December 06, 2008

Gone KRAZY!

Although I am a fine piece of art I had never been inside the Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG). An opportune time to visit presented itself when an exhibit showcasing the "Delirious World of Anime + Comics + Video Games + Art" arrived at the establishment. On Tuesday nights, the VAG has extended hours and entry is by donation. I made a generous one to secure my entry to the KRAZY! attraction. The celebration of visual culture was named after the comic strip Krazy Kat.


There was a half an hour guided tour through the exhibit which provided a high level abstract of the different forms of art on display. Photography was not permitted within. After the tour ended, I went through the displays again more thoroughly. A small library had a collection of comic books available for reading, while another hall had anime classics projected on to the wall. Anime and manga are Japanese cartoons and comics respectively, and they have gained a large fan following around the world. I played Pac Man for the first time in a room containing playable versions of gaming consoles from different eras. Graphic novels and animation are visual forms of storytelling and artistry that are evolving at a rapid pace, and the KRAZY! exhibition strongly demonstrated the potential of the diverse media.