Archive for the ‘public art’ Category

our faces are all over the place

Posted: October 12, 2015 in events, public art
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Inside Out, a global art project
with more than 250,000 portraits in 124 countries

This project came Toronto as an extended Nuit Blanche installation.

Two men are holding up a large black and white photo of the head and shoulders of one of the men that has just been printed

Starting a few days before Nuit Blanche the Inside Out mobile Photobooth was parked at Nathan Phillips Square.  Anyone who was interested could have their picture taken – a digital copy was emailed to each participant and a large black and white copy was printed within minutes.  The photos were collected and then used to make one large image, a series of concentric circles in the center of the square.

A picture of the mobile photoprinting booth that was used for the Inside Out global art project at Nathan Phillips Square. Some people are waiting in line to have their picture taken.

Two people are holding up a black and white photo of a girl's face. She has her fingers up to her eyes in an owl face. The man holding the photo is making the same face.
below:  Getting ready for Nuit Blanche at Nathan Phillips Square

A group of young people are using brooms and sqeegees to glue blackand white photos of peoples faces onto the concrete of Nathan Phillips Square

A group of young people are using brooms and sqeegees to glue blackand white photos of peoples faces onto the concrete of Nathan Phillips Square

Concentric circles of black and white photos are being glued to the concrete at Nathan Phillips Square, overview, photo taken from the upper level.

below: Nathan Phillips Square at Nuit Blanche

a group of people is gluing pictures to the concrete while many people look on, most are behind barricades, night time

view of the Inside Out Project at Nathan Phillips Square on Nuit Blanche 2015

below: The side of the ramp to the upper level was also covered with photos.

A group of people pose beside a wall that is covered with pictures, nuit blanche, night time.

black and white photos of peoples faces glued to a wall, part of Inside Out Project in Toronto

below: … as was the south side of the 3D Toronto sign.

3D Toronto sign covered with black and white pictures of people, at night, at Nuit Blanche when there were a lot of people standing around it.

below:  The Inside Out Project remained after Nuit Blanche.

Two photos that are glued on the O of the 3D Toronto sign. One is of a man in Blue Jays T shirt and one is of a ayoung man with his hands on his cheeks and a wide eyed, open mouthed look of astonishment on his face. Toronto city hall is in the background

Three people sit on the bench beside the fountain at Nathan Phillips Square. Their backs are to the camera, they are looking towards the 3D Toronto sign that is covered with black and white photos for Inside Out project. Toronto city hall is in the background

A seagull stands on photos of people that are glued to the concrete

Nathan Phillips Square after Nuit Blanche when Inside Out projects are still on the ground, and a farmers market is going on around it.

below: There were a number of other sites around the city that participated in this project including  a wall at Mel Lastman Square in North York.

A wall alongside a sidewalk ramp is covered with black and white photos of people's faces.

below: There was also a wall on the southwest side of Coxwell subway station that was covered.

exterior concrete wall covered with black and white photos of people

exterior concrete wall covered with black and white photos of people

#IOPToronto | #snb2015 | #snbTO | #share3DTO

Lots more info about Inside Out can be found here.

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An Te Liu

Posted: October 11, 2015 in events, public art
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‘Solid State’ an exhibit of sculptures made from found material that are then cast in bronze, by An Te Liu at the Toronto Sculpture Garden on King Street East.  This is one of the Nuit Blanche installations that is still on view.  It is co-produced by MOCCA (Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art) and the City of Toronto.

 

below: Three sculptures.  From left to right are: 1. Meta-matic, 2. Tourist, and 3. Ascension

Three sculptures by An Te Liu in a sculpture garden, on pedestals in front of an ivy covered wall.

below: Vegetable, Mineral

A metal sculpture by An Te Liu on a grey stone pedestal with another grey stone behind it

below: Remains of the Day

A metal sculpture by An Te Liu lying on a flat grey stone.

silent knight

Posted: October 9, 2015 in events, galleries, public art
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Silent Knight by Ekow Nimako,
a sculpture of a barn owl using more than 50,000 pieces of LEGO,
on display in front of the Gardiner Museum as an extended Nuit Blanche exhibit

sculpture of a barn owl taking flight made of white lego, on a black pedestal (also made of lego) in front of the gardiner museum

close up of the wings and the lego blocks used to make the sculpture of a barn owl

close up of a foot and talons of the barn owl sculpture that is made of lego

#snbTO

one blue, one naked

Posted: October 8, 2015 in events, public art
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Some of the art installations from Nuit Blanche remain available for viewing this week.
Two of them are near Jarvis and Gerrard.

below: As you travel south on Jarvis Street, just before Gerrard, you can see a billboard art installation, ‘Refugees run the seas’ by Francisco Fernandos Granados.  The accompanying sign says:  “‘Refugees run the seas’ draws and diverts from pop culture as a way to invite the viewer to imagine a future where justice for migrants exists.  The work evokes past and present scenes of harrowing escape while allowing the possibility of a time to come when those seeking refuge will be agents of movement, rather than victims.”

“Refugees run the seas ’cause we own our own boats” is a line from Wyclef Jean’s rap in Shakira’s song ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ in case you were wondering how this billboard “draws and diverts from” pop culture.

a billboard on a city street. it is blue with just the words on it that say Refugees run the seas cause we own our own votes

below: In the Children’s Conservatory at Allan Gardens is another installation.  This one is titled “Sphinx” and it is by Luis Jacob of Toronto.   According to the Nuit Blanche sign: “Toronto is changing before our eyes.  Neighbourhoods and skylines are transformed seemingly overnight while the social fabric of the city is altered in ways that are difficult to discern.  Come in and see the ‘Sphinx’, who poses questions that we want ardently to ask.”

The hands and fingers of this tall and imposing headless man are forming a frame that is apparently supposed to capture our attention.  When you walk into the conservatory it’s definitely not the hands that you notice. The hands are way above the line of sight.   Of course, one could ask why he has no clothes and does having no head enhance the artwork.  Can you ask questions if you have no mouth, no voice?  And are the questions ardently wanted or ardently asked?  hmmm….

There are books and pamphlets in display cases around the room.  These publications are all about Toronto and they date back as far as 50 years ago.  No, you can’t access the books, you can’t open or read them.  I’m not sure what information they are supposed to add to the exhibit.

In a glass walled and glass roofed conservatory, a white statue of a headless naked man stands on a pedestal in the middle of the room. Two men are looking at a display on a table in the left of the picture.

 

#snbTO

crushed and bundled

Posted: October 2, 2015 in events, public art
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below: Coke, Dole juice, Diet Coke, Fanta orange, cans, cans, and more cans.

Three women check out bundles of crushed pop cans that are bundled for recycling. They are stacked two bundles high making a low wall beside the sidewalk.

below: Coors beer, Canada Dry, Nestea, more Fanta, more Coke, all crushed and ready to be recycled.

Crushed alumiium cans ready to be recycled

The City of Toronto collected about 200,000 tonnes of blue bin recyclables in 2014.   Since a tonne equals 1,000 kilograms, that’s 200,000,000 kilos of recyclable plastic bottles, pop cans, tin cans etc.

Crushed plastic bottles ready to be recycled

Crushed plastic bottles ready to be recycled

Piles of crushed recyclables collected from Toronto’s blue bins are stacked along Bay Street beside City Hall.  They will be part of an installation entitled ‘There is No Away’ for Nuit Blanche this coming weekend.  This work was sponsored by the city’s Solid Waste Management committee and put together by artist Sean Martindale.    This installation hopes to raise awareness of just how much garbage we produce and throw “away”.

A bundle of old rusty tin cans that have been crushed and pack into large bundles ready to be recycled.

 

 

 

 

 

banners on Queens Quay

Posted: September 18, 2015 in public art
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 Waterfront Outdoor Photo Exhibit

For the past four years, the Waterfront BIA has organized a photography contest.  East year fifty finalists are chosen.  This year they have organized a photo exhibit of a different kind.  One hundred and fourteen images were chosen from the 200 finalists from their previous photo contests.  These images were used (and cropped!) to make vertical banners, 5 ft x 2 ft in size.   The banners are made of vinyl and the same image is on both sides.

below: You can see many of the banners on Queen’s Quay between Yonge and Bathurst.

Looking west on Queens Quay towards Bathurst street. New TTC streetcar is in the photo as well as a number of condos and other buildings on the north side of the street

Picture of round orange life ring on the edge of the waterfront in Toronto.

Three pictures in one. Each of the pictures is of a banner hanging from a pole outside. On the left is a picture of seagull, in the middle is a picture of two houses and on the right is a winter waterfront scene

A pole with a vinyl banner with a colourful picture of boats. Also on the pole is a street sign that says Yo Yo Ma Lane

looking towards the waterfront. A banner with a picture of the Canadian flag is on a post by a tree in the foreground. The old silos for Canada Malting Company are in the background as is a boat moored beside the silos.

A banner with a picture of a seagull on it. In the background of the banner picture is the CN Tower. In the background of this photo, there is also the CN Tower.

 

below: Sometimes it’s difficult to see the banners amongst all the other things along Queen’s Quay

TTC streetcar on Queens Quay

below: There are also some banners on Lakeshore Blvd between Bathurst and Spadina.

A woman is walking on a sidewalk, away from the camera, beside the Lakeshore Blvd in Toronto. There are a few cars on the road. There are skyscrapers in the background. The elevated highway, the Gardiner Expressway, is also in the picture.

A composite of three pictures, each of a vertical banner hanging from a pole outdoors along a street. One banner is a kayaker in the harbour in front of the Toronto skyline. Another is a sunset over Toronto skyline on a cloudy day

Leafs expansion

Posted: September 16, 2015 in history, public art
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Two new additions to the statues in Legends Row outside the Air Canada Center showed up on this past weekend.  Mats Sundin and Borje Salming have taken their place alongside Darryl Sittler, Ted Kennedy and Johnny Bower.  Salming is cheering from behind the boards while Sundin is on the ice.  I’d say that was Sundin was ready for action but he needs to get his stick on the ice first.  Maybe the game is over and the Maple Leafs have something to celebrate?

Three of the bronze statues of hockey players outside the ACC, Legends Row. Matt Sundin, Borje Salming and Darryl Sittler are in the picture, or at least their statues are.

below: Mats Sundin, born in Sweden in 1971.  He joined the Maple Leafs in 1994 and played 13 seasons for them.  He was captain for 11 of those years and with the exception of 2002-03, he led the team in scoring points every year.  He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.

A close up look of the face and upper body of the statue of ex Toronto Maple Leaf player Matt Sundin

below: Salming cheers while Darryl Sittler goes over the boards.  Borje Salming, also born in Sweden, played defence for the Maple Leafs  between 1973 and 1989.  He played over 1000 games.  He has been a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame since 1996.

A man in a purple t-shirt and jeans is sitting on the boards that are part of the sculpture at Legends Row outside the Air Canada Center. He is sitting beside the statue of Borje Salming

A little boy stands beside a statue of a hockey player where only the legs and skates of the player are in the picture. The boy is holding onto the end of the player's hockey stick

The first three statues, Darryl Sittler, Ted Kennedy and Johnny Bower, were installed earlier this year.

pedestrian Sunday, Kensington

Posted: September 3, 2015 in events, public art
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On the last Sunday of the month from May through October, the streets of the Kensingon Market area are closed to vehicular traffic from noon to 7 p.m.  This year, the first two Pedestrian Sundays were cold and wet.   For July and August the last Sundays of both months were hot and sunny.  The following photos were taken on those two days.   Entertainment… music… art…  people watching…. restaurants… shops – the colours of Kensington.

A man with a bushy beard and pointy brown hat is sitting at a table selling things like necklaces and tie dyed shirts

A man is juggling three flaming torches while a crowd looks on, outdoor event.

A woman is smiling as she sits on the steps of a store. Racks of colourful clothing are on display, and for sale, on either side of her

Two women in orange and yellow safety vests. One is sitting on a waist high barrier to keep cars off the street while the other woman is standing and leaning against it.

A man is wearing a T-shirt with a picture of Marilyn Munroe with sunglasses on it. He is trying to sell T-shirts and other works of art outside on the sidewalk. Beside him is a street art painting of a man's face, with his finger in front of his lips.

A man plays scrabble outdoors on the street while wearing roller blades
One man is sitting on a patio surrounded by a few empty tables and chairs. Right behind him is a man sitting at a table inside. The window is open so the man inside is visible

A young man with a Captain America shield, poses in the street

A woman with long grey hair, dark sunglasses and and black and white shirt is in front of a store window. On the window are the words Celebrating 50

A woman selling hats is holding a straw hat with a black band. A male customer is reaching for a dark blue hat.

a street musician stands beside his empty banjo case. In front of the case is a note that says " I need money to buy gas for my pickup to go to the vet to pick up my injured dog who was kicked by my wife as whe walked out the door to run off with my best friend"

 

A rack of clothing on display outside. The sign at the end of the rack says $5 rack. It is made of a collage of pictures of women and clothes.
A man is painting a circular maze on a street

A woman is standing behind a table covered with things that she is selling, outdoors. A sign beside the table says MIB Rolling Stoned Stoner Yard Sale

Three musicians are playing on a rooftop, two guitar players and a drummer. They are on top of the Fairland grocery store in Kensington

three women at an outdoor event. One is wearing sunglasses and a silver necklace. She is holding a cold drink in her hands. The other two women are older and are wearing hats.

female drummer from Amai Kuda and Yjosephine playing at Kensington Pedestrian Sunday

A woman in white is using red fabric ropes to perform acrobatic moves above a crowd of people at an outdoor event.

At an outdoor art exhibit, two kids are behind a display of three paintings of women and butterflies. Only the legs of one child are visible while the legs and side of the body of the other child is visible.

A woman is wearing a hat and sunglasses. She is beside a rack of many straw hats with different coloured bands.

Chalkboard sign outside a restaurant that says Fries b 4 guys. Two people are inside the restaurant, sitting at a table and eating
A woman is tying a black string bikini onto a mannequin
A man is standing in front of a green door that is covered with stickers, graffiti and bits of old posters

Parts of three paintings of children hanging outside on display

A woman with long bright pink hair sits beside a table of art wortks for sale. Beside her is white pedestal with a brightly coloured abstract sculpture on it

A woman is typing on an old typewriter at an outdoor event, Pedestrian SUnday at Kensington Market. She is the Spontaneous PRose Shop. Pay her and she'll compose haiku, poetry or stories for you.

A picture of a woman resting on her folded arms is on a brownish coloured guitar. A man's hand is in the picture as he plays the guitar

An assortment of things for sale on a table including a basket of stuffed animals, some shirts on hangers and a childs red Chinese jacket.

will write poetry or prose for 25 cents

sunglasses and their reflections of Kensington

41 Esplanadians

Posted: August 15, 2015 in events, people, public art
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FORTY ONE the Esplanadian Connection,
an exhibit inspired by the book ‘FORTY ONE Neighbours’

The book was published earlier this year and there was a book launch at St. Lawrence Hall back in April.  The book is a collection of 41 portraits, one person from each country participating in the Pan Am and Parapan Games.  Each portrait is also of a person with a connection to the Esplanade community. Fifty three students/authors from The Esplanade neighbourhood wrote the stories.

A poster on a lamp pole, a picture of a woman and two boys playing with a ball (pretending to fight over it)

For the exhibit, the portraits were re-enacted by local residents.

A picture of a girl with a dog on a bench is posted on a lamp post as part of an exhibit for the Pan Am games, a bench in the park is in the background

Each portrait consists of three sides.  Two sides have photographs on them – one side with a Esplanadian person or family and the other side with a PanAmerican resident.

An exhibit on a street in Toronto that consists of a three sided sign wrapped around a streetlight pole. Two sides can be seen in this photo. One side is a picture of a woman sitting in an otherwise empty auditorium with red seats. the other side has the word calmness in English and then the translation of that in 4 other languages, French, SPanish, Dutch and Portugese
The third side has one word written in five languages.
From top to bottom – Dutch, French, English, Spanish and Portuguese.

The word performance on a green and blue sign. It is also written in 4 other languages, Dutch, Spanish, French and Portugese

The words were chosen from the stories in the book, one symbolic word from each portrait.

sign on a lamp post that says hope in 5 languages with a basketball court and murals in the background. On the Esplanade in Toronto

The signs are mounted on lamp posts along the Esplanade.

poster on a lamp post with the picture of a mother and her son. Park is in the background. Part of an exhibit in association with the Pan Am Games.

art and fashion on Dundas

Posted: August 13, 2015 in public art
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“Art Loves Fashion! Fashion Loves Art!” 
Retailer H&M is presently renovating the southwest corner of Yonge & Dundas.  On the Dundas St. side of the development, the hoardings have provided a space for an art exhibit. It is an outdoor digital gallery of images produced by students in OCAD’s Digital Painting/Expanded Animation (DPXA) program.

People walk by the hoardings beside the sidewalk on Dundas St. near Yonge, part of the new H & M store being built there. There are pictures on the wall.

below: ‘Nude Collage’ by Arshia Salesi

colourful image with slices of watermelon, purple hyacinth flowers, and a parrot

 below: Resting against ‘Indeterminate Peony’ by Trudy Erin Elmore.
To the left is ‘Nonscape V’ by Monica Moraru

A man in a white shirt and wearing a backpack leans against a white wall that has a picture printed on it.

below:  A woman walks past ‘Streetcar Style’ by Avery Kua.

A woman walks by a wall that has a picture on it os people getting off a streetcar. The woman is looking at the picture

below: ‘Blocked!’ by Ghazaleh Baniahmad

Artwork in grey tones using pieces of photographs of two women, mother and daughter, It is printed on white and displayed outdoors on a wall. It is called Blocked! and the artist is Ghazaleh Baniahmad

below: ‘Ascend’ by Niya Vaillancourt

A woman walks around a corner and is approaching a wall with a picture on it called 'Ascend'

 below: ‘The New Patronage’ by Cat Bluemke

A picture of two people, man and woman, both drawn with black lines, the man has pink highlights and the woman has blue. Both are from the shoulders up and they are looking at each other.

below: Sign making below ‘ Cloth and Jewels’ by Samet Choudhury

A man is sitting on the sidewalk. He is making a sign on a piece of brown cardboard. The wall behind him has a large picture on it that is part of an exhibit

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