when I got involved with a magazine that was based in Chinatown. The Night Market meant we had tasty and affordable eats outside our door. When Ken asked me to join this team, I had to do it. This has been one of those rare opportunities to work with creative, generous and like-minded people.
HR: Ken recruited me to the team. We met about a year and a half ago when I was working in the neighbourhood, and I have always had a ton of interest in and admiration for his pop-up events and general zest for community building. I’d expressed this to him in the past, so I guess he knew I’d share his interest in bringing new life to the Night Market.
MG: Ken and I know each other through a shared love of food. Despite eating together for a couple of years we never really discussed the details of day jobs, of which mine happens to be marketing. Over a meal at Bao Bei (of course) he told me what he was planning for the market with Tannis. Seeing Ken turn most of what he touches into gold, including his pop up restaurants, I was excited to offer help with some marketing, social media, PR, etc. I am really excited by helping people get the message out about an idea that adds to the cultural landscape in Vancouver. This project was a great opportunity to get involved with a team of people dedicated and passionate about the same things.
MF: I’ve been actively working in Chinatown since 2008, and since then I’ve spent many nights working late into the evening. In the summer the Night Market is a welcome excuse for a stroll, a treat and the inevitable chance of running into a neighbour or friend. Moving here last year really cemented how much I love the neighborhood, and my desire to immerse myself even more increased. I’ve tried on numerous scales to create community engagement, and it’s a fun dilemma I’m constantly rethinking. Ken and I worked together once in the past, and have since kept an eye on each others’ projects (at least I did — is that creepy?), so when he approached me about working together again for the Night Market, he knew I’d be more than interested!
TL: I always knew that I wanted to open Bao Bei in Chinatown for the obvious reason that a Chinese restaurant belongs the best in Chinatown. I also loved the neighbourhood and felt that, unlike other areas of Vancouver, it had a gritty realness to it that I was attracted to and felt at home in. There’s also nothing handier than getting most of your produce, dry goods and smallware within a couple blocks of the restaurant.
When I opened the restaurant and realized that the night market was going to happen outside every summer, I couldn’t believe how lucky I had gotten with that location. I’ve always had a great love for markets and was excited to have the summer weekends on our street imbued with a sense of liveliness and fun. However, I think once the two night markets in Richmond opened up, a lot of business went over there and the market started to feel a bit sparse. My opinion was that there was no point for the Chinatown Night Market to compete with Richmond and that it should be its own entity, reflecting the emergence of a very exciting, young, entrepreneurial and creative spirit in the neighbourhood yet still preserving its cultural identity. I went to the Vancouver Chinatown Revitalization Committee (VCRC) and suggested the idea to give the night market an update which seemed in line with their mandate of bringing life back to the streets of Chinatown. They in turn introduced me to the Vancouver Chinatown Merchants’ Association who has organized the night market for the last 17 years, and welcomed me and a group of volunteers to facilitate this new vision.
What is the history behind the Chinatown Night Market?
KT: The Chinatown Night Market has been a summer cornerstone for the neighbourhood for almost 20 years. For years, the market was a bustling and full of energy. However, what was once a three-block market is now just a single block. Despite scaling down, the market still maintains a cultural significance to the city that the new market team is excited to be a part of it.
TL: This was also the first night market in North America.
Things have really changed in Chinatown; even in the last five years there’s been a huge turnover in the types of businesses and events that are making Chinatown their home. How is the Chinatown Night Market walking the line between old and new?
MF: This is exactly what got me interested in working with the Night Market this year. I wouldn’t say its been a turnover of businesses in the area; I’d rather say that there is more diversity side-by-side. Though we do have to be realistic about the changing neighbourhood, we can also be very sensitive to everyone living and working here. It’s something I’m very aware of, having been part of the initial change five years ago. So our main thing is to make sure that diversity and accessibility are at the top of the list. We’re not replacing traditional with new; we’re adding to it. We’re keeping it as affordable as it was before, but making it more engaging. We want the Night Market to be a place you can buy a plate of shrimp dumplings, then finish it off with homemade ice cream while listening to Chinese opera, or trying your hand at Hip Hop Karaoke.
Can you recall some of the challenges (overcome or not) that you’ve faced while organizing this endeavour?
HR: Time has been the big one. Annual summer festivals of this size usually take the entire year to plan, and we’ve been working since January (Ken and Tannis started a bit earlier). We’re playing catch up this year and looking forward to getting a head start on next year!
MG: I knew from the start that this was going to be a marketing challenge. How do you get people engaged with something that isn’t happening yet? It is hard to get people focused on an event for summer in the middle of a long, drizzly winter and spring. However, every week as ideas turned into concrete plans and so much amazing talent started signing up, it became clear we just needed a way to help people see what was coming. We are now covering the programming on the wesbite/ blog weekly and activating social media with announcements about what’s coming. Soon we will have a full program up for the summer. We have had so much great support from collaborators and press. Overall, when people hear about what we have planned they are super excited! It’s not hard to convince Vancouverites about the value of a new cultural event. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for announcements throughout the summer.
MF: Working with people from all different backgrounds! That’s been an enlightening challenge — working with different generations, cultural backgrounds, language barriers, different interest groups, and the list goes on…
TL: I’ve realized that creating something from the ground up like the restaurant is difficult but that trying to take an existing event and altering it after 18 years has its own set of challenges.
Okay, team stuff: complete the following “Mad Libs” with the appropriate activity/member of the team…
“Getting it done,” means getting great, crazy, overworked people on board.
Tannis’ cat always manages to make meetings about driving Ken crazy.
The absolute best answer to any question that anyone asks is always ”let me talk to the team about that and get back to you”.
What are you all most excited about right now?
HR: I think I’m most looking forward to seeing Rain City Chronicles perform on the stage. I just went to one of their events a few weeks ago on the theme of “Fame and Fortune,” and it blew me away.
MG: I am really excited about Hip Hop Karaoke hosted by HHKVan. Ken was saying these guys have been looking for way to make these nights accessible to a younger audience. To date, their nights have drawn huge crowds at legal age venues like Fortune Sound Club, but the market is now offering them a way to invite younger kids up on stage. I have no doubt this event is going to be huge.
MF: Outdoor films, and dumpling weekend! Who doesn’t want to know more and eat more dumplings?
ML: I’m with Michelle. Dumplings forever. It’s also going to be beautiful to see Keefer Street transformed and the neighbourhood bustling at night. I want to experience something like the vibrant Chinatown of the 1950s and 1960s that I’ve heard and read about.
KT: I’m excited to see Girls Rock Camp and Green Burrito Records’ band The Courtneys on share the stage. Nothing says summer jam more to me than The Courtneys’ “90210.” Am I allowed two? Screw it. Of course, I’m allowed. I can’t wait to shout “Warrrrrrriorrrrrs come out and playyyyyyyayyyayay” on the mic during our Street Fighter II: World Warrior tournament.
TL: New vendors! We have have a slew of new sellers with products that range from jewelry, laser cut crafts, vintage sunglasses, books, design magazines, ceramics, flowers, chocolate, ice cream sandwiches, and chutney. We also have a couple of collective stalls, one being run by the popular design blog Poppytalk, and the other by China Cloud, a neighbourhood studio/gallery space, that are planning to showcase different artists every week for the entire summer.
The Night Market begins May 17th and runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday until September 8th. Check out the action on the 100-block of Keefer Street from 6pm-11pm!
Behind-the-scenes with the filmmaking team: Sean Cox, Sean Horlor and Steve Adams
Vancouver Notablesis the ongoing interview series where “No Fun City” shows off. More like burlesque than a talent show, Vancouver Notables wants you doing what you do best, but with sequins on your nipples. Tell us who you are, what you’re doing that’s of note and why, oh why, are you rocking that boat?
Who are you?
Former reality show host. Currently part of a Vancouver filmmaking trio (with Steve Adams and Sean Cox) that is working on a feature called The Mill and the Mountain.
How did you get involved in the filmmaking industry in Vancouver?
My partner Steve and I won a filmmaking grant from OUTtv in 2011. Our short film “Just the Tip” screened at a few festivals. We were instantly hooked.
How did Steamy Window Productions come to be?
After working on contract for other producers, Steve and I said “NO MORE” and started our own company. We started with commercial projects believing that our business model would eventually fuel our creative work.
The Mill on the Mountain is based on the history of deaths and disappearances along BC’s so-called “Highway of Tears.” Were there additional challenges in creating a story based on actual events? What sparked the concept for The Mill and The Mountain?
I started [writing] a novel about a 2005 missing-person case in Vancouver, but the idea didn’t really come together into a screenplay until I met Steve. He grew up along the Highway of Tears and babysat accused serial killer Cody Legebokoff in the 1990s. There’s also a revenge-porn connection to the film (based on Hunter Moore’s website Is Anyone Up?) which we used to tie the events together. We wanted to create a showcase for some of Canada’s dirtiest secrets. It’s not all hockey and rom-coms up here right?
What are the aesthetic influences for The Mill and The Mountain?
Definitely films like Fargo, Winter’s Bone and the original A Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
How did you decide to enter the project into the CineCoup film accelerator?
Our team said yes to our inner Dr. Evil: One million dollars!
How is the competition going so far?
We’ve had a whole bunch of love from Vancouver, which is incredible! We’ve also crowdsourced our concept and script with movie fans around the world, testing what works and what doesn’t. It’s a new way to make movies and we’re stoked to be involved in CineCoup’s first year.
What will a 1 million dollar budget allow you do with this film that wouldn’t be possible otherwise?
The $1M will help us make our film, but CineCoup has helped connect us to film fans and the film industry in a way that would have taken years to do alone.
Best Vancouver spot?
Third Beach!
Last film you watched? The Illusionist. Clunky start and some mushy parts AND Jessica Biel, but there’s a five-star reveal at the end.
Last album you listened to?
The soundtrack to The Hours. Philip Glass is a writer’s best friend.
