In efforts to produce my upcoming solo show in Vancouver it has become essential for me to do a fundraising print sale of my own. No other image makes more sense to do this with than one of the place that fostered my artistic career and those of so many others. Taken from my last show of photographs at the (sugar refinery) the exhibition was titled “the (sugar refinery): A Site Specific Project” and all of the images hung more or less above or bellow what they were of. It was kinda trippy.
In addition to owning a limited edition print of the now defunct sugar refinery you will also receive my unconditional love for supporting my new work during the all too difficult emerging artist days. Without further ado here is the edition.
©jessica eaton
Photo Gallery Food Esspresso Cult Bulk Bins, 2003
11×14 paper size
archival pigment print
signed and numbered on verso
edition of 100 (90 remaining)
$50.00 CDN
If you aren’t familiar with the now defunct sugar refinery I will try to explain.
From 1994 to New Years Eve 2003 a Mecca of all things artistic existed semi hidden amongst Vancouver’s ever-growing shit club district, Granville Street. After doing my very first public exhibition of photographs there in 1998 I became a regular and was eventually put to work for the club, which I continued to do until the very last night. There is no other experience more meaningful in my artistic life so far and as Ida said perhaps for better, perhaps for worse.
Founder Steven Horwood (photographer, general phenomenon, lover of all things art food and music) lived in there for quite some time to keep the dream alive. Food and drink were affordable, coffee always great/always espresso, minds were always open towards booking events and ideas. The decor of the place was ever changing and gave you some insight into Steven’s mind. When Steven moved to Paris the place was taken over by long time staff Ida (Ida Nilsen - musician and the clubs booking agent), Gabe and Ellen.
The place was a wonder. During my time there I witnessed virtually every type of music and music experimentation; a legendary 48 hour live performance by the band The Beans (I worked the entire thing - give or take some long breaks) film screenings, poetry readings, book launches, books were also written while sitting at tables, art shows, graffiti events, burlesque shows, live sex (no joke), plays, dj’s, multi media events, comedy … you name it. People would sometimes sleep there - there was supposed to be an ” I Slept at the sugar refinery T-Shirt”. There are few Canadian musicians of the right generation that didn’t play the sug in some concoction or another. Many of which now play as well recognizable music names (Feist, Black Mountain, Wolf Parade, Frog Eyes, Destroyer, Arcade Fire, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and on and on and on). I was introduced to improvisational and experimental music - the philosophies and structures of which would later have huge influence on my photographic work.
You could name drop like mad some of the people that over the years would show up. Shit like Sean Penn and for an entire month while in town working on a new show most of the band REM, yes Stipe himself made the odd appearance - once to hang out with Connor Oberst and M. Ward who were hanging out while in town for a show. It was that type of place - it was interesting to most people, particularly anyone creative. Amazingly it was never overruled by hipsters. It couldn’t - the range of things supported by the club always kept the crowd diverse. You got the typically $5 cover dropped to a pay what you can if you were legit and really couldn’t afford it - Sean Penn - you pay - it goes to the band.
The sugar refinery was the closest I ever came and certainly ever will come to an almost fantasy idea of life in art. After returning an antique microphone stolen by the late, great and highly destructive Dave Wenger (Daddy’s Hands) I was given a “Jessica shall never be denied food nor drink regardless of circumstances” clause in the “book”. Over the years it kept me drunk, fed and social. I was allowed sometimes to pay off bar tabs with photographs. There was always someone at the bar to bounce ideas off of. There were always friends - it was the easiest place on earth to go to by yourself.
Sadly the last year there was a logistic nightmare. Pressure from the city due to the changes of the street as a club district had us under the watchdog of every freaking department. We were pushed to obey the unworkable and ridiculous legal capacity of 45. We would get noise complaints from the new cheese lounge downstairs, they were probably bitter that we were packed and their cookie cutter shit hole was virtually empty. Sometimes I had to work the door for events from the bottom of the stairs because the odd Granville St drunk that would wander up would be a huge problem. I remember a lot of times having one of them walk up to an improv show and drunkenly scream “$5 FOR WHAT? Are they going to stop tuning?” You had to sit at the bottom of the stairs and simply tell some people it was a private party to keep the peace.
There was talk of relocating but it never happened. There was a plea to the city of Vancouver to help and the petition for it still exists online. Over 4,000 signatures from all over North America and elsewhere with hundreds of comments of support. Looking at it yesterday made me cry. Here are a few examples of the comments:
The Sugar Refinery is the first place I take visiting friends to in order to demonstrate the cultural mecca that is Vancouver. The club/restaurant serves an important function for artists, students, musicians and all appreciators of the arts. There is no other place like it in this city or any other. I beg the City of Vancouver not to allow the demise of one of its rarest and most unique assets.
I have lived and worked in major cities around the world and spoken frequently about The Sugar Refinery to many, many people, recommending it but perhaps more importantly I spoke about artists and their work, as seen there. You are correct in saying the The Sugar Refinery has had an important impact on local arts and culture, but did you know that really and truly that influence has been Global as well!? I have met people in Tokyo, NYC and travelers passing through Africa who needed no introduction to it … they had been there and remembered it well. I hope this info can find a way into the presentation of the petition somehow.
An artist run club, the sugar refinery is the only legal space in Vancouver in which there is no agenda to adhere to for the musicians. The room has almost single handedly fostered the growth of the modern jazz/improvised music, and marginalized music communities. There is no club more relevant, and representative of our present condition living in this rapidly growing city. Please help the owners in their quest to perpetuate the club.
I could go on and on but will stop now. Those were the days and despite its closure it is obvious that for the time the place existed it touched not only me but countless others. And there will always be that.
As there is so much to say about the place please leave comments if you would like to add to this.
