Lorenzo De Francesco’s maroon cement block studio sits next to his East Vancouver home on the corner of North Renfrew and Yale streets. In his yard, several of his tall white marble sculptures dominate his manicured lawn overlooking Burrard Inlet to the north and Hastings Park to the south.
Francesco, 66, has displayed his striking sculptures, which mix the human form with geometric shapes, several times over the years including at a one-man show at the Vancouver Contemporary Art Gallery and his pieces have been sold at the Bau-Xi Gallery Contemporary Fine Art.
De Francesco sat down this month for a Q&A with the Courier about being an artist in East Vancouver.
How did you end up living in East Van?
In 1987, my then wife and I purchased the little house, at 655 North Renfrew, which sat on an 8000 sq. ft lot, and had amazing water and mountain views — for $115,000.
Just then real estate was moving up and breaking through the $130,000 mark, but the houses in this neighbourhood were affordable and it was a good place to raise a family.
When and why did you add the studio to the property?
The building that held my former studio at 172 Alexander St., where the Trench gallery is now, was sold, so in 1989 I applied to the
Vancouver Board of Variance for 600 square feet of studio space on the property of my home. Fortunately, I was granted permission. It is a perfect enchanted spot for studio space.
How has the neighbourhood changed over the years?
The location has become “Point Grey of the East Side.”
It was just like everywhere else in Vancouver when we moved in, nothing special. My little house was leaking with no insolation, no wiring, and many houses around were like that. It was very low key, no pretense.
Now it is more middle class. In 1991 even I rebuilt my old house to create my current flat roofed, 3,500-sq.-ft. house.
Many professionals live here mixed in with the creative types. There are condos now across the street that go for almost $1 million for 1000 sq. feet.
Now there is more awareness that this place is a very special spot and yet there still isn’t a sense you have to be sophisticated to live here like there is in other popular spots in the city.
Do you find the neighbourhood supportive of artists?
The neighborhood is so accepting and respectful. Some people are curious about my stone blocks outside and they stop and ask, they visit, they chat and leave pleasantly surprised to have had an easy experience in the presence of sculptures.
There is a real sense of live and let live here. People don’t bother each other about their yards or the way they have their house. There is no morality police making sure the fence is perfect or the house and yard conform.
How does living in East Vancouver impact your work?
I could not imagine leaving this place ever. There is so much of me here that I feel like I am living as silently as I could being in any ashram in India. I am in a permanent state of creativity.
This part of East Vancouver is an island for creativity — a lot of interesting people live here, artists or professional writers — but there is no judgment in terms of visual conformity one could encounter in any other areas of the city. You are free to live your life and be yourself here.
