The original plan was to grab a Japadog for lunch. It was supposed to be
on the way to the Vancouver Art Gallery. But after repeatedly walking
up and down the two blocks at Burrard St and W Pender St (as GoogleMap
instructed), I was left Japadog-less and hungry. Curse you GoogleMap!!!
I saw this taco truck nearby and decided to go for it. There were 4-5 people already in line, which I took as a good sign. The menu was short, about 6-7 items. I ordered two pulled pork with tortilla.
They were full of flavour but also really pricey. Each tortilla was only about the size of my palm.
Food in hand, I made my way to the Art Gallery. It was really nice having my lunch on the steps of the gallery. The building looks absolutely wonderful. I was absolutely ready for an amazing afternoon with Emily Carr and the Theatre of Transcendence.
A police station built right into the gallery building. Smart!Vancouver Art Gallery. What can I say? Except that I went, so now you don't have to.
For all the grandiose from the outside, the gallery itself was unbelievably small. Three floors. The top floor, which houses the Emily Carr exhibit, is about the size of a small studio. There were only six or seven Emily Carr paintings on display. I was so disappointed, especially when you factor in the admission price.
The other exhibits were 1) Beat Nation: Art, Hip Hop and Aboriginal Culture, and 2) Lights Out! Canadian Paintings from the 1960's, neither of which were of much interest to me. Aboriginal rap is not my idea of art. However, I will say that I did find one of the artists in that exhibit, Brian Jungen, to be very intriguing.
He uses Air Nike shoes to create aboriginal-inspired artwork. The red, white, and black palette of the shoes match perfectly to that of the aboriginal art palette. The details in his works are quite amazing. While I'm sure there are some deeper meaning in the usage of such a well-known mainstream icon like Air Jordan sneakers as the medium of his work, I'm not artsy enough to see it, unfortunately. I just think they look unbelievably cool.
Despite my disappointment with the gallery's exhibits, I'm not going to deny the beauty of its lobby and staircase. See for yourself. It, along with Brian Jungen, almost made going there worth it. Almost.
The view of the gallery from Robson Square.
Stumbling unto Robson Square was entirely by mistake. I was trying to make a phone call but didn't want to do it right on the streets. I saw a flight of stairs semi-concealed by flowers and plants and decided to take it hoping it would lead me somewhere slightly more private. And this is where it led me - Robson Square (which I found out much later.)
A very pretty place in the middle of a bustling city. A perfect lunch spot.
Checked into my hotel. Had some internet problems but was solved pronto and I was ready to get out and do some sightseeing.
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