Joe’s 27 Boxes
The items in the four rooms belong to Joe Sarahan. He is a friend and mentor of sorts and was a prolific artist in the late 80’s and early 90’s. He was the next generation of “Main street” artists and apprenticed with Paul Wong. Joe produced video and sculptural works which were exhibited internationally and he was also employed upstairs at VIVO for a period of time. His art collection reflects his involvement and friendship with Wong, Attila Richard Lukacs, Charles Rea and Terry Ewasiuk among others. Many of the items in the four rooms were originally stored in one of the lockers on this floor. His 27 boxes contain collectibles, a personal archive, video masters and his art collection. Joe’s friends took turns storing the boxes. I eventually ended up with them after a friend threatened to take them to the dump. The collectibles are pre-Ebay, the art collection and most of the music came from local artists and the personal items are pre-digital. Items like Joe’s were commonplace in the large, affordable apartments up Main street, long before the lattes and condos.
Installation and Photographs by Brian Howell
Curator: Paul Wong