Strategies of Assembly

Revel & Revolt in British Columbia

A large crowd gathers outdoors, facing a speaker who stands on an elevated platform. The audience consists of men and women of diverse appearances, appearing engaged and attentive. In the background, there are mountains and a factory emitting smoke. The scene is captured in black and white, conveying a sense of historical significance.

Wiheo Pappenbrock, one of few CASAW executive members not arrested in raid on Alcan picket line, speaks to crowd of 1,000 strikers, families and supporters on road leading to Alcan smelter in Kitimat, June 12, 1976. Courtesy of the Pacific Tribune Photograph Collections, Special Collections and Rare Books, Simon Fraser University Library.

Sean Griffin

Strategies of Assembly presents print matter documenting over four decades of social, cultural and political life in this province, drawn from two collections held by SFU’s Special Collections & Rare Books: an expansive poster archive collected by Perry Giguere (aka “Perry the Poster Man”), and a series of photographs taken for the weekly Vancouver labour newspaper, the Pacific Tribune. A singular print by Black Canadian artist Deanna Bowen punctuates the installation.

Viewed together, these materials not only offer an historical overview of social life in BC. They also highlight enduring contentions between differing visions of the social itself, expressed through demands for better living conditions, struggles for fair wages and working hours, transparency in public spending, Indigenous sovereignty, ecological preservation, and freedom of expression.

Any such history of social gatherings is also, by definition, a history of exclusions. It is a history of those unable or unallowed to gather, and of those whose gatherings have been permitted under “special conditions,” never far from the threat of sanction, discipline, and violence. It is a history of events whose documentations, if any, survive in forms inaccessible here.

Curated by Joshua Segun-Lean, with support from Kimberly Phillips and Julia Lamare

Organized in partnership with SFU Special Collections & Rare Books

Generously supported by Arlene James, Vered Amit, Noel Dyck, and Friends of the Gibson

Support Material

Bibliography

Exhibition Guide - Strategies of Assembly

Related Programs

Contributors

The Pacific Tribune

Perry Giguere

Joshua Segun-Lean

Exhibition Partners

Event Partners

Community Partners

SIAT (School of Interactive Arts & Technology)

Supporters

Images (14)

A bright, modern space features a long wooden table with several wooden chairs positioned around it. On the white wall behind, a large collage of posters and flyers in various colors and styles is displayed, ranging from black and white to vibrant shades. Sunlight streams in, illuminating the room and casting shadows on the floor.

An art gallery interior features two display elements. On the left, two framed photographs are mounted on a white wall, while on the right, a large, solid maroon panel stands upright. In the center, a wooden display unit with multiple compartments showcases black-and-white photographs. Large windows behind the display units let in natural light, revealing greenery outside. The floor is light wood, and the ceiling has exposed wooden beams.

A wall displaying a vibrant collage of various flyers and posters, featuring a range of colours. The printed materials advertise different events and performances, with text and illustrations that vary in style. The background is a plain white wall, and the floor is light wood, creating a clean and modern gallery setting.

Interior view of a gallery featuring a large window with a view of a tree and grassy area outside. On the white wall, there is a collage of various posters in different colors, displaying events and artistic messages. The floor is made of light wood.

A modern seating arrangement of curved, dark gray sofas sits in the foreground. In the background, a wall displays an eclectic collection of posters in various colors, featuring text and images related to different events and performances. A wooden coffee table in the center holds several books and magazines. The floor is light-colored wood.

A well-lit gallery space features two framed black-and-white photographs on the left wall and a stand displaying multiple black-and-white images in a grid format. Large windows with a view of trees line the right side, allowing natural light to brighten the room's wooden floor and minimalist design.

Interior of a modern art gallery featuring two large display panels with black-and-white photographs. Natural light streams in through large windows, with trees visible outside. The floor is light wooden planks, and there are additional framed photographs on the wall to the left. The ceiling features wooden beams.

A large exhibition board displays a grid of black-and-white photographs documenting various protests and demonstrations. The images depict groups of people holding signs and banners. The board is positioned in a bright interior space with large windows, providing a view of trees outside.

A wooden display stands in an indoor space, featuring a grid of black-and-white photographs. The images depict various protests and demonstrations, showcasing people holding signs and banners related to social issues. The background features a modern architectural design, with light wooden flooring and a minimalistic ambiance.

A minimalist interior of an art space featuring a wooden bench with a dark cushion. Two framed black-and-white photographs are mounted on the white walls, one on the left and one on the right. A large window allows natural light to illuminate the space, casting shadows on the floor, with views of greenery visible outside. The flooring is light wooden planks.

A minimalist interior space features a low, dark-colored bench in the foreground. Two black-and-white photographs in light wooden frames are hung on a pale wall, one on the left and one on the right. Sunlight casts a shadow on the floor, highlighting the simple, clean lines of the room.

A minimalistic gallery space featuring a dark mattress on a wooden base in the center. Two framed black-and-white photographs are mounted on the white walls, one on the left depicting a crowded group and the other on the right showing two individuals. An empty, tan-colored structure with a mesh panel stands against the wall between the two photographs. The floor is light wood.

A wall displays a collage of various posters and flyers, featuring different events, performances, and campaigns. The designs vary in colors and styles, showcasing text and images related to music, theater, and activism. Notable titles include "Goo Goo Dolls" and "Arts Ball." The posters are arranged closely together, creating a vibrant and eclectic visual composition.

A collection of colorful event posters and flyers is displayed on a white wall. The posters feature various designs and themes, including music performances, celebrations, and community events, with bold text and graphic elements. There is one black and white photograph with holes poked through it included: an image of a neon sign that says "Dance Blue Sky".

The Pacific Tribune Photograph Collection comprises over 40,000 35-mm images taken for the weekly Vancouver labour newspaper Pacific Tribune. The images cover a twenty-year period, from 1972 to 1992, one of the most active periods in British Columbia’s labour history. Originally established by the Communist Party of Canada as the B.C. Workers’ News in 1935, the newspaper began publishing under the name Pacific Tribune in 1946. For most of its history, it relied on photographs borrowed from other publications for illustration and the year 1972 marked the first time that staff was specifically assigned to photography. Associate editor, and later editor, Sean Griffin shot photographs for the paper throughout the twenty years, and he was later joined on staff by another writer-photographer Dan Keeton, who began work in 1982 and continued until the paper ceased publication in 1992.

From 1978 to 2018, Perry Giguere (aka 'Perry the Poster Man') made a living putting up promotional posters all over Vancouver, always holding on to an extra copy or two at the end of a job. Through this habit, Giguere built a collection of posters that, altogether, document cultural, social and political life in Vancouver over the past four decades. The collection now stands at approximately 35,000 posters. Giguere was born in Quebec City on December 16, 1950. After spending his early years in Montreal, he moved to Vancouver in 1973. While studying to be an actor at the Firehall Theatre in 1978, he was approached to put up promotional posters for the theatre and postering soon turned into a full-time, forty-year career. Giguere passed away in Vancouver on June 17, 2018.

Joshua Segun-Lean is a writer, curator, and editor. His writing has appeared in the Brooklyn Rail, Frieze, C Magazine, and elsewhere. He is the author of Do Not Send Me Out Among Strangers. Segun-Lean holds a MA in Contemporary Arts from Simon Fraser University.