7993 replies to this topic

[Jackerbie]

Slightly off-topic, but in Gary's photograph above, there is a sign indicating the Victoria Fire Department Station #4.

 

Does anybody know what this is? What they do here?

Is it permanent? Has it been here long?

 

All City references to the various halls in town end with hall #3, there's no reference to a #4 hall.

Can't really be for The Protector, as they dock that permanently by the main seaplane terminal.

 

I think it's decommissioned? See this post and some in the Point Hope thread: https://vibrantvicto...pyard/?p=385130

[Cassidy]

I think it's decommissioned? See this post and some in the Point Hope thread: https://vibrantvicto...pyard/?p=385130

Ahhh, of course. Thanks.

 

I totally zoned out in noting that Gary mentioned in his post that the photograph had been taken in 2015.

In a more recent of Gary's photos, the building is still there, minus its siding - and presumably the #4 fire station sign.

 

I wonder what it was used for when it was being used by VicFD?

[Gary H]

Yeah, why that building is still wrapped in plastic without being re-clad is a another mystery to me.

 

But back to those 11 girders.  I've found more visual evidence supporting my theory.  In the first pic, from Sept. 2015 you can clearly see the B1 - B3 labeling of the northern Bascule Pier girders for the MUD, they even include the W for west side orientation, and include what can only be the date they were cast.  The labeling of the Span 3 girders G... can be seen in the back.  I think the pink labeling was added as a visual aide, as it's not consistent, but easier to read than the small yellow labeling that must be the definitive placement coding.

 

In the second photo, the 5 Bascule Pier girders used for the MUD and PD are clearly visible with the PD girders not being marked in pink.

 

Also note the row of rebar in front of the guy in the foreground with the orange t-shirt.  As can be seen in the next post, this rebar will form the east ledge that those 11 girders will eventually be placed on.  Also note the four columns in the Bascule Pier's west side.  Those will form the support for the west side of the 11 girders.  That support beam is currently covered by the white plastic shroud.

 

 

 

Edited by Gary H, 14 December 2017 - 11:32 AM.

[Gary H]

Fast forward a couple of years, the east ledge is clearly visible just below the rebar in the first photo.  The support beam on the west side is visible in the second photo (currently covered in white plastic).

 

The question I have now is how are those girders going to be moved?  In the last photo you can see how long the MUD girders are, and the 11 in the middle of the pier will be just as long.  I suspect I'll be part of the Dynamic Beast's job when it comes back to place the leaf span.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Gary H, 14 December 2017 - 11:42 AM.

[Gary H]

The covers for the ring's upper counterweight cavities have arrived.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Gary H, 14 December 2017 - 12:55 PM.

[Fairbanks]

Fix the Damned Youtube Camera feed!  What the hell is wrong with Victoria.  Tell Elvira Gulch to get off her bike and do something meaningful.  And about that proposed 250 thousand dollar sculpture!  Yechhhhhh!

[Bingo]

Get the lead out...

 

 

 

 

[mbjj]

I think the "sculpture" is horrible and dumb, the price is way too high, it has "sound" attached to it which will likely be annoying, in short, get rid of the stupid thing and put in some trees and nice flowers. It's a bunch of artsy-fartsy claptrap. When I think of the beautiful statues I've seen in other countries, if we add this to the mattress and space junk, we seem like a laughing stock. Why do we "need" an artist in residence anyways?

[sdwright.vic]

Not saying I like this, but you had me till the "artsy-fartsy" comment. Art is after all subjective, and it doesn't always have to be a statue of some old dead person. There is this type of abstract art throughout the world. Albeit, much better representations of it.

[Cassidy]

Whether you like a piece of art, or hate a piece of art ... most folks understand that it is indeed "art", and its main purpose is to force the viewer to think for a moment about what they're looking at.

In this case for example, if the artist succeeds in getting any single viewer to wonder "why surfboards shaped like an Orca?" ... said artist will have accomplished their task.

 

A private individuals liking a piece of art, or hating a piece of art has nothing to do with the COV's earmarking some cash for public art installations around the city.

And certainly the artist hasn't designed this piece specifically to appeal to you, so your disliking it isn't in and of itself any reason not to continue full steam installing it!

 

Perhaps most importantly, in the case of this Orca/Surfboard piece of new bridge art, I'm sure the artist would be mortified to read that folks are rendering judgements on his creation based on a childish cartoon rendering, rather than waiting to see it in its finished form, in all its glory ... and hating it then 

[Mike K.]

I grew up with art being something timeless and beautiful. Today everyone’s an artist and everything is art.

Give all the kids a star for their effort and a pass for their presence. That’s what the art scene is like today. And who am I or anyone else to argue with an artist’s 3,000 word definition for their thing?

I mean, I wish we could just call this a colourful instalment and not “art.” There’s an art to everything if you get down to it, so maybe we should change the definition of art of this caliber to something a little more meaningful to what it is?

[Jackerbie]

I think the "sculpture" is horrible and dumb, the price is way too high, it has "sound" attached to it which will likely be annoying

 

Likely the intention at this location, as those surf boards would make great poles and anchor points for a tent or tarp.

[Cassidy]

But the thing about "art" is that nobody is forcing you (or anybody else) to bother defining it or debating it at all.

 

It can be whatever (you) the viewer wants it to be.

 

I get that in the 1700's stunningly beautiful paintings were being generated on a daily basis, and that was considered beautiful "art" for the time.

But art defies definition by design, and in 2018 artists are basing their art on the world we live in today, not the world as it was in 1750.

 

I'm not an art critic by any means, but I believe the artist who created this piece has already accomplished what they set out to accomplish ... in that here we are, months before the piece is even in place ... talking about it, debating its merits, and (OMG!) trying to discuss a definition of what is, or isn't "art".

 

Changed from a dismal old corner of the COV, with its old, rusting bridge ... to the new, stunning and sleek new bridge, with new and safer approaches from both sides, and there, in the middle of it all is a bevy of surfboards embeded into the ground, and it looks like a whale ... "what on earth does that even mean?" ... "I don't like that at all" ... "mmmmm? - interesting, but I don't get it" ... ..."I HATE it" ... "I LOVE it!!", and on and on it goes.

 

Who knows, in 75 years, long after we're all gone ... perhaps the then residents of the COV will consider this odd surfboard/orca piece one of the most cherished bits of art in Victoria, and great protests will manifest at the threat to remove surfboards/whale in order to accommodate the new rapid transit station that will be built on the location ... the rapid transit station you get on to head out to Langford and Colwood at blazing speeds.

 

Mission accomplished! 

Edited by Cassidy, 15 December 2017 - 08:46 AM.

[spanky123]

I think the thing that most people object to is the pricetag. We are already paying for both of the artists in residence so the $250K would just be for the 'art' itself. If you were to ask 100 people to describe the art based on the rendering my bet would be that 0 would say "orca", 60 wouldn't have a clue and 40 would say "knuckles and a middle finger"! 

 

On that basis I think that the $250K could be better spent.

Edited by spanky123, 15 December 2017 - 09:12 AM.

[Mike K.]

But the thing about "art" is that nobody is forcing you (or anybody else) to bother defining it or debating it at all.

It can be whatever (you) the viewer wants it to be.

 

 

Oh geez...

 

The problem with today's art scene is if you so much as dare call something like it is, you're instantly put on the spot with "but the thing about art..."

 

There is zero redeeming value in that pile of junk at the arena. The mattresses at Douglas and Blanshard by the same artist are aging like a Kia.

 

Verbiage from folks who tongue twist their way into defining something so obviously obtuse and irrelevant into something poignant and timeless won't change the fact that ...garbage is garbage.

 

Now I quite like the uniqueness of the installation that has been proposed for the bridge. It's fun and it could turn out quite nice in physical form.

[dasmo]

Art is simply the intent to be so. It’s why a urinal can be art.
Good or bad is a taste/cultural thing. I mean we all love Van Gogh now.... I don’t think this piece is controversial at all. It’s in part why I am underwhelmed. I think it’s nice looking and at least an abstraction of an Orca. If it’s $250k for just this that will be the controversy, not the art itself. I’d rather have pieces of the blue bridge crushing a midden form. Now that would be controversial!

Edited by dasmo, 15 December 2017 - 09:34 AM.

[todd]

I would really, really, really love to see something resembling an oak tree or an arbutus tree around there. Can you imagine two or three featured trees at the gateway to downtown? It would be stunning, amazing, so unique for Canada.

 

One person's art is another person's threat; art is extremely dangerous.

Edited by todd, 15 December 2017 - 09:53 AM.

[sdwright.vic]

Mike has his cane out today with his "The problem with today's art scene is if you so much as dare call something like it is, you're instantly put on the spot with "but the thing about art..." rhetoric.

Those darn whipper snappers! 🤣

[Mike K.]

Art galleries would go broke if society realized the stuff they're selling for thousands of dollars is total garbage, lol.

 

Nobody wants to be that guy at the art gallery who "doesn't get it." So everyone pretends to get it for fear of being ridiculed as an uncultured tool.

 

Meanwhile the real tool is the guy who bought this for $1.7 million. I'm not even kidding.

 

[todd]

Art galleries would go broke if society realized the stuff they're selling for thousands of dollars is total garbage, lol.

 

Nobody wants to be that guy at the art gallery who "doesn't get it." So everyone pretends to get it for fear of being ridiculed as an uncultured tool.

 

Meanwhile the real tool is the guy who bought this for $1.7 million. I'm not even kidding.

 

crap.jpg

 

I could do that for a thousand; if anyone's interested.