Intersections

Description:

Intersections was an artistic inquiry into social and economic convergences, geographic landmarks, and reminiscences about current and historical thoroughfares.

Two writers, Sarah Buchanan and Caleb Johnston and two composers, James Maxwell and Brady Marks, were invited to create musical, sonic, and literary commentaries in response to geographical locations. This culminated in the creation of two works, 2055 Clark Drive and A Storied Sea, presented in three stages involving a public intervention, concert setting, and online dissemination.

A strange abandoned concrete monument at the corner of Clark and Grandview Highway—nestled between two main trucking routes, a rail yard, and a SkyTrain station—was the first site and subject. Brady Marks, Sarah Buchanan, and theremin player prOphecy sun, created a guerrilla performance at 2055 Clark Drive. As the work developed, previews and information were seeped out through tweets and later documented online as a literary and audio podcast.

The shores of Jericho Beach was the second setting of an audio-literary work that wove oral histories from Caleb Johnston’s grandfather, whose childhood was spent as a squatter on Kitsilano Beach. Composer James Maxwell provided a musical arrangement for trombone performed by Jeremy Berkman.

Elements from the works were performed on Oct 29, 2009 as part of the Clamour: GPS performance series.