Beautiful Youth, Art All Around Us

These days with Bill and Black Jack, exploring our world, are precious.  That thought never leaves me.  So, too, are the people and wildlife we meet along the way, with glimpses into their thoughts and worlds.  Yesterday was especially rich.  There was quite a lot of looking up and looking down, and some very vibrant oranges near the end of the day, so I'll share this post with Travel With Intent's Look Up Look Down meme and also with Maria's Orange You Glad It's Friday meme, though Friday is not quite here yet.  Many thanks to each of them for hosting.

  

The day began with a test shot of Black Jack.  Yay!  The 300 mm lens is working again.  I looked down at her, and though her nose pointed down, her eyes were definitely directed up.

We biked from Harrison Galleries around False Creek to Granville Island and stopped by the pond.  On the other side of the path, a small forested area, and in front of the that, some park benches look over False Creek.  We sat there with Black Jack, enjoying perfect weather and remarking that we had never seen so many young seagulls in one place at one time.  The sound, to my ears, was that of youth, old enough to get around but shocked that all the comforts of babyhood have suddenly come to an end.  No more instant food delivery when hungry.  No ever-present mama to protect and comfort.  To my ears, the sound in this 4-second clip has anger, shock and a you-come-here-right-now-and-take-care-of-me message.  

Mama (I'm guessing) did show up.  You can see her at the left.  She only stayed a few minutes.  This 12-second clip shows calm restored with her presence.  Could those really all be her kids?  And there were more that I haven't captured off to the right. I've read that seagulls make wonderful parents.  I must say these youth were not only about in greater numbers but many were bigger than their parents and very healthy looking.  Perhaps, this is the time when juveniles are being set free all about town.

Here's a photo for those with no time for movies.

 I left Bill for a few moments and walked across the path to see what was happening in the pond.  A reflection peeking out from under the evergreens was my first pleasure.

 Then, more juveniles drying off after their bath.  This one was huge.

 I saw one blue heron,

 and looking over the pond, almost missed..

 this one, camouflaged against the side of a boulder on the other side.  The parent herons, too, are adapting to freedom after months of nesting duties.  I can't tell if the ones I saw were adults or youth, but have noticed that the youth, once fledged, go off to find a corner of their own, and, in general, seem to take independence more stoically than seagulls.

 When I walked back across the path to Bill and Black Jack, they were watching a different kind of youth.  I imagined the plans and the dynamics that brought this group together for fun on the water.  Perhaps, it was a lesson.  I must say, I have a tiny urge to try this.

Our next stop was at the Granville Island community centre.  We were going to just do a quick pit stop and continue on our way to the Burrard Bridge, but I noticed signs like this tacked on some nearby trees and walls, and was curious to know more.  Each one resonated, but the one below especially intrigued me.

Some chairs were being set up on the grass, and I saw the people shown in this photo that was also taped to a wall looking as though they were preparing for a performance.  And best of all, there would be no problem with taking photographs.  Yay!!  Christopher von Riedemann (shown at the top right) and Maya Tenzer (top left) were dancing.  They are both up and coming dancers with Ballet BC.  You can read a story about them here.  There would also be poetry by Madison Smart (middle on the left), the choreography was to be by Oksana Wengryniuk, live music by Jonah Ocean (bottom left), and the speaker would be Martha Hart (not shown here and sadly, no link, but I took some photos of her that are shown below).  All of the performers were connected to Arts Umbrella and all have known each other since high school.  (I hope this information is accurate but will welcome any corrections.)

There was a half hour before the performance, so I wandered around, looking in Granville Island warehouses, and was delighted to see this one..  well, in a way, two red blooms bravely holding fort until opening time in the morning.  

This will give you an idea of the unique performance venue.  Bill and Black Jack are in the front row, all the way to the right, with a seat saved for me.  (You can just barely see Bill's blue hat.) Our bikes are on the left. They would later be joined by several others.  This seemed to be a crowd of like-minded people.  Very friendly.  One little girl adored Black Jack and they had quite a cuddle together before and after the show.

There is something about an instrument, waiting for the hands of its human to bring it to life..                                                                                                                                     

that

tantalizes 

me.

(I had to take this cello in two sections because of the 300 mm lens.)

The space had perhaps been a garage.  This is the door, raised to rest against the ceiling.

It had an air of being well used.  There was art on shelves and supplies neatly stored in.. 

every cranny.  

 I loved being able to take photos, even managing to catch some.. 

videographer.

I felt incredibly lucky to have come..

 across this performance.  Johah's playing, 

 and Martha's reading added the perfect touch to stimulating poetry and brilliant dancing.

 Sitting in the front row, and with the 300 mm lens, I tended to zero in..

 pretty closely on expressions..

 and emotions.

 Many of these photos need no commentary.  I'll let you scroll through as you choose.  To the performers, I have quite a few more in my iphoto events.  I could do a facebook post, or given a few days, a dropbox link, depending on what would work best for you.

 Much of the poetry and dance and music worked together for a personal interpretation that worked for me.  I wasn't so sure about the significance of the black paint.  My guess?  Perhaps imagery to show that every youth has to paint his/her own future in their own way, making their own mistakes and discovering their unique worlds, each as they will do, given the myriad of stimulating events connected to people and nature about them.

These words were shown in one of the documents titled "The Hotel: Rough Drafts Project No.1" and taped to a wall: "Where does one start in a world where anything (an idea, a goal, a person, a dream) can easily be ours? It is the overwhelming sense that we can be larger than whom we think we are.  It is simplicity that we seem to lack.  It is the bedrock that needs to be valued most where an end goal is systemized to be the prize but is the causality of hidden misery."

There was a connection to the idea of hotels as places where we rest with our things about us, and yet we are not at home.  An impersonal space with people and things about us that we most likely will never see again.  I'm still thinking about that more illusive imagery.

 There were a few humble bows and a question and answer period, but what I loved most..

 after a truly incredible performance, 

were the obvious friendships..

 and mutual respect.  Our world was enriched by these young people yesterday, and I am deeply grateful.

The Orange Connection for "Orange You Glad It's Friday"

We gathered up Black Jack, who had watched the entire performance in rapt attention, and decided to catch the aquabus home.  On the way, we came across that art project that I blogged about recently.    

  When we first saw it, the silos had been painted in single background colours.  

The two Brazilian artists go by the name Os Gemeos and the project will be called "Giants" 

 This link will tell you more of the story.

 I think we were lucky enough to see the artists in action.  It's a very busy mural and a HUGE project.  Overall, I think it will add interest and vibrancy to the False Creek views.  

 Bill and Black Jack were by my side as I took the pictures.  Black Jack was interested in the moving replica of the workings of a cement plant, even though it had been shut down.  I encouraged Bill to put his head close to hers, so that i could fit them into a shot together.  I love this one.  

 That truck is just a toy replica but looks sort of real, doesn't it?

 This truck, on the other hand, is very real indeed.

 The cement trucks lined up, with the Granville Bridge in the background,

 could have kept my camera and me occupied for a very long time.

 Even those raised wheels that only go down when the trucks are loaded, seemed interesting to me.  But the boats were leaving and our stomachs were rumbling, and our day had been a beautifully full one.  It was time to go.  My thanks to the seagulls, the artists, and to all of the ideas that continue to spin though my thoughts, thanks to their imaginations, talent and hard work.  And thank you to you, dear readers, for taking time to stop by.