New Cameraman: The Coin of the Realm

Cameraman Silver Dollar outside the Monte Clark Gallery in Vancouver

Brilliant street artist Byron Cameraman hits “Granville Rise” again. What I love about this piece is it’s power to demonstrate just how beautiful filthy lucre can appear. If we did not find it beautiful – that is, if we didn’t exalt money aesthetically and otherwise – you could argue, “Granville Rise” itself would not exist.

Up close, the hugely magnified silver dollar reveals all its nicks and scratches, evidence of the thousands of hands and lives through which it has passed. An asset, a debt, a store of value. Emblem of plans well made or evidence of what is always is short supply. Pleasure and hardship. This is the coin of the realm indeed.

Posted outside the Equinox Gallery, which shows Fred Herzog’s wonderful photography, Cameraman’s new work is striking, rich and underappreciated. I love this work and the city is lucky to have it. I also acknowledge a huge debt to Camerman, who inspired many ideas in my writing of The Blue Light Project.

More pictures after the jump.

Another shot of the coin, this one showing the queen’s head on the flip side. Burnished and smoothed with use.

And another one at Main St not far from King Edward, placed tellingly underfoot. Only too bad that this one will not last long.