When it rains in Vancouver, the promenade of waterproof citizens in black and khaki can resemble a funeral march. intends to change that with their new, eye-catching prop: vibrant by renowned 麻豆传媒映画photographer and artist .
The umbrellas feature a fuchsia and yellow cherry blossom distilled to its purist graphic form. They retail for $24.99 at and .
I exaggerated the true colours of a blossom and used simplified shapes relating to what the actual blossom looks like, explains Redpath. If you had no idea what to look for, youd see colours and shapes. If you stood back from the umbrella, you would see a cherry blossom.
How do you get an award-winning commercial photographer and up-and-coming artist to design for your non-profit event? Get his mother to ask him.
麻豆传媒映画Cherry Blossom Festival founder Linda Poole happens to be friends with Redpaths mom. Poole needed to put umbrellas on the festival program since rain is the biggest obstacle to the success of her annual outdoor event.
A festival umbrella made sense, says Poole. But we needed to activate it. Our mandate is engage.
So the playful umbrellas serve as a key prop in the 麻豆传媒映画Cherry Blossom Festivals wildly popular flash mob event, the World Umbrella Dance, taking place April 13 at the 麻豆传媒映画Art Gallery Plaza.
The World Umbrella Dance brings together hundreds of amateur 麻豆传媒映画dancers in one performance, with choreography and music by Bollywood sensation Shiamak Davar. This year, the dancers perform to Davars new hit Shabop, meaning to dance without worry.
Because the blossom design is so simple, you can change the scale, says Redpath, who aimed to dramatically increase the impact of the World Umbrella Dance with his brollies. When you put many of the umbrellas together you still see the individual shapes. Then it becomes a tree covered in hundreds of blossoms.
While the medium an umbrella is new for Redpath, playing with the viewers eye is his niche. The photographer has executed commercial campaigns for big clients including BMW, Honda, Volkswagon, Bacardi, McDonalds and the BC Lions, for the last 20 years. The majority of Repaths work, whether commercial or art, is conceptual.
I dont consider it photography; I think of it as a way of communicating ideas, says Redpath. And it almost always has an element of subtle or dark humour.
For the last three years Redpath has focused on fine art and finally, solo shows such as Respite at Bau Xi in 麻豆传媒映画and Toronto, as well as End of the Line at Calgarys Paul Kuhn Gallery. While his exhibitions have centred on West Coast themes, particularly witty, weird or desperate contradictions, his upcoming 2014 exhibition will feature more universal subject matter abstracted in the same way Redpath toyed with the cherry blossom.
Im interested in taking an image and abstracting it further so it doesnt represent a location, it becomes shapes, colours and form. Ill try to create an emotional response thats not necessarily about where it was taken, says Redpath.
Rather than limit his work to photography, Redpath also plans to continue to expand into other media.
There are a couple of pieces you can see in my last show Wreck Bay Boards and Long Beach Balls that started as photographic elements and are broken down to colours. I used photoshop to do it, says the artist, known throughout the industry for his technical aptitude. At my next show, there will be some tactile elements on top of the photograph, whether theyre painted by hand or silk screened on top.
Redpath will attend the festivals World Umbrella Dance. He may or may not carry his umbrella, depending on the weather.
Im happy with the (umbrella) design, says Redpath. It was an interesting challenge; its for a good cause. Its my duty as a son as well.
