Construction Equipment

25th Feb, in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery

There is something compelling and indescribable about construction equipment. I know it’s not just me. It’s one of the most common, yet unobserved, phenomena of the world. Operate a pile-driver or crane or steamroller in a public setting and some people simply appear out of nowhere to stand around and watch.

It’s like magic. It just commands attention.

So there I was too. We were walking back from the bank after activating our debit cards. I had my eyes peeled for interesting things when I saw the construction work in the distance, at the corner of Howe St and W Georgia St. I asked the wife if we could sit awhile and (bless her) she agreed. There are public benches in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery. It’s a great place to people-watch.

I’m not the observer of equipment in the story of this drawing. I’m observing the observer. While most people just walked past it, construction equipment being a fairly common sight in any big city, one gentleman sat down to take it all in. That’s him at the right corner of the drawing. He’s the subject of this drawing.

I did not know when I began to draw that he was the subject. But at the end, I knew. It is that way with SneakyArt sometimes. It makes you do things and only afterwards reveals the why. You have to keep faith.