On the way to the photowalk yesterday I passed through one of the new developments meant to revitalize the Downtown East Side (DTES), the Woodwards block that took the old venerable department store and made it into a complex of high value living and retail spaces (plus some low-income sections). I hadn't really looked into what they were doing but essentially just wandered into it before realizing I was in the block. Immediately I knew I was in the place because I was confronted by Stan Douglas' huge mural hovering overhead the main entrance.

Abbot and Cordova is a recreation of the 1971 Gastown riot featuring dozens of actors, a horse, cop cars and some great lighting to feature a not-so-nice event in the area's history. Needless to say, a provocative piece that is in the face of every resident who has paid upwards to a million dollars for living / work space in the block.

On first sight it looks like an elaborate Jeff Wall piece and the effort involved would be on par for setting up a shot for a film - if only to use one single frame of it. Douglas recreated it in a parking lot in the PNE. I suppose it would have been even more provocative to have it filmed on-location, where residents would still have a problem with seeing police beating up actors.

Here's a good article from The Straight (ironic, since the publication was one of the key actors in the actual riot) about the making of the photo.

If you are in a good photo section in a bookstore you can find Douglas' Every Building on 100 West Hastings.

Links

Stan Douglas at David Swirner gallery
Stan Douglas in Wikipedia