On the southeast corner of Don Mills and Sheppard (across Sheppard Ave East from Fairview Mall) some striped poles have sprouted. Running southwest, at a 45 degree angle from the streets, are 4 tall striped poles with pointy tops; they look like tall skinny cylinders. They are part of Douglas Coupland’s latest public art installation in the city, ‘Four Seasons’.
below: Looking southeast, the four poles representing the four seasons rise up in the public space between buildings. Autumn, of which you can only see a little, is in the foreground, and is followed by summer, spring, and in the distance, winter.
If you have seen the Douglas Coupland exhibit either at MOCCA or at the ROM, you will realize that bright coloured stripes seem to be part of his trademark. The first time that I saw these poles I thought of Douglas Coupland and I wasn’t surprised to find that he in fact was the artist who designed them.
below: Also part of the art installation are three poles that stand next to the new condo development along Don Mills Road.
below: The ‘winter’ pole is mostly white stripes.
It is the farthest from the intersection of Don Mills and Sheppard.
It was a damp grey day when I took the photo below. The result is a grey photo of a grey intersection. It is also an example of Toronto suburban planning, or the lack thereof.
