WRECK CITY is over and the houses we once occupied are a ghost town, patiently awaiting the wrecking ball. The Curators are presently in the process of building an archive of images on our blog, but in the meantime we’re paying tribute to the sheer volume of creative activity surrounding the project. Many photographers visited WRECK CITY, and a selection of their images and stories will come in the days to follow, but some of my favourite images came from Mike Tan of Diane + Mike Photography. The following is a photographic account, reblogged from their website, along with some additional images that Mike shared with us.
Note: I’ve taken the liberty of re-arranging some images and adding prominent artist credits, which perhaps ruins the overall aesthetic, but works better for the flow of our blog (and for our many artists!) Be sure to check out Diane + Mike’s original post to view the pictures in their proper glory.
Artist Alex Moon, seen through Joleen Toner’s work
A viewer ascending up a stairwell installation by The Satisfactory (Mynthia McDaniel & Jane Durham)
BLOG RE-POSTED FROM DIANE + MIKE PHOTOGRAPHY
Last weekend Mike rushed over to check out the final day of a incredible public art project — probably one of, if not the THE largest of it’s kind in Calgary’s history. Installations were all-encompassing, where throngs of public could openly meander through living rooms and exposed foundations, travel across carpet-clad hanging bridge structures, aaaaaand experience a CAMERA OBSCURA! The soon-to-be demolished residential block became a blur of art gallery/amusement park.
Please check out their website, definitely read the ABOUT page because the scale of the project was too grand to cover in one day!
WRECK CITY viewers on the balcony of Lane Shordee’s greenhouse
Artist Lane Shordee in his greenhouse
Artist Lane Shordee in his greenhouse
Artists Lane Shordee and Mynthis McDaniel, sitting on a porch swing by The Satisfactory (Mynthia and Jane Durham)
Artist Mynthia McDaniel with a cloud by The Satisfactory (Mynthia McDaniel & Jane Durham)
Artist Eric Heitmann
Artist Eric Heitmann with his installation – a long-distance collaboration with two artists from Chili
A little girl inside the Infinite Forest by Leslie Bell + The Pine Tarts
Stars inside the Infinite Forest by Leslie Bell + The Pine Tarts
The ceiling of Desiree Nault’s Make-Out Room
The view from Desiree Nault’s Make-Out Room (Suki Sawatzky’s crocheted jungle-jim in the distance)
Viewers cross Alia Shahab’s bridge
Left: Artists Hye-Seung Jung, Lane Shordee, Ivan Ostapenko, Mynthia McDaniel, Daniel Kirk, Alia Shahab (left to right). Right: Jumping on Alia Shahab’s bridge
Artist Daniel J. Kirk in his nest
Bird-face and nest by Daniel J. Kirk
Slide by Wayne Garrett & Caitlind r.c. Brown
Octopus by GAPS Prop Shop. WRECK CITY Stage by Brandon Dalmer & Shawn Mankowske
Artist Alia Shahab and Patrick Whitten
Specimens collected by WRECK CITY Artist Rebecca Noone
Specimens collected by WRECK CITY Artist Rebecca Noone
Antlered bicycle by artist Morris Fox
Installation by Kasia Koralewska
Artist Morris Fox with his tree-stump sculpture
Artist Morris Fox
Mysterious plastic people!
… oh wait! It’s Artists Jeremy Pavka and Karly Mortimer
Installation by Hye-Seung Jung
Hue-Seung, taking down her installation
Reflections in the windows of the graffiti house
The Last Supper (an 809 edition), created bu Christine Weera
Artist-Curator Shawn Mankowske beside the house he curated
Left: Artist-Curator Brandon Dalmer. Right: Artist, Natalie McLean
Brandon Dalmer and Natalie McLean on the front steps of 801
Does anybody know who the artist was?
Monsters by Studio Cartel
Fishing hole by the Bum Family
View of the fishermen from the fishing hole, an installation by the Bum Family
A fish-riddled basement, including work by Full Spectrum Collective and the Bum Family
Left: fish installation by Full Spectrum Collective. Right: puffer fish by the Bum Family
Artist Suzen Green, looking through her window woolies
Artist Suzen Green inside her work
Left: kitchen installation by Jeremy Pavka. Right: Wall installation by Yvonne Kustec
Frosted wall by Sarah Adams
A viewer with Kiarra Albina’s painting
Artist Ivan Ostapenko, standing in a shadow hallway created by him and Studio North (Matthew Kennedy and Mark Erickson)
Artist Ivan Ostapenko, leaning over a balcony created by him and Studio North (Matthew Kennedy & Mark Erickson)
Bathroom installation by Kelsey Fraser
Bathroom installation by Sarah Van Sloten
Ceiling installation by Camille Betts
Ceiling installation by Camille Betts
Interior and exterior of a Camera Obscura by Lea Bucknell
Black lit installation by Morris Fox
DJ on Elaine’s porch. Elaine was the only original tenant in a quadraplex otherwise occupied by Artists (801)
Viewers staring into Svea Ferguson’s toilet
Chia-seed wall-paintings by Renato Vitic
A viewer standing under a lamp-shade inside a room installation by Dana Buzzee
Dirt pile by Lane Shordee
Last embers of a fire-side performance by Tomas Jonsson
A viewer walking between the Graffiti Art House and 809 proper
A viewer ascending through an installation by Matthew Mark Bourree and Mackenzie Boyle
Installation by Matthew Mark Bourree and Mackenzie Boyle
Installation by Matthew Mark Bourree and Mackenzie Boyle
Viewers inside 805. Light piece on the left by Cody Swinkles
A gigantic Thank You to Mike Tan for his enthusiasm, amazing photographs, and willingness to share. Go check out his other work – it’s really awesome!
WRECK CITY | an epilogue for 809 