My “Labyrinth Pier, Vancouver” project location now has three painted Labyrinths.
This white colour design is a pass-through Labyrinth.
You can see from the first image it is still a work in progress.
I’m waiting for a break in the rain, long enough to allow my painting the thin outlines with at least one full coat using a full width roller brush.
I was so focused in making this Labyrinth, I took very few photographs during the process.
Very happy with this image of me re-chalking an outline near the centre of the Labyrinth.
This image teases two heart aglets in one corner of the Chalk Labyrinth . . .
This is one of the Heart Aglets from my larger scale Chalk Labyrinth currently on the Seawall near Science World in False Creek.
Aglets are that slip of plastic at the end of shoelaces to prevent fraying of the threads.
When I first began drawing circles at the end of the arcs and turn-arounds in my Labyrinths, I needed a word for what this was and what I intended and hoped for in behaviour of Labyrinth Walkers/Runners.
Over the years I had noticed by direct observation of people walking my Labyrinths, there were these micro-hesitations, these almost imperceptible pauses whenever people reached a turn-around.
Finally realized that people were looking at the far wall at the end of each Labyrinth Lane.
They would reach the wall, and only then would they make a decision to turn.
They were focused on the destination at the end of the lane.
By drawing circles at the end of the arcs, be they parallel or concentric lines, which altogether make a Labyrinth a Labyrinth, I saw those micro-hesitations disappear.
People were focusing on the circle as they walked towards the end of each lane, reaching it they seamlessly turned and continued walking or running until they reached the centre.
This micro-hesitation behaviour did not exist when I looked at people walking traditional Chartres Labyrinth designs.
That was an important clue.
I had observed people just kept walking, without the pause.
That was because at the end of each concentric lane is a semi-circle curve, a Labrys, which would guide you to the next inner or outer parallel concentric lane.
In essence, by drawing circles at the end of arcs, I had pulled in the Labrys from the far wall to the centre of a turn-around point.
That began in Toronto.
One day, I don’t recall when, but it was here in Vancouver, instead of drawing a circle aglet, I drew a heart aglet.
It changed everything.
The entire feeling of walking the Labyrinth changed.
With every turn, one’s own idea of whatever the Heart Symbol means to them, is being compounded with every turn until they reach the centre, where they usually find a Larger Heart, which I almost always now include in my Labyrinths.
I found this positive compounded feeling was lessened by using multi-coloured heart aglets, so I almost always keep them red.
Yet whenever I remember to do so, I mix it up and draw one or maybe two Heart Aglets in a different colour.
Thus, this Blue Heart Aglet…
“Creekside Labyrinth
HiMY has spent two weeks working on this almost finished maze.
I asked him why there is a shortcut to the final.
He answered:
‘in case that somebody has no time to stroll around.’
I said:
‘no worry, Vancouverite never lost interest in exploring new things.'”
– Sam
World Labyrinth Day 2018 – Vancouver City of Labyrinths Project – Jane’s Walk
Start Location : Abandoned Olympic Village LRT Station Platform, North end Olympic Village Canada Line Train Station Parking Lot.
When : Saturday May 5 2018 at 4:30 p.m.
This 90 minute Jane’s Walk will celebrate ” World Labyrinth Day ” and share why and how Vancouver is becoming a “City of Labyrinths”.
Walk includes visits to:
History, purpose, and benefits of Labyrinth Walking will be shared.
How Labyrinths can be both Fun as well as ‘Giant Outstallation Art‘.
We will explain how Labyrinths have been used in designing cities for thousands of years(!).
This walk will decode TOAD – Temporary Obsolete Abandoned Derelict – urban infrastructure and how Labyrinths are excellent examples of Urban Acupuncture, Tactical Urbanism and Placemaking.
Did you know Jane Jacobs herself was influenced by Labyrinths in her writings about cities?
Join this Jane’s Walk and you will learn how!
Time permitting: using chalk on paved open space, people will be instructed in how to make their own Labyrinths, which we will then enjoy walking into and out of.
A limited number of printed materials will be available on a first-come first-served basis as keepsakes of this Jane’s Walk.
Coinciding with Jane’s Walk weekend, The Labyrinth Society has declared the first Saturday in May, World Labyrinth Day. This Vancouver Jane’s Walk is one of a number of global events marking the day.