Public Service/Private Step

What is art, really? As we stand before Public Service/Private Step, a peculiar sculpture here on Burrard Street, we’re invited to ponder that very question. It’s not your typical statue or monument. Public Service/Private Step is a fascinating work of art by Alan Storey, known for his kinetic sculptures that interact with their surroundings. This piece is no exception. It might seem like a jumble of metal at first, but look closer. See those rectangular boxes gliding up and down the tall steel columns? They’re not just moving randomly. Those boxes mirror the activity of the elevators inside the building behind us, the Environment Canada and Oceans & Fisheries Building. When an elevator goes up, so does a corresponding box on the sculpture. It’s a public display of the usually hidden inner workings of a building, a unique concept that makes you think about the everyday things we take for granted. The artist, Alan Storey, described it as “mimicking the ‘inner workings’ of the building”. He wanted to create art that engages the viewer, making them curious about the relationship between the sculpture and its environment. Public Service/Private Step certainly achieves that. Even the placement of the sculpture, on an oval of reclaimed “Customs House” black granite, is deliberate, echoing the shape and history of this spot. So next time you’re walking by, don’t just see a sculpture. See a story unfolding before your eyes. Public Service/Private Step is a reminder that art can be found in the most unexpected places, inviting us to look closer and find beauty in the everyday.