HUNGRY GERALD

The University of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver is, in HG’s opinion, the most beautiful museum in the world. At the risk of being precious, HG would describe the building as a work of visual poetry expressed in concrete. It is a masterpiece by the great Canadian architect, Arthur Erickson. HG/BSK have visited many times and are always astonished. So, on this rare sunny day HG/BSK motored around the beautiful campus and the striking residential areas before arriving at the museum for another visit. The Great Hall has an imposing collection of lofty totem poles from the First Nation villages along British Columbia’s coast. There are also giant hand carved canoes for passage in the seas and rivers as well as giant bowls, spoons and ladles (all fashioned from wood) for use in potlatch feasts. A special rotunda houses a virtuoso example of wood sculpture, “The Raven and the First Men” by First Nations artist Bill Reid. The museum is not devoted solely to the First Nations. There are major collections of South Pacific, African and Chinese art and artifacts. The museum is mind expanding. Of course, this honed HG/BSK’s appetites so the duo had a late lunch at Rodney’s Oyster House in the Yaletown neighborhood. Some two dozen oysters from the British Columbia and Washington coastlines. Wonderful variety of tastes and textures. HG/BSK’s favorites were the deep shelled Kusshi oysters, a new taste discovery for HG/BSK. When asked for the provenance of the Kusshi oysters, the obliging shucker wrote: “Deep Bay Bowser, Baynes Sound, Vancouver Island.” HG/BSK judged the Kusshi as being a worthy competitor of Johnny Flynn’s Colville Bay (Prince Edward Island) wonders for the title “World’s Best Oyster” Tonight, HG/BSK supped in their loaned condo: Pan fried Weisswurst, sauerkraut, wee boiled potatoes, Cornichons, Sweet mustard. Cold Canadian ale. Followed by cheeses and buttered baguette plus a few glasses of red wine. Butter tarts for dessert and (for HG) a snifter of brandy. Finale of a stimulating day.

The UBC (University of British Columbia) Museum of Anthropology is pure magic. The building itself can, in HG’s opinion, be described as a perfect work of architecture. It is a masterpiece by Arthur Ericson, the distinguished Canadian architect. A structure of poured concrete and glass, it displays Ericson’s creative mastery of these materials as well as his sensitive, poetic creation of flowing horizontal volumes and rhythms (his Simon Fraser University in Burnaby and the Law Courts in downtown Vancouver are other examples). The MOA has two interior highlights: the Great Hall and the Bill Reid Rotunda. The Great Hall is a spectacular lofty glass-walled space suffused in sunshine. It houses tall totem poles and large carvings from MOA’s definitive collection of Northwest Pacific Coast First Nations Art. The Bill Reid Rotunda is a circular skylit space that displays Bill Reid’s monumental wood scupture, “The Raven and The First Men”. It depicts the First Nations myth concerning the creation of humanity — the trickster Raven discovering wriggling human forms in a clam shell. The late Bill Reid, a very great artist, is venerated in Canada but little known in the United States. This is not surprising since the American view of Canada is comprised of cliche images of battling hockey players, “Eskimos,” “Mounties” and Polar Bears. And, snow, of course, endless snow. HG and BSK discussed this, among other things, as they ate samosas and butter chicken wraps and drank cups of hot chai in MOA’s cafe.