Neon Vancouver | Ugly Vancouver
November 15, 2011
From Museum of Vancouver
Neon Vancouver/Ugly Vancouver is an exhibition about Vancouver’s love/hate relationship with neon signs, which explores Vancouver’s gritty, urban past at the Museum of Vancouver (MOV). Opening October 13, 2011, Neon Vancouver/Ugly Vancouver presents a fascinating look at the rapid growth of neon signs throughout the 50s, 60s and 70s, and the visual purity crusade that virtually banished them from Vancouver streets.
01. Smiling Buda neon sign photo by Walter Griba
“The exhibition raises interesting questions about how we collectively construct the way our city is portrayed,” says Neon Vancouver/Ugly Vancouver curator, Joan Seidl, Director of Exhibitions and Collections at MOV. “There was a real push in the 60s and 70s to redefine Vancouver as a green, natural space. While we may love neon today, there was a real outcry against neon signs, which represented a more industrial, urban city.”
02. Drake Hotel neon sign photo by Walter Griba
“We’re being led by the nose into a hideous jungle of signs. They’re outsized, outlandish, and outrageous. They’re desecrating our buildings, cluttering our streets, and — this is the final indignity — blocking our view of some of the greatest scenery in the world,” says Tom Ardies in “Let’s Wake Up from Our Neon Nightmare,” Vancouver Sun, 1966.
03. Owl Drug neon sign detail photo by Walter Griba
Curated by Joan Seidl and designed by Resolve Design, Neon Vancouver/Ugly Vancouver reaches into the riches of MOV’s historic neon collection to resurrect some of the city’s former sign magic. Signs on display show the lost art of neon, and include long-time favourites like the Regent Tailors, Owl Drug, and the Drake Hotel, complimented by recently acquired signs such as Clark’s Beauty Salon (Main Street) and the Blue Eagle Café (East Hastings Street). Visitors can also enjoy the Smiling Buddha in the History Galleries. This gritty, urban side of Vancouver’s past is also explored through the photography of Walter Griba, which is on public display for the first time. The exhibition runs Thursday, October 13, 2011 through Sunday, August 12, 2012. To learn more about the exhibition, visit the MOV’s website.
