BC ALMANAC(H) C-B

Bringing to light a little-known chapter in Vancouver’s recent art history, B.C. Almanac(h) C-B features a remounted exhibition and reprinted book originally commissioned by the Stills Division of the National Film Board of Canada in 1970. Organised by Vancouver artists Jack Dale and Michael de Courcy, fifteen West Coast artists were invited to produce photographic booklets that were then compiled into an anthology.
Participants included multimedia artists Jack Dale, Michael de Courcy, Christos Dikeakos, Judith Eglington, Gerry Gilbert, Roy Kiyooka, Glenn Lewis, Taras Masciuch, NE Thing Co. Ltd., Michael Morris, Jone Pane, Timothy Porter, Peter Thomas, Vincent Trasov, and Robertson Wood.
The book itself was conceived as an exhibition and became the content of a touring exhibition – a multimedia version of the book, complete with walls painted greyscale. This self-referential project highlights the processes of print production and the mass media circulation of print culture. In the spirit of the era, the artists were experimenting with new technologies and used the camera to explore ideas about communication in the electronic “information age”.

The 472-page book, designed as a type of exhibition, includes key figures in the vibrant multimedia art scene that was flourishing on Canada’s west coast. The project highlights the experimental ethos of artist book production as alternatives to gallery exhibitions during that period, as well as radical new approaches to the circulation of print culture through mass media.

Presentation House Gallery / The Polygon Gallery