Just to make it fun, the person who comes up with the best suggestions as to what these things are, will win a Cheers,
Thursday, January 28, 2010
What On Earth Are These?
Vancouver is starting to feel and look like a city that is hosting the Winter Olympics. You know -- the usual -- there are all sorts of traffic closures, construction sites are being cleaned up, buildings have new facades. Art work is springing up in all the plazas. I think it's actually going to be a lot of fun, and I am looking forward to the festivities. I took a few pictures today of some sculptures at the corner of Georgia and Granville. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to try to figure out what they are. But your guess is as good as mine. I have no idea what they are.
Just to make it fun, the person who comes up with the best suggestions as to what these things are, will win a priceless, one of a kind, almost-mascot called Mukmuk. He's not actually a mascot, but he's a sidekick to the mascots. How sad is that? Apparently he enjoys surprising his friends by popping in on occasion. He's a rare Vancouver Island marmot (Marmota vancouverensis), his name comes from from the Squamish word for food — muckamuck — because he loves to eat, and he's related to the rare whistling marmots on Whistler Mountain. I'm not making this up. Do you think I would make this up? Anyway, the decision will be made by the astute panel of judge, my next-door-neighbor, Beth. The winning entry will be chosen on Friday. Why am I giving away this rare, coveted prize you ask? Well, because I happen to have one, and I don't want it. It's actually kind of cute, but I really don't blame you if you don't want it either...
Cheers,
Just to make it fun, the person who comes up with the best suggestions as to what these things are, will win a Cheers,
Well, I am not making a guess, we already have enough critters roaming around our home. Bears, deer by the herd, skunks, possum, fox and some ferrule cats, The displays must be quite colourful in the wintertime. PK
ReplyDeletePK, the only problem is, we don't have any winter. We have tulips blooming. *heh* Oh, goodness. :-)
ReplyDelete"Waterspout demolishes Whistler", "Big Bird has an accident with liquidizer", "Up the creek with two broken paddles"? I am sure the real titles are much more meaningful :)
ReplyDeleteWell, the first one looks like a dragon and a phoenix. Maybe representing all the lovely plastic stuff China exports? J/K!
ReplyDeleteThe second one looks like there's been an explosion at a fabric factory! Wow.
The third looks like a stylized version of First People fishing baskets. The art work is definitely First People. Beautiful!
I LOVE the mascot's mascot!, and If I don't win I HAVE to figure out how to get one, so here are my guesses:
ReplyDelete1) Jellyfish
2) Chickens
3) Wigwams
I know that sounds simple, but sometimes simple answers cover a lot of bases. When I used to hike Mt. Rainer the "visitors" would feed the poor overweight little marmots. Oh I felt so sorry for them being seduced by Cheetos!! :(
We have pikas that scold you when you walk by their dens...so cute!
I vote the mascot to AcuityTodos. I can't do better.
ReplyDelete1) True Pop (bottle) Art
ReplyDelete2) Big Pea welcomes our Amurikan visitors. He's the Canadian born love child of Big Bird and the NBC Peacock.
3) I'd say "The Paddle of 1812" but they look a little fishy.
Oh, too funny Hilary ( a girl after my own heart).
ReplyDeleteI was going to say:
1. Thingamijigius Lookatmeitis
2. a chicken on 'roids (don't do what I did, children)
3. giant garlic pods with hair fringes.
That being said, I mean no disrespect to the artists, and I do love to look at art of all kinds. These pieces should serve to give locals and visitors alike something to look at, wonder about, and speculate on. They're kind of delightful.
My favorite is the first sculpture -it reminds me on a garden with birds and flowers and wings.
ReplyDeleteThe other one reminds me of Big Bird of Sesame Street.
Curious what the actual titles are:)
How crappy to be a mascot's mascots. I have to say though that I think he's cute and the amount of back story there is awesome!
ReplyDeleteThe first one looks like an artistic collection of recylced materials. It reminds me of a garden with a fountain.
The second reminds me of a pinata, which I think goes with the olympics because isn't it just one big party?
The thrid,is a representation of the native culture. Maybe the one with the feathers on top symbolizes grace and the other with the basket thing symbolizes strength?
I have no idea really.
I agree with what Kathryn said. There is a lot there to think about.
Interesting.....
ReplyDeleteThe first one looks like propellors of the future.
Second would be funky chicken mating dance
The last one I really like, reminds me of some of my gourds, I would call it Pow-Wow Teepees.
I think the first one looks like RoboCop because it looks like it's wearing sunglasses but he's in melting form like in the movie.
ReplyDeleteThe second one looks like a very colorful Big Bird. It looks like he's taken on all the colors of all the flags of all the nations!
The last one look like Kayaks, but I don't think you have Kayaking in winter olympics right? So they must be kayak luges!
They're odd, I must say.
#1 - Posiden
ReplyDelete#2 - El Pollo Loco
#3 - The Marriage of Figaro
All are fascinating and very creative.
1. On our way to the moon! (Should we add rockets or more fairy wings?)
ReplyDelete2. Get a child drunk & see what he can create! (Are those pink fuzzy things pursed lips or another less acceptable orifice?)
3. Oriental hoop skirts, half finished. (Scrapped the project in the middle as bad design.)
Oh, that's ok, but thanks anyway Jo. Um, i don't think my house has room for a Mukmuk.
I think the first one looks like a Scottish whiskey still. The second one was created from rags, yarns and paper from the trash bin...after they drank the whiskey. And the third one is the glasses they drank out of turned upside down. They tried to glue them back together a little after they toasted their success, but their coordination was obviously still off in la-la land. Looks like a spirited party took place.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing more! And tulips...I am so jeoulous!
1. Alien in Easter Bonnet
ReplyDelete2. Barney's piñata (Barney, the big purple dinosaur)
3. Mating dance of Mexican wines
I have NO clue! But those sculptures sure are fun. Enjoy!
1. Butterfly wreck
ReplyDelete2. Sesame Street wanna be
3. Practice Japanese lanterns gone bad?
I haven't a clue, but they are fun to look at. I like the last one; they remind me of tepees, but they are narrow, so they'd have to be for one person.
ReplyDeleteYou are going to have a great time JO! I can't imagine telling folks that the Olympics came to my town and I missed it all. Go see! as you clearly are already.
ReplyDeletemy guesses
#1- Drowning Tulip Garden
#2- Great Canadian Party Fowl
#3- Native Basket Brooms in Love
I kinda like the mascot's mascot. ;-)
That's easy. The first one is the result of a grasshopper on steroids crossed with Cinderella's fairy godmother, wearing sunglasses because he/she? is wayyy cool.
ReplyDeleteThe second is a study of cell division in Play- Doh and the third seems to be some kind of giant snowshoe -- perhaps the Yetty has made an appearance to check on things and left his calling cards.
MukMuk is the first mascot (or M.o.Ms) that appeals to me. SO cute!
ReplyDeleteAloha, Jo!
Comfort Spiral
Well the first photo reminds me of jellyfish and space ships...wha that has to do with Olympics is beyond me...the next one looks like Big Bird on Drugs...and the last has something to do with Native Indian culture...like the two cultures intertwaining....
ReplyDeleteI also have NO IDEA what they are supposed to be, but I think it sums them up to say: (1) fancy thing; (2) funny thing, and (3) baskety thing. I live in Bellingham and nothing would make me go to Vancouver during February!!
ReplyDeleteWe have marmots here in Spokane! They're all over the place in the park downtown. And they're super fat, from everyone feeding them all the time.
ReplyDeleteI think a good rule of thumb is when you don't reconize something immediately assume it is ART.
ReplyDeleteOne of my friends visited Canada not long ago and brought be a luggage tag and key ring with the Vancouver Olympics' mascots on it.
ReplyDeletea)Water angel
b)Rainbow big bird
c)Giant onions
Well, My take on it...mmm
ReplyDeleteThe first one could be some GIANT mermaid/waterspirit whom has a GINORMOUS dolphin/squid festering in it's uterus...
#2...a mutated chicken/turkey whom has been hypnotised into tucking it's neck into itself...
#3...Two coconuts sitting together and feeling FREEZING in the cold cold Canadian weather...
Looking fwd to you next post Jo :)
z.xoxo
They certainly are quite different!
ReplyDelete1. A reminder to recyle.
2. Big Bird from Sesame Street on steroids.
3. Future site of a new sushi bar.
Enjoy your day.
Sunny :)
The first one looks almost like a kite. I love the woman across from you, she looks so puzzled as she looks up at it. Very nice colurs in this one though, they seem to go with the whole olympic colour scheme. The second looks like a turkey!I have seen alot of Marmots in the ocanakan, I think they like the sun out there better than the damp of the island. Maybe thats why they are rare on the island! They all swam to the mainland!
ReplyDeleteMy guess is they're public art installations.
ReplyDeleteI think you made it up....
ReplyDelete(kidding!)
I cannot WAIT for the Olympics to start! How amazing is it (despite the extra traffic,etc)to live in an Olympic Host city. *jealous*
# 1 - Representation of Vancouver and different aspects of the city.
ReplyDelete# 2 - The artist's interpretation of "games."
# 3 - Native Indian tribes in the area.
These are all a stretch, I know.