There’s a new dragon in Chinatown. It lives on a wall on Dundas West, just east of Spadina.
This colourful addition to Dundas West was painted by Blinc Studios Artists, Allan Bender, John Nobrega, Jesse McCuaig, Azadeh Pirazimian, Chris Brown, Frannie Potts and Mohammad Jaberi with the help of the Chinatown BIA and the City of Toronto. It must not have been an easy mural to paint – the wall is not flat but all parts of it have been covered.
Another wonderful mural to brighten up the alley!
Let’s start with the intersection itself. It’s where the 504 King car turns north to Broadview station and it’s where Jillys dominated the corner for many many years, more than 30 years in fact. Does anyone admit to lamenting the loss of Jillys 2 years ago? The building has stood on the corner for 124 years and was also home to the Broadview Hotel although I doubt it was the kind of hotel you’d book your mother into (well, at least not my mother!). Believe it or not, this isn’t a condo development.
below: Instead, the New Broadview Hotel, built by Streetcar Developments, will have 57 rooms, a rooftop bar and a ground floor restaurant. It will look approximately like this (from Broadview):
There was a reason I chose this intersection, and it wasn’t Jillys. I went looking for a new mural but I didn’t know exactly where it was. While I was looking, I explored and took some pictures because that’s what I do.
It wasn’t this street art painting I saw in an alley,
or this painting way up high beside a parking lot,
or this woman in a lane.
I passed by Debre Selam St. Michael Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Such a long name! All over Toronto there are churches, temples, mosques and other places of worship for a lot of different religions. I am not sure how many there are but I’d love to find out. This Orthodox religion was new to me so of course I had to look it up. I learned that it was once part of the Coptic Orthodox Church which has existed since the 4th century. It split off in 1959 but remains a member of the Oriental Orthodox family. The church has 38 million members in Ethiopia. This church on Broadview is not the only one in Toronto, there are at least 2 others. I’m not sure how many people in Toronto are members of the church, or attend services here. (additional note: It’s located beside the Royal Canadian Curling Club which I think is a great juxtaposition).
The Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes have their building just up Broadview from the Ethiopian church. They aren’t a religion but I had no idea what they were. When I think of “orders” of buffaloes I think of Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble and their Loyal Order of Water Buffalo. Apparently the “Buffs” have been an organization since 1882, originating in London England. According to Wikipedia, “Membership is open to all males over the age of 18 who are willing to declare that they are “true and loyal supporters of the British Crown and Constitution”. Discussion of politics or religion is strictly forbidden at gatherings, as is gambling.” The building looks like it was once a school…. looking for ideas where to start looking for its history? Oh, that word ‘antediluvian’ – it means ‘before the flood’ as in the flood in the Old Testament, that one with Noah’s Ark.
I noticed some quirky things like this window. Any guesses as to what it used to be?
Dark Horse Expresso Bar
I walked through Joel Weeks park where I came face to face with a fox.
We exchanged glances for a moment or two but its interest was elsewhere ….
perhaps this rabbit?
Also in the park, four little squirrels with a giant acorn!
All it needs is a Scrat to come along and steal it!
Whoa, a little off track!
When I still couldn’t find the mural, I bought a cup of coffee and a bite to eat at Merchants of Green Coffee (no picture I’m afraid) and did the research I should have done previously. Coffee finished, then mural found.
below: Riverside Pollinator Mural by Nick Sweetman. (3 photos)
below: I also noticed this. I know that that’s tomorrow but for those of you who are keen and read this blog soon after it was published, you may still have time to get there! Free cake too! It’s at 777 Queen Street East.
As I walked north towards Dundas Street, I found myself on the grounds of Queen Alexandra Senior Public School and Seed Alternative School. Here is door 5. An excellent example of unkempt 1950’s and 1960’s public building architecture. I don’t mean to belittle the school and the people involved in making it work. I just think that it’s a sad looking place; schools should be inviting.
One could probably do a photoessay on the condition of the building and what it says about Toronto’s attitudes to school construction and maintenance, and perhaps by extension, what it says about Toronto’s attitudes to public buildings in general.
While we’re on the subject of architecture, there is a mix of lots of types in this area of the city. There are still lots of older houses, many of which have been renovated.
below: Side by side, old and new. ‘Second Empire’ architecture featured mansard roofs and dormer windows, both of which are seen in these old rowhouses. This style originated in France and arrived in Canada in the mid 1800’s where it seemed to remain popular for some time.
below: This house is a variation on the Workers Cottage (or Gothic Cottage style). A peaked roof over a central front door with one window on either side is the characteristic look of this style. This one is interesting in that it is actually the end one in a row of three.
below: I could go on and on about architecture. Instead, here’s one last picture of a jumble of styles (or non-styles!). Take a look around at the buildings that you see. Toronto doesn’t have much variation when it comes to the structure of the buildings, especially the older ones. We do know how to make them look unique though!
It’s after Labour Day but it’s still hot enough to be July. I tried to walk for a while today but I didn’t last. Air conditioning is my best friend this afternoon. But all was not lost. Even though I was only out for a short time, I walked along Croft Street and discovered that the south end (south of Vankoughnet) has been cleaned up and repainted. If you don’t know Croft Street, it’s a street in name only. It’s more like an alley in that it’s narrow with a lot of garages on it….but it’s also a lane that now has a number of residences on it. I guess you could call it a hybrid, a little bit alley and a little bit street.
What I really like about the street art here is that there is a cohesiveness to it. It’s not all the same but it all works together. Do I dare call it designer street art?
below: A couple of murals that existed previously were left untouched. On the left an oldie and on the right a new coat of paint.
below: As well as a bright and cheerful coat of paint (and the occasional white wall!), the lane has been decorated with planters made of cement blocks and old plastic barrels.
The south end of Croft Street is at College Street. There once was a mural on a wall at the corner of Croft and College that commemorated the fire of 1904. Almost three years ago I blogged about it. (3 years!) John Croft died in that fire and it was for him that the street was named. Anyhow, that mural is still there although it’s been hidden behind someone’s ugly tagging for more than a year. Today it is also behind scaffolding.
below: Part of the John Croft mural that no longer exists.
And now, because life (or, my life) is rarely linear, I’m going to jump around and look at the other end of Croft Street. North of Vankoughnet there seemed to be an animal theme in street art that I saw.
below: birdo bunny with his ears at attention.
below: The memorial to Monty the cat is still there, again for at least 3 years, but now it’s someone’s little patio. In case you are unfamiliar with this wall I have added a transcription of the poem written in Monty’s honour.
Did you know our Monty the cat?
King of Croft and all that
(Ask your dog. Ask your cat)
Did you give him a pet
Once you had met?
Or tickle his soft silken tum tum?
Did he tell you his tale in articulate meow
And share his affection with a rub of his brow?
His loss here has left us really quite blue
But remembering all of those of YOU
Who knew how to share a sweet kindness true
Who would pause on the way,
In midst of each day,
To offer wee beastie
affectionate feastie
In Memory of Monty
Thank you!
below: Unicorns vs Monsters. And the winner is?
below: Three cows standing in a field…. on a wall.
below: No animal here…. but it must have been here recently and left its paw prints behind.
below: An angular fox, or rather a triangular fox
below: More animals but I’m not sure if it’s art, or if someone has a lot of watering cans they’re trying to keep organized. The bottom yellow one is probably not a pokemon, right? Of course I could be missing something – it wouldn’t be the first time!
below: Leaving the animal theme behind, mind over matter.
below: 74B likes grids. The metal stripping on the brown door has been there for at leasat three years but the coloured stripes on the garage are more recent.
below: All stories and all blog posts need an ending so I’ll stop here. The end.
Wood cracks. Metal rusts. Paint fades and paint peels, its just what happens to paint when its exposed to the elements. Street art painted on a surface suffers the same fate. Nothing lasts forever and sometimes a mural’s life span is quite short. Sometimes other factors come into play – street art is defaced or altered in some way. Tags cover it; words get written on it. That too is the nature of street art.
below: I love what the weather has done to this woman’s face. Aging with grace and dignity. The texture of the old wood adds an element of depth and character to her as well.
below: One slat replaced. I’m sure it wasn’t the artist’s intent, but the gaps in the wood look like bars in a cage, or those metal bars you often see on windows.
below: Broken chin, but still watching the world pass by on Baldwin Street.
below: Yelling at the bushes.
below: Eyes are mysterious things. I have never been able to draw them properly and I am in awe of those who can. Even more so if the eyes communicate something, some emotion or expression.
below: I have always been intrigued by this face. A photo of the original painting hangs on one of my walls. I still find her mesmerizing. Those blue eyes still stare at the world. Is she looking through a veil? Or is she able to see through all the nonsense that the world throws at her?
below: A devilish child is still in good shape.
below: “Without money we’d all be rich”. That’s the kerb (curb) that runs along the bottom of the picture. Her whole face was not there in the first place.
below: And animal faces too!
Today’s story begins back in 2007 when elicsr painted this mural behind a store that fronts on Eglinton East.
It depicts the bible story of the prodigal son. A very brief summary of the story – A wealthy king had two sons.
The younger son took his half of his father’s money, left home, and squandered the money. He fell into hard times. He realized that he would be better off as a servant in his father’s household than living in penury on his own.
So he returned home to repent. His father celebrated the return of the son and forgave him and his prodigal ways.
Fast forward to August 2016 when the alley became a canvas for 46 street artists and their Wall Expressions project, Go Big or Go Home. I walked the alley on Thursday and this is what I saw.
[Warning: a lot of the street art is text or abstractions which may not be your cup of tea. ]
below: Girl power skull with pig tails by dudeman.
below: Under the weather vane, a newer garage door painted with a mural by Mediah IAH aka Evond Blake.
below: Black and white owl on a branch by mska
below: SPUD bombs and swirls on the back of Eco Cleaners.
below: And another SPUD creation on the other side of the lane.
A few skulls seemed to have snuck into the painting!
below: ‘Mars Attacks’ by the ACK crew, wales, miles, noser, braes and tensoe.
below: Garbage bins lined up in front of a horus/tuffytats rose in blue and red.
below: A swirly wavy mix of colours brighten up a wooden fence.
below: Red head (and shoulders) man
below: The Men’s Salon Barber Shop now has a mska creature, complete with scissors in hand, by the back door.
below: Next to the barber shop is this mural, or at least this is part of it. The next photo….
below: … is the end of the mural. I’m not sure who painted it but the marks on this are: Mark One, BOB (or 13013) and xFLA,.
below: A mural for Loui by minus two (and others?)
below: More text and abstractions, this time by manic, roam and acuse. Loui gets another mention too.
below: In the foreground, a Nick Sweetman shrimp swims across a mural with help from peru and ctr.
below: A closer look at that shrimp
below: Another large mural with more than one photo. At one end there’s a zas possum hanging out, spray paint can in hand – possibly up to no good?
below: And at the other end there’s another animal that is usually nocturnal, a raccoon. An animal that is no stranger to Toronto!
below: Look up, way up! There’s a dog on the roof.
below: Swimmer with a bathing cap looking at you, by sparr
below: Phil wrote his name on a garage door.
below: Sofe in orange and green tiger stripes
below: Two more garage doors.
below: Bright colours stand out on the side of this garage near the entrance to the lane.
below: Rozy, from the other side.
below: someone beginning with the letter m? (m–?) and lerch.
below: Big fat P in pink by bias? at number 153
below: And last, a little snail
This project had help and support from Toronto Police (53 division), Stephensons Rental, Dominos Pizza, and StreetARToronto.
video of the event on vimeo
Well, not really Camden Street, but an alley that runs perpendicular to the street…. If the lane has a name I don’t know what it is. Google maps doesn’t even include it. It’s a very short alley that runs both north and south from Camden street and it doesn’t go anywhere. Both sections were painted with murals 9 or 10 years ago. Amazingly, they have survived.
Let’s start with the south side of Camden Street.
below: Mural Project, “The walls won’t know what hit them”. The mural was painted in 2006 youth from the Harbourfront and Cecil Community Centres as part of the City of Toronto’s Graffiti Transformation Project.
below: The mural is painted in a quasi cartoon style.
below: She’s upset and she’s expressing her hurt and anger with spray paint seems to be the start of the story.
below: My knowledge of slang is limited, and this is 10 years old but this sheezy is cool. It’s probably as simple as “this sure is cool”, i.e. spray painting graffiti is cool.
below: Oh no! I always laugh when I hear this expression these days… is there anywhere in Toronto where property values are going down? Okay, okay, so it’s part of the story – she’s complaining that someone has sprayed graffiti somewhere nearby, the vandalism part of the story. The angry young woman or the “sheezy heezy” guy above have been busy in her neighbourhood.
below: As you can see, a couple of things were in the way as I was taking pictures. I am not sure exactly how the plot of the mural progresses from here because I couldn’t see the whole thing. There are gaps in the story line. A few missing pages so to speak.
below: Flesh tones as dots in the face of woman who plays an unknown role in this story – the mystery woman?
below: I suspect that this is the “We’ve got to get rid of the graffiti” part of the story. Is it improper to make comments about Rob Ford and his anti-graffiti program here? I don’t want to insult the mural or the project behind it because I think that the Graffiti Transformation Project is an excellent program.
below: If there was a mural on the other side of the alley, it’s long gone.
A short walk across Camden Street to the other half of the alley….
below: You can see the taller buildings on Richmond Street West but you can’t get there from here.
And like most downtown alleys, garbage bins are a dominant feature.
below: At the entrance to the alley. There are words under the window by the sunflowers that say that this painting is also the work of the Harbourfront/Cecil Community Centre’s Graffiti Transformation Project, 2007.
below: A very low window with green arrows
below: And last, I’ll end with a weather comment because we’ve all been talking (complaining?) about it these days – someone’s a bit overdressed for this August weather although it doesn’t seem to bother him. Maybe he knows something we don’t. Or maybe it’s just wishful thinking.
Stay cool!
As you may know, every few months I wander down Rush Lane and all the other lanes that make up Graffiti Alley on the south side of Queen West. There is usually something new on the walls and hydro poles and there are often people watching opportunities as well. Wednesday’s walk did not disappoint. Here is the photographic evidence – some street art that I saw for the first time and some worth a second look… and even a person or two.
below: Taking selfies is an artform in itself.
below: Making a video in one of the side alleys.
below: A home for hundreds of stickers, all nicely frames together
below: This poser bunny takes the spotlight.
below: A new piece, with some older poser bunnies in the background.
below: When I first saw this piece (by elicser?) I thought that he had his heart in his hands. As I look at it more, I’m not so sure. Any ideas? Also, “How long do we have?” An open question, an incomplete question, a mysterious question, or a question of philosophy. You see, one question leads to another.
below: This one isn’t new and isn’t particularly outstanding, but the way the sun was shining on it caught my eye. A bit of a silly comment – I’ll assume that W C doesn’t stand for water closet!
below: Donald Trump and the lovebot share a pole. Poor lovebot 😦
below: Street art by gems
below: One more new street art piece
below: Talking trash says “She’s bound to put a blanket on my bed”.
below: A small blue airplane and another little blue thing, all that remains of a larger mural painted long ago.
below: Apparently he doesn’t miss us?
below: Oh no! Stikman is behind bars and lovebot’s been restrained.
below: A seat and a smoke at break time. Maybe he’s texting his girlfriend about the weirdos he sees in the alley. Or maybe he took my picture and he’s adding it to his instagram collection of strangers in the lane! 🙂
below: A protest piece. A play on the national anthem. Oh Canada our home on native land.
below: One word of warning if you plan to walk this alley in the late afternoon, you may be dodging cars that are trying to avoid Queen Street traffic.
below: But you’ll also be entertained by those who get stuck. It’s especially amusing when it’s the more aggressive drivers who are thwarted. It is a working alley, not a street, after all.
I decided to head to Pape and Danforth on Friday, on a very hot & humid afternoon. The Danforth was just beginning to get ready for the Taste of the Danforth weekend festival. I stopped for a bottle of water and tried to find a bit of shade while I figured out where to walk. The street was still quiet. The day was hot and humid and no one was moving quickly. Not many photos to be had there. Instead, I decided to walk a few of the alleys north of the Danforth between Pape and Donlands.
below: No famous graffiti artist has left their mark in your neighbourhood? No problem, make your own!
A collection of icons with even the bricks painted into the picture.
below: Three garage doors with street art including one by spud.
below: Cruz1art (aka Angel Carillo) and a girl power pink skull by dudeman
below: “Turn the lights off and look to the sky”
below: I’m used to seeing ‘No Trespassing’ or ‘Keep Out’ signs but not so many ‘Keep Off’.
below: A happy Uber5000 birdie knitting away, a close knit street art painting.
below: Another creature by Cruz1
below: Two more painted garage doors, very linear, very stylized and abstracted.
below: A play on the word ‘cool’. Snowy words and a penguin with sunglasses. Unfortunately it didn’t make me feel cooler but only slightly nostalgic for winter. Only slightly!
below: On the left is “destroy and rebuild” and on the right is “We are 1, [illegible] mi gente siempre”. The last bit is Spanish and translates to “My people forever”
below: I think there was a point to this picture, but I’m not sure what it is.
below: Since this stretch of the Danforth has been “Greektown” for as long as I can remember, it makes sense to find street art in Greek. In this case, Greek love.
below: A slight chuckle, the next garage door is the translation.
below: Insert a little rant about horrid TTC concrete fences here. At least someone has found a way to brighten one of them up. This one is right beside the entrance to Donlands subway station.
A few more pictures….
below: A survivor. A lone white rose amongst dead roses. May you all survive the heat of summer!
From June 20th to 25th, many street artists brought their talents to paint murals with the Great Lakes as their theme. It was part of Pangeaseed Foundation’s Seawalls for Oceans. Pangeaseed’s mission is to use science, art and creativity to “inspire positive change around pressing ocean environmental issues”. This campaign originally focused on oceans but they have now branched out to increase awareness of the issues involving out fresh water lakes and rivers as well. One of their methods is to support and encourage the painting of murals – Seawalls have been painted in Miami, San Diego, Napier New Zealand, Cozumel Mexico and many other cities around the world… and now in Toronto too.
One of the locations chosen for the murals was around Ossington and Queen where they join a number of murals that were already there.
below: The S.S. One Love sails high above an alley, painted by Peru143
below: Painted in mostly shades of grey, a mural by Caratoes (aka Cara To), a street artist based in Hong Kong.
below: A large water bird swims along the surface and watches the people passing by.
Painted by Jon Todd.
As you can see from the above photo, there are three round images painted on the south wall of the old Self Storage building.
below: Closest to the street, a mural by Sermob
below: In the middle and tying the three circles together is a mural of entwined fish by Miguel Valinas from Mexico.
below: A sleepy baby otter in its parents’ arms, painted by Sens, also from Mexico
below: A mural on a bright yellow wall – a shark and a dinosaur amongst geometric shapes that are characteristic of birdo’s work. There is also another animal head beside it. This was a collaboration between birdo, tens2, fuel, kostyn, phil and barney and it pre-dates the Love Letters to the Great Lakes murals.
below: From bright colours, to black and white – birdo’s collaboration with En Masse. A mural with the words “RIP Don Valley River”
below: It’s a rather dark lament about the state of the Don River.
below: Standing on an island, ‘Hello’ by Chicago-born Hebru Brantley in 2015
below: Whales, lobsters, fish and other creatures swimming amongst the seaweed, painted by street artist lebonar (aka Olivier Bonnard)
below: More marine life, but in an unfortunate spot. I’ve been to see this mural twice, and both times the fence was locked. It looks like the fish has an arm that it’s using to reach for the unsuspecting crayfish – a metaphor for invasive species and their effects on marine life and their habitats. It was painted by Cinzah Seekayem from New Zealand. You can see better pictures of it on his instagram page.
Other posts about this project:
#seawallsTO | #pangeaseed | #loveletterprojects
A week or so ago I explored a lot of little alleys and lanes in Seaton village. Once upon a time it was a village, named for John Colborne, 1st Baron Seaton, who was Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada from 1828 to 1836. The land here was originally settled and farmed by loyalists Colonel David Shank and Captain Samuel Smith. Eventually, George Crookshank acquired the property and he laid out the plans for a village here in the 1850’s; it wasn’t developed until around 1888 when the area was annexed by the City of Toronto.
Today it is the rectangular section of Toronto north of Bloor street to the CNR train tracks by Dupont and between Bathurst and Christie streets. It is part of The Annex.
When I started to write this blog post my plan was to focus on how all lanes are the same yet different. Their characteristics usually reflect the neighbourhood around them and the way the lanes are used. Every lane has a personality.
below: Vermouth Lane, one of the greenest lanes I’ve seen in Toronto. Why? Probably because there are no garages in the lane, except for the two that were beside me when I took this picture. The backyards that are on this lane are not big. There are one or two houses that have made room in their backyard for a car, but that takes up most of the space. The lane itself is also rather narrow.
below: In contrast, Col David Shank Lane (there’s that name again!) ends at a wide alley behind the stores and services on Dupont. It’s a working alley.
But that’s only stating the obvious, isn’t it?
Like the city around them, lanes are a mix of old and new, interesting and bland, plus well kept and neglected.
They are the less public side of city life.
below: As I looked for things that make alleys different, I kept finding little details like the old blue plant pot with its contrasting orange wall.
below: The textures and bright colours in the design made by aging paint on a garage door caught my eye.
below: A vegetable garden dominates the backyard.
below: A simple plant in a window in Tandy Murch Lane. Walter Tandy Murch (1907-1967) was a painter who was born and raised in the area. His mother, Louise Murch (nee Tandy), was a popular singing teacher
below: Through a hole in the wood, a glimpse of what lies beyond.
below: Abandoned plumbing fixtures lead to all kinds of jokes – outdoor plumbing
below: A once proud tree
below: A garage door that stands alone and not in a row with others.
below: Possibly a Rorschach test? A brown face is what I see. Do you?
below: And another test – can you find the paintbrush?
Not sure how it got there! Or how it’s staying there!
below: This could become a game. An “I Spy” kind of game. I spy a face.
below: Or perhaps we could play peek-a-boo?
And this is where I am going to leave you…. until another day when I walk more lanes and find more little details, more differences, to make me smile. And then we’ll play again!
The End
as I walk Toronto 