Rarely, beyond the world of grants and galleries, can an artist generate a body of work in which roughness triumphs over sophistication. Replete with reflections of street life that are undeniably vital from the margins, Sean Nosek's Ken Foster's Vancouver: Life, Art and Alleyways (Granville Island $49.95) elevates the art of a former addict from the Downtown Eastside, Ken Foster, who was once in Tri Cities Adult Community Corrections under evaluation and rehab (but has no criminal record). The book reveals the coherency of Foster's heart-wrenching oevre. Nosek is a former English teacher who became an assistant superintendent of the Vancouver School District.

Ken Foster's Vancouver: Life, Art and Alleyways (Granville Island 2018) $49.95 978-1-9269919-1-7

[BCBW 2018]