Vancouver's 'Lego Shamu'?

July 11, 2010, 4:49 PM · VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Canada - So here we are hanging out next to the Olympic Cauldron, when something else caches my eye.

"What the heck is that? A Lego Shamu?"

Digital Orca in Vancouver

It's actually "Digital Orca," a 25-foot sculpture designed by author and artist Douglas Coupland, the Vancouver resident best known for literally defining my generation by writing the novel "Generation X" in 1991.

From his description: "The 'Digital Orca' sculpture breaks down a three-dimensional Orca whale into cubic pixels - making a familiar symbol of the West Coast become something unexpected and new. This use of natural imagery modified by technology bridges the past to the future."

In another's words, it's just pretty darn cool looking. Even if it isn't a Lego Shamu.

Replies (2)

July 11, 2010 at 5:28 PM · If you value your ears, I wouldn't refer to that sculpture as any kind of "Shamu" to anyone from the BC area, particularly Vancouver. SeaWorld, as a whole, is not well liked in the area, due to attempted orca captures in the 70's/80's (people up here seem to have long memories), and the locals think the northwest orca populations are just fine where they are (so do I, for that matter).

I'm curious about something else, Robert. Does any image of an orca, no matter where, bring an immediate mental jingle of "Shamu" to your mind?

If so, you should be able to purge said jingle by spending some time at the Whale Museum, in Friday Harbor.

Happy travels.

July 11, 2010 at 7:52 PM · /sarcasm

Sheesh. It's a theme park website, Bruce.

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