Last month, as I was collecting my various between jobs contract cheques in order to cement rent for the upcoming month, I made it a point to stop into one of my favourite (read: jealous that it is not mine) gallery spaces in Gastown - the Jeffrey Boone Gallery. Favourite being that my only other visit was made memorable due to the convivial and down-to-earth conversation I had with its namesake - the owner and operator. A short chat about how and when he got the space, the clientèle and the clients, and how to make ends meat as a gallery owner.Showing from February 12th - March 8th at the gallery was semantics of simplicity, the works of Jonathan Syme. The works were all black and white; lines and depth; angles and air...abstracts that are certainly not my favourite but one can appreciate the meticulousness of their execution. The artist himself, has shown several times a year since his graduation from the Alberta College of Art and Design in 2003....and I am certain that more than one of the roughly half a dozen works on display will adorn the walls of a nearby condo or two. I'm sure this thought was not far from Mr. Boone's mind when initially scouting gallery locations -- affordability of location with the potential for a future community clientèle. There have been many galleries popping up in and around the downtown east side: gastown, railtown and chinatown. The cheaper rental rates, due to the proximity to the poorest postal code in Canada, make these areas accessible for the commercial and artist-run gallery alike.
Currently an oasis amidst the construction and chaos of the Woodward's Project, the Jeffrey Boone Gallery heralds the necessary future of independent gallery spaces in Vancouver - small, and often bare-bones but warm and inviting at the same time. So whether you are a resident of the area strolling by, or a first time destination visitor, art in any window, I see as a most welcome addition to any neighbourhood. Thank you.
