Enter if you dare!
To houses guarded by skulls
and ghosts. Where skeletons rise out of the ground
Where spider webs cling to everything – is that spider nearby too?
Happy Halloween everyone!
This is a “Thursday door” post. If you are interested in doors and want to see other people’s blog posts about doors, start with Norm 2.0’s blog post. At the the bottom of that post you will find a link to many more!
The second annual Brain Project is now on display across the city. These are only a small sample of the brain sculptures that form the exhibit. In total there are 100 brains in about 20 locations around the city. There is a map on the Brain Project website if you are interested in visiting some of them.
below: One of the locations where you can see some of the brain sculptures is Nathan Phillips Square.
Descriptions of all the brains on display around the city, as well as notes on the artists responsible, can be found online. You can vote online for your favorite brain.
below: Circles of beads and sequins – circles representing wholeness and totality come together to form a complex mosaic like the brain itself. “Unleash Your Mind” is by Kara Ross.
below: Sitting on top of a blue and teal brain is a blue jay in a nest – a sculpture by Ted Hamer that is called “Thinkubator”. Here the brain is shown as an idea incubator where the bird symbolizes the idea.
below: “Vitale” by Molly Gambardella is dedicated to the artist’s grandmother who died of Alzheimers in 2016. Vitale was her maiden name.
below: Three of the brains on display at the Distillery District. In front is “Red Head” by Anitra Hamilton who glued pieces of chicken eggshells to the surface of the brain. Red acrylic paint highlights the spaces between the eggshells. In the middle is Cindy Scaife’s “Food for Thought”. Broccoli, avocado, apple and walnut, all healthy foods, play in the park.
below: Also at the Distillery District is a brain by Laura Bundesen, “Not Forgotten” is a collage of fabric embellished with lace and embroidery and beads. It is in memory of her stepmother who suffered from dementia.
Part of the goal of the project is raise awareness of diseases like Alzheimers that affect the brain. Another goal was to raise money – the sculptures are sponsored by various people and corporations (such as Telus). As well, most of the brains from last year’s exhibit have been sold. Funds raised through this project are donated to Baycrest Health Services.
below: Keight MacLean’s “Loss” illustrates the idea of memory and memory loss using a portrait of a person, a loved one. Paint as the memory loss, obscures the picture.
Just over a year ago, I posted some pictures of the art work hanging on a fence along Craven Road.
Some of it is still there, especially some cat pictures like this one:
below: Quite a few little planters have been mounted on the wall. Because it’s now cold November, most of the plants have died. These are two exceptions.
below: Some of the things that are now on the fence. Because there are no houses on the west side of the street, the fence can serve as a gallery wall.
below: A close up picture of the “Celebrating 100 years” sign as well as the picture of Queen Elizabeth I, engraved by Crispin van de Passe the Elder, after a drawing by Isaac Oliver.
below: Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Munroe beside many shoes in twos, knee pads and a walking cast.
below: Mirror, mirror on the wall… Bird pictures to the left and trees and sticks to the right.
Scattered among them are a few glow in the dark stars.
below: Artfully arrange artifacts… mask, hockey stick, dog pictures, toy helicopter….
below: A woman with three wolves, a young boy and dragonflies listening to your heart.
below: A composition of found items. A still life made of remnants of the past.
below: And lastly, a couple of pictures of some of the original paintings.
as I walk Toronto 