CO-MIX: In the Shadow of Art Spiegelman

I have meetings next week in Vancouver, too, so that sees me with a weekend to amuse myself in this city. (Although some of it will be spent working due to my workload right now.) So imagine my delight when on my first day here I saw this on my way to work:

It's a retrospective of Art Spiegelman's work at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Today, I got to take it in. The exhibit was amazing - not only the hundreds of pieces of original art and studies, his commercial work (did you know he was responsible for the Garbage Pail Kids stickers? I was floored), his underground comics, Maus and In the Shadow of No Towers and all the rest, but artifacts like photos of Spiegelman and his parents, the record of his parents' arrest, his mother's passport and his father's application for naturalization in the US. There was even a quiet corner in the back of the exhibit with a deep sofa and many copies of Maus so that you could curl up and read it.

I'm blogging mobile which has its challenges, so I won't go into more detail, but there's a lot more about the exhibit here if you care to read more.

ronnie

He haunts us.

Here he is at the Harrison Gallery in Vancouver, 901 Homer St.

It seems I can't take a trip, read a book, or turn on the telly without encountering this riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma that rides around on my shoulder, anyway.

ronnie

Another pretty picture from my hotel room in Vancouver.

Excited to be here. This trip completes my set of 10 provinces! No Territories yet, but there's still time!

Upon arriving in Vancouver.

Is Somebody Singing?

I mentioned previously that Commander Chris Hadfield, astronaut and musician, was going to collaborate with fellow musician Ed Robertson of The Barenaked Ladies on a song, written half on earth, half from space. Today they debuted it. It's called ISS (Is Somebody Singing?) and it is a treat.

See it debuted live on CBC radio here.

What an incredible time we live in!!! Think of the Mercury and Apollo astronauts, with their grainy video.

Anyway, to the song - snippets:

"There goes home, that brilliant ball of blue...
What once was fueled by fear, now has fifteen nations orbiting together here...
So sing your song, I'm listening, out here where stars are glistening,
I hear your voices bouncing off the moon;
If you could see our nation, from the International Space Station,
You'd know why I want to get back soon."

I was especially touched by "what once was fueled by fear..."

Sheet music and lyrics here (PDF).

And I believe I already mentioned that the song is in aid of Music Monday, a project of the Coalition for Music Education. A very good cause indeed.

ronnie (humming)