Monument For East Vancouver by local artist Ken Lum is a tribute to the city that has sparked a lot of debate. "East Van" has traditionally been home to the culturally diverse, immigrant, blue collar working class, and has a reputation of being the slightly grittier side of town. But it's also by far the most interesting - with the mix of Italian and Latin Americans on Commercial Drive, East Indians on Main Street, Vietnamese along Kingsway, and Chinese interspersed throughout.
The East Van symbol has been around since the 60's and does have some gang associations, most notably when I grew up, with the Clark Parkers during the 80's and 90's. Though some parts of the East Side are slowly being gentrified, the East Van cross has always been a ubiquitous symbol put up as a way of saying, we are here, don't forget about us, and don't mess with us, and Ken Lum's piece is a proud and somewhat defiant reminder.
The East Van symbol has been around since the 60's and does have some gang associations, most notably when I grew up, with the Clark Parkers during the 80's and 90's. Though some parts of the East Side are slowly being gentrified, the East Van cross has always been a ubiquitous symbol put up as a way of saying, we are here, don't forget about us, and don't mess with us, and Ken Lum's piece is a proud and somewhat defiant reminder.
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