The Bomfords’ upcoming exhibition, Rest Stop & Crummy Gallery, is being custom-built to be shown at the Campbell River Art Gallery. Cedric, Nathan and their father Jim, who have all lived and worked in the Island for many years, are no strangers to working together on projects of this large scale.
In the summer of 2014, they presented another site-specific, interactive public sculpture in and around Vancouver’s waterways, called Deadhead. made from found and recycled materials. The trio explored Vancouver Island on research trips for several years before the realization of the sculpture, finding inspiration in the vernacular structures. Many were abandoned projects or dwellings decaying in the wet West Coast environment. Much of the materials that made up this mostly-wooden sculpture were salvaged from such projects, and a photograph of a False Creek storage shed served as exterior decoration (or camouflage) on the exterior of the central tower. Some of the materials from this project were later repurposed once again repurposed for a later project called Deadhead: Redux. The structure was mounted on the back of a truck (like the upcoming Crummy Gallery) which was featured at events in Victoria produced by Open Space Gallery and Ministry of Casual Living in 2016. Their ingenuity and collaboration allowed them to construct as they went without relying on previous plans or renderings of the final product.
The entire structure was built on top of a floating steel barge which was pulled by a tug boat and could be moored nearly anywhere, though it primarily resided in Heritage Harbour adjacent to the Vancouver Maritime Museum. The movement around the busy port of Vancouver introduced the idea of art as an economic product, democratized through free access to the vessel. Once visitors came aboard, they were free to explore the space which was purposefully designed not to be straightforward, echoing the improvisational style of its production. Certain points allowed for a view framed by the structure, with the ultimate centre of the maze being the elevated lookout.
An excerpt regarding the title of this work from the Deadhead website clarifies these themes.
“The title Deadhead suggests multiple meanings: a waterlogged tree partially submerged beneath the water’s surface represents imminent danger, and to ‘deadhead’ a plant entails plucking remnants of past bounty to encourage further blooming. It also refers to the cargo, or lack thereof, on a return trip without paying passengers or freight. The Bomfords’ interpretation of ‘deadhead’ combines the particular conditions of the west coast – its unique climate, histories, and economies – with the artists’ creative process: a hybrid model of function, fantasy, logic and mystery, and the precariousness of the unknown.”
This playful use of local terminology carries in to the CRAG’s exhibition. A “crummy” is a vehicle used to transport logging workers to the camp. The back bed of the truck is arranged with two parallel benches to maximize space. An adage goes that it is called a crummy because that is how one feels when they ride in one. The Bomfords are interested in engaging with the local history and culture of our resource-based economy and how that impacts the way that we interact with our environment.
The CRAG is excited to present these two newly-commissioned works this fall, starting September 21st, to open a dialogue surrounding public space in Campbell River and on Vancouver Island. We will be joined by the artists and their families at our exhibition opening and launch party which coincides with the Art and Earth Festival happening around Campbell River over the weekend of the 21st. Our event on the Saturday will be located outside the gallery in Spirit Square where the Crummy Gallery will be open to the public and the main gallery will be open for tours of Rest Stop. The artists will be giving a talk along with live music, food and drink, and an upcycled kids activity for all to enjoy. Stop by to join the festivities from 3 to 5 pm. The exhibition will be on display at the CRAG until November 18th. Keep an eye out on our website and FaceBook page for more events and programming this fall.
Sources & Further Reading:
An article in the Vancouver Sun from 2014 with a great description of the experience of being onboard Deadhead.
Cedric Bomford’s website with description of Deadhead: Redux. Check out his other past projects while you’re there.
