The Gastown Riot, also known as 'The Battle of Maple Tree Square', occurred in Vancouver, Canada, on August 7, 1971. STAN DOUGLAS: ABBOTT & CORDOVA, 7 AUGUST 1971 focuses on the stunning monumental photo installation depicting a violent confrontation in 1971 between police and rioters that world renowned visual artist, Stan Douglas, erected in the Woodward Building's atrium in order to revisit the event and explore the politics of urban conflict. The book also addresses various issues raised by Douglas's work, including the suppression and assimilation of counterculture.

Reviews

"This richly illustrated volume focuses on events of 1971's Gastown Riot ... Simmering narratives of protest and inequality run alongside a study of the mechanics and meaning of representation." --"Canadian Art"

"Arsenal Pulp Press has published a beautiful and informative book about one of Vancouver's most stunning and original works of public art." --"Vancouver Sun"

"This collection of essays pries open the iconic 30x50-foot translucent photo mural, depicting a decades-ago clash between police and protestors that defined Vancouver's Gastown neighbourhood, and which now hangs in the atrium of the city's Woodward's complex. From Nora M. Alter's analysis of the image as a 'moving still' to Jesse Proudfoot's history of the politics of representation in the Downtown Eastside, these essays help fulfil Douglas's intent to keep conversation about the riot -- and the photograph that 'condenses' it -- evolving." --"The Tyee"

"Cinematic in its scale and production, the photomural depicts riot police, mounted police, and undercover cops clashing with hippies, while area residents and visitors look on. Douglas frequently uses his art to reimagine pivotal but often misread or obscured moments in history ... This book addresses not only the elaborate creation and multiple meanings of the mural but also what the publisher calls 'the politics of urban conflict' embedded within it." --"Georgia Straight"