Capturing a Cultural Moment with Photographer Rennie Brown

Today we get to hang out at the legendary Sai Woo in Vancouver and talk with photographer Rennie Brown.  I discovered Rennie’s work when his ‘Artist in Studio’ images started appearing on the instagram feeds of so many artists I know and love.  These portraits are intimate and evocative and I just had to meet him.

Our Guest Artist: Rennie Brown www.renniebrown.com

Our Host Artist: Carol McQuaid www.carolmcquaidart.com

Our Bar: Sai Woo in Vancouver’s Chinatown www.saiwoo.ca

Now let’s head to Sai Woo and listen in as Rennie and I talk about the magic of falling in love with his instamatic camera as a boy, and how his two current series are documenting a fragile moment in the evolution of both Chinatown and the Vancouver art studio scene.

Know an artist whose story you’d love to hear and you see on my feed that I’m heading their way?  Let me know and I’ll try to make the connection You can follow my travels on Instagram @carolmcquaidart.

In this episode you’ll hear about:

• The Sai Woo, and the importance of preserving Chinatown Culture


• Judy Lam Maxwell and her historic Chinatown tours at  http://chinatowngirl.ca or on Instagram @chinatownjudy


• Rennie’s ‘Artists in Studio’ project featuring a great range of Vancouver artists in their studios


• Chris Edmondstone‘s musician project


• Vancouver Artist Arndt Arntzen and the photo Rennie did in his studio


• The importance of preserving this moment in Chinatown’s history


• Getting hooked with an instamatic camera at age 10


• Studying photography, video production and media arts at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada


• Capture Festival


• Vancouver photographer Clive Camm’s daily photo project


• Rennie and Clive’s environmental portraits of health care workers


• Digital vs film photography


• Showing at The Arts Factory Salon


• 1000 Parker Street and the Parker Salon


• Textile artist Katherine Soucie; in studio and in Shanghai Alley


• The East Side Culture Crawl

You’ll find images, stories and more on Rennie’s website at www.renniebrown.com

Follow Rennie Brown on

• instagram @renniebrown and facebook @renniebrownphoto

Follow our Podcast on

•  instagram, twitter and facebook @2artistspodcast

Follow our Host on

•  instagram, twitter and facebook @carolmcquaidart

Join the Conversation!

One of my favorite parts of recording a podcast each week is participating in the great conversations they spark.  Share your feedback and favourite moments on social media, and in the comments section of each episode page.

And remember, if you love the episode, head to the webpage where you can bit.ly/buyusaround

Join us at The Bar

Are you enjoying Two Artists Walk into a Bar?  Sign up for monthly updates and special features on our newsletter at http://bit.ly/2artistsnews

Where to find Two Artists Podcast

• Website: www.twoartistswalkintoabar.com


• iTunes: http://bit.ly/2artistspodcast


• Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @2artistpodcast


• YouTube: http://bit.ly/2artistsyoutube


• email: [email protected]

Thanks for  listening!  Cheers