Artist Jesse Corcoran says Olympic mural highlights suffering of the majority
The City of Vancouver ordered the removal of Jesse Corcoran's Olympic-themed mural.
Vancouver artist Jesse Corcoran says he likes creating simple images that convey real meaning.
But after Corcoran painted a parody of the Olympic rings on a mural outside a Downtown Eastside art gallery, the city ordered its removal for violating the graffiti bylaw.
The owner of the Crying Room gallery, Colleen Haslin, complied with the city's demand. The painting was up for nearly two months before it came down on November 16.
In a phone interview with the Georgia Straight, Corcoran noted that Heslin was never told to remove other pieces of art that graced the outside of her gallery.
"She has had 30 murals up there, and none of them ever had any issue," he said. "The city likes to say it's not about the content. I think it's pretty evident that it was."
Corcoran said the point of the painting was to show that a lot of people who live in Vancouver are unhappy about the Olympics.
"It's for people who have money, and who can afford to go to Vancouver and pay to go to the Olympic gold-medal hockey match," Corcoran added. "This other group, meanwhile, is very unhappy and suffering."
Corcoran works in a homeless shelter in the Downtown Eastside. He said it troubles him that marginalized people in the neighbourhood are suffering so greatly while governments are throwing huge sums of money at a sporting event.
"A lot of the folks have HIV and hepatitis, and are super-mentally ill," Corcoran said. "They're addicted to hard drugs. Their suffering is not being addressed, but we can find the money to spend—$900 million, or whatever the latest figure is—on security for an event. I just feel the money would go so far for not just housing, but supported housing."
He also called for more spending on programs. Even if this money doesn't turn homeless people's lives around, Corcoran said it would ease their suffering.
"I think that we're sacrificing the happiness of this marginalized population which, in this neighbourhood, outnumbers the people who could afford to go to an event like that," Corcoran said. "Basically, the happiness of this one minority is sort of at the expense of the majority."
Related article: Geoff Meggs calls removal of Olympic mural at Crying Room "regrettable"
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Comments
A small mural that would have been seen (and apparently appreciated) by a few passersby has been given worldwide exposure.
I'm dating myself with this but I'm thinking back to the Chicago demo convention in 1968 with a huge crowd chanting: "the whole world's watching".
You can't stop the truth.
Well done Jesse and good reporting GS
The REAL games are played by the corporate sponsors that want to see who can get the most branding in public view before/during/after the Olympics. Just look at photos from, say, the Montreal Olympics and compare the amount of corporate advertising on the venues... the focus is truly not in the sport any more, it's in the advertising.
A guerrilla marketing expert could not have designed a better campaign to elevate public attention. Priceless!
You know this is true. None of us will let a big party of a lifetime pass us by.
Do I think it's wrong? yes
Do I think it's a scam? yes
Do I think it's made the rich richer? yes
Do I think we will be taxed for it forever? yes
Do I think I will be a hypocrite and go to parties? yes
This is no different then Al Gore talking about how bad the environment is while he takes off in his 14mpg SUV to drive to his private jet to fly home to his plastic/styrofoam nightmare of an inefficient home, change into his 'child slave labour' house coat and sip on freshly squeezed baby penguin juice.
But it's ok... because he invented the internet.
Just like it's ok for us to forget our values because hey... olympic gold is at stake.
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and turn them on durning the games. That way your power bill goes up to help pay for this disgrace. Three cheers for Gordin's games. The whole thing is B/S.