lab land CANOE - sfu.casbitter/Laboratory_Landscape/proposals/lab_land_CAN… · SFU | Laboratory...

SFU|LaboratoryLandscape|proposal

Krystle Coughlin, Roxanne Charles, Rachelle Tjahyana

1.OVERVIEWCanoeOurproposalforLandMarks2017istocarveacanoeoutofadecomposinglog/nursingtreewithinStanleyPark.Thiscanoewouldbeasemi-permanentartworkthatwouldremainintheparkandassistthelog’sdecomposition.ItwouldincorporateIndigenousknowledgesofCoastSalishweavingandcarving,andrepresentacommunal,andmulticulturalspaceofworkingtogether,andmovingforward.

Figure1.Felleddouglasbyboardwalk,nexttotrailleadingtoPipelineRoadbehindLumberman’sCafe

2.RESEARCHANDPROCESS

OurresearchgroupfocusedonIndigenouspoliticsandhistories.Thisresearchlookedatthepoliticsofnaming,colonialismandcolonialsites,andmultiplehistories.OurresearchledustoquestionthehistoriesofStanleyPark,specificallytoquestioncolonialnarrativesthatsurroundCanada’scomplexnationalidentity.OurresearchintoIndigenouspoliticsandhistoriesinspiredourgrouptocreateaprojectthatlooksatStanleyParkasasharedsiteformanyNations.Tofacilitateourresearch,welookedatartistswhoseworkandpracticeschallengecolonialnarrativesanddeconstructsconceptsofNationalidentity.

SFU|LaboratoryLandscape|proposal

Whenwestartedourbrainstormingprocess,weturnedtothecanoeasaspace/placeofinteresttoexploretheseideas.Initially,ourgrouphadenvisionedthreecanoestorepresenttheland,sea,andsky;eachcanoecouldbefoundinthemiddleofaforest,onabeach,andupinatree.However,welaterrevisedthisideaandcollectivelydecidedtofocusonone.Thisdecisionwasbaseduponrealizingtheamountofwork,skill,andtechnicalissuesthatarisefromhavingthreecanoes,andmoreimportantlytheprotocolsconcerningcanoesbythewater. SomeofthereadingsthatinformeduswerewritingsbySelenaCouture,SusanPoint,TaniaWillard,BrianDavidThom,andMichelFoucault. TheprojectwasalsoinspiredbyourtimespenttouringinStanleyParkwithCeaseWyss,SelenaCouture,JinHan,andLauraleighPaul.WelearnedaboutIndigenousandinvasiveplantsandecosystems,andfoundinspirationineco-artistswhoseworkutilizedplantspecies.Thistimeallowedustoreflectonourproject,withanapproachthatwouldrespectthenaturallandscapeandindigenousplantspecies.OurresearchintotheecologyofStanleyParkinspiredustoutilizeinvasiveplantspeciesintoweavings,andtocreateanurse-logwhichwouldsupportnativeplantspecies-thuspromotingtheeco-systemofthesite.EnvironmentalMonitor/Educator,LauraleighPaul,hasalsosupportedtheideaofusingweavinginvasivespeciesaspartofourcanoe;weplantoremainincontactwithherandtheEcologySocietythroughoutthisprojectbytakingworkshopsthatwouldaidusintheseprocesses. Thelogusedtocreateourpiecewillfollowtheparkboardregulationstominimizethedisturbanceinnaturalhabitats;wemetandspokewithLauraleighPaulattheStanleyParkEcologySocietytohelpuslocatethelogsthatwouldbeappropriateforthisproject.AllofthelogsthatLauraleighhadshownuswereeitherclosetotrails,and/oreasilyaccessibletothepublic.Outoftheselectionoffelledhemlocks,onedouglas,andonecedarlog,wewillmostlikelyusethedouglasorcedarduetoitssoftwood,andaccessiblelocationwhilstavoidingmajorcrowding/childrenzonessuchastheVancouverAquarium(seebelow).

Figure2.FelledhemlockbyVancouverAquarium

SFU|LaboratoryLandscape|proposal

Creatingacollaborativeprojectthatincludedthecomplexhistoriesof

Canada,whileutilizingournewly-acquiredknowledgeoflocalecologyandplantspecies,weseektocreateaprojectthatspeakstothelocallandscape.InutilizingandlearningIndigenouscarvingandweavingpracticesforthiscanoeguidedandsharedbyCoastSalishartistRoxanneCharles’Indigenousknowledgeandskills,weseektoacknowledgetheCoastSalishancestorsofthislandwhilebeingawareofthediversityofourownculturesandartisticbackgroundsthatboardthisboat.Forthemostpart,wewillbeusingRoxanne’scarvingtoolsforthispiece,althoughwemayneedtorent/purchasemoreequipmentdependentonwhichlogweendupchoosing;thedouglashasverymoist,spongywoodthatcaneasilytearawaytobemoldedbyhand,however,thecedarisslightlyharderwhichmayrequirethehelpofanelectricsaw(toberentedfromSFU).

Wewillbeworkingonsiteattheparkandabidebyparkrulesandhoursduringthecarvingprocess,andfurthermore,willcontinuetowatchforpassersbyandrespectournaturalenvironmentbycausinglittletonodamageofthespace.

Ourtotalcostoftoolscometobe$400,thoughourtotalbudgetshouldnot

exceed$800(includingpotentialcostsofreplacingoraddingtools).

IlltisOxheadCurvedAdze

HandAdze BroadHatchet 18"ForgedDrawknife

TotalCost

$149.00 $54.50 $76.50 $91.50 ±$371.50+tax

Table1.EstimatedCostofTools

3.CONCEPT

Ourconceptofourpiecesurroundsthecreationandtheideasofacanoe.Thecanoeisacelebrationofbringingpeopletogetherintermsofitscreationanditspurposeoftravellingincommunity.Ourpiecetakesontheseideasasarecreationofanabstractcanoe,usingafallingtreeasthebaseofourwork,wehopetohastentheprocessofthefallentreeintoanursinglog.ThroughthereadingsofMiwonKwonandherdistinctionsofpublicartprojects,ourproposedpiececanbeseenasartinpublicplacesandartaspublicspaces.OurproposedcanoeactsasanartworkinapublicplacethatwillenrichtheenvironmentasthelogslowlydecaysandgivebacktoothernativespeciesinStanleyPark.Howeverthepiececanalsobeseenasartasapublicspaceduetothemerefactthattheabstractcanoeisaplaceofgathering.Theconceptofourpieceisn’tonlyaboutthefinalproductbutalsotheprocessandtheknowledgeofcreatingthiscanoe.Theyareseenasequalcounterpartsthatservehowthepieceisperceivedbothphysicallyandconceptually. PartoftheLaboratoryLandscapecourseexploresthelegacyofcolonialsites,andhowthesesitesbecomeapartofcomplexCanadianhistories.Thisprojectseekstoaddresscomplexhistoriesinacollaborativeandthoughtfulproject.OurprojectseekstoexplorethehistoryofStanleyparkasasitewithasharedterritoryamongtheCoastSalishpeoples–theMusqueamFirstNation,Tsleil-waututhFirstNation,andtheSquamishFirstNation.TheprojectalsoseekstoexploreCanadianhistory

SFU|LaboratoryLandscape|proposal

asonelinkedtomigration-manynon-IndigenousmigrantstravelledtoCanadabyboat.ThecanoebecomesrepresentativeofCanada’shistories,andthetargetviewerswillbeparkgoerswhohappenbythesite.Canoesandboatsarefoundinmanyculturesaroundtheworld–however,itisimportantforourprojecttoberespectfulofthelocalFirstNations’privateandhereditaryknowledge.BuildingatraditionalCoastSalishcanoewouldrequirepermissionsfromthelocalFirstNationsandelders.However,ourprojectisnotatraditionalorformalcanoebutratheranabstractionderivedfromnature.

Figure3.Preliminarysketchearlyinourbrainstormingprocess4.CONTEXT

Someoftheartistswhosepracticedrawsattentiontothecomplexhistoriesoflandandlandscapethatinspiredourconceptwere: CoastSalishartistLawrencePaulYuxweluptun’santi-colonialworks(suchashisrecentexhibition“UncededTerritories”)inspireartworksthatchallengeanddeconstructscolonialnarratives.MarianneNicholson–aKwakwaka’wakwFirstNationsartist–usesvisualarttoreclaimlandscapesandspaces(suchas“HouseoftheGhosts”–aNorthwestCoastinspiredlonghousedesignthatwasprojectedontheVancouverartgallery–formerlythecourthousewhichhasimplementedcolonialrule). KenLumisChinese-Canadianartistandheinstalled“FourBoatsStranded:RedandYellow,BlackandWhite”in2001.FourdifferentboatsareinstalledontherooftopoftheVancouverArtGallery.ThereareFirstNationslongboats,CaptainGeorgeVancouver’sthreemastedsailship,theKomagateMaru,andacargoship

SFU|LaboratoryLandscape|proposal

thatrecentlycarriedmigrantfromChina’sFujianProvincetoVancouver.Weareinterestedtolookatstoriesthateachshiphas. GuXiong’spaperboatcontainsdifferentaspectintheartworldinVancouver.GuXiongusesboatsinhiswork“waterscapes”,and“RedRiver”,andtheseboatsareculturallysignificantespeciallythosepeoplewho(im)migratedfromdifferentcountries.Sincewedecidedtocreatecanoeoutoffallentree,theprocessofthecreatingartworkismostlyfocusedontheprocessofcarving.CarvinghascloserelationshiptotheindigenouscultureinVancouver,andtheprocessofcarvingwoodisasimportantasphysicalformofartwork.

Figure4.GuXiong,“RedRiver”,2008

Figure5.KenLum,“FourBoatsStranded:RedandYellow,BlackandWhite”,1990–Present

SFU|LaboratoryLandscape|proposal

Figure6.FirstNations/SecondNature,installationview,AudainGallery,2010.Photo:KevinSchmidt.

5.BIBLIOGRAPHY

MarianneNicolson-HouseofGhosts,2008–2009https://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/the_exhibitions/exhibit_next_marianne_nicolson.htmlLawrencePaulYuxweluptun-UncededTerritorieshttp://moa.ubc.ca/portfolio_page/lawrence-paul/GuXiong-“RedRiver”,2008http://guxiong.ca/en/solo-exhibition/red-river/FirstNations/SecondNature,curatedbyCandiceHopkins,2010(AudainGallerySFUWoodwards)https://www.sfu.ca/galleries/audain-gallery/past1/first-nations.htmlKenLum-“FourBoatsStranded:RedandYellow,BlackandWhite”,1990–Presenthttps://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/the_exhibitions/publicart.htmlTaniaWillardandKarenDuffekinLawrencePaulYuxweluptun:UncededTerritories,Vancouver:MOA,2016MichelFoucault-“OfOtherSpaces:UtopiasandHeterotopias”,Architecture/Movement/Continuite,1984.BrianDavid-COASTSALISHSENSESOFPLACE:Dwelling,Meaning,Power,PropertyandTerritoryintheCoastSalishWorld,DepartmentofAnthropology,McGillUniversity,Montréal.March,2005Allreadingsthatinformedusduringthiscourse:http://www.sfu.ca/~sbitter/Laboratory_Landscape/readings.html