East Van Cross
The East Van Cross is a symbol formed by the words East written vertically and Van written horizontally in capital letters, intersecting at the shared letter A, and forming the shape of a cross. Van is short for Vancouver, and the reference is to the city’s Eastern half, traditionally less wealthy, and harder-edged.
The East Van Cross traditionally was the work of graffiti artists, said to express the "marginality and defiance" of East Vancouver.[1][2]
Starting in the 21st century, the symbol has been adopted as a city icon, most visibly expressed in the form of Monument for East Vancouver by artist Ken Lum, erected in 2010 near the intersection of Clark Drive and East 6th Avenue.[3] It has become possible to purchase clothing[4] and jewellery bearing the East Van Cross motif.[5]
The symbol is alluded to in the packaging of one beer made by an East Vancouver brewing company.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ "Ken Lum constructs icon to rule over East Vancouver". Vancouver Sun. November 25, 2009.
- ^ "East Van cross symbol has been around for decades, says Vancouver artist Ken Lum". Georgia Straight. July 12, 2011.
- ^ "Monument for East Vancouver". City of Vancouver. Archived from the original on August 19, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
- ^ "REPRESENT EAST VAN". Grubwear. February 12, 2015.
- ^ "STREET STYLE: East Van meets awesome for a cause". WestEnder. November 4, 2014.
- ^ Lau, Lucy (January 22, 2016). "Parallel 49 Brewing Company's Craft Lager now available in 12-packs". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved July 11, 2022.