A Vancouver Alphabet
Art zine, April Milne, 32 pgs, AprilMilne.com, @apricotjoy
This work is whimsical. Very, very literal too. For residents of Vancouver, you’re gonna see familiar sights matched up against letters from the alphabet. This will include items from the natural world, areas, structures, creatures and more. In each instance, there’s a cute little illustration to prove the point. April Milne has a great style and, visually, this is very of the moment. Picking this up, it doesn’t seem like a souvenir or tourist-oriented crap. Rather, it seems like something you’d find in an independent bookstore, organic restaurants, or perhaps mentioned as part of a CBC Radio segment about local artists.
What also makes this work stand out is that it’s completely G-rated — any of the grit that makes Vancouver Vancouver is conspicuously absent. So, while it may be lacking something in terms of pure realism, it makes up for it by being something you can leave around the house and not be too concerned if toddlers start ogling it. The fact it kinda looks like a colouring book helps too. It makes it feel even more family-friendly, and yet not overly twee. Feels like a slightly difficult feat, but Milne somehow pulls it off in style.
