Posts Tagged ‘Toronto’

Edouard’s Toronto

Posted: May 15, 2015 in locations, public art
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Edouard
a CONTACT photography festival exhibit,
VIA Rail Concourse (i.e. where the trains depart from)

Edouard LeBouthillier documented his life in Toronto in the 1970’s and early 1980’s with Polaroid pictures.  On the back of the photos he noted dates and places.  He also took pictures of Toronto buildings and landmarks that were newly constructed or in the process of being torn down (e.g. the old Eatons store at Yonge & Dundas).

There are two exhibits of his work being shown at CONTACT this year.  The first, shown below, is on the east side of the VIA Rail Concourse of Union Station where a number of large prints are on display.  If you have trouble finding them, look for VIA platforms 12 and 13.

A second Edouard exhibit is at Art Metropole (1490 Dundas West) and it consists of some of the original polaroids that show his domestic life.

below:  At new City Hall.
In front of the tulip garden on the left and lying by the fountain on the right.

large photographic prints on display at Union Station

large photographic prints on display at Union Station

below: Edouard was at the CNE on the 17th of August 1977.

large photographic prints on display at Union Station

below: On the left is Ed’s Wacky Wirld store, 1977

large photographic prints on display at Union Station

under Glen Road

Posted: May 11, 2015 in graffiti and street art, locations
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All bridges have a character of their own including the Glen Road bridge.

below: Looking east toward Glen Road from the Beltline Trail that follows the Yellow Creek.  Photo taken a couple of weeks ago just before the leaves started growing.

trail beside a creek in a ravine with lots of trees in early spring before there are any leaves on the trees. A woman is walking two dogs on the trail and in the distance there is a bridge over the ravine.

The following photos were taken under the north side of the bridge. On the day that I was there, it was impossible to cross the creek – something to do in the future!

graffiti on the concrete supports under a bridge - words 'power to the creative people"
graffiti on the concrete supports under a bridge - large symbol with eye, yellow sun and serpent like shapes, high on a pillar up near the green metal girders of the bridge

graffiti on the concrete supports under a bridge - looking up from under the bridge - some graffiti on the concrete pillars but they are hidden behind the green metal girders.

graffiti on the concrete supports under a bridge - stencil of a little green alien and the words, "I want to believe"

graffiti on the concrete supports under a bridge - along the back wall, mostly tags, one picture of a man's face that has a big grey X through it. On the ground in a corner is a mattress covered with a blanket or sleeping bag.

graffiti on the concrete supports under a bridge - tags around the base of the pillars

whos yo daddy? graffiti

graffiti under a bridge

graffiti on the concrete supports under a bridge - colourful tags. Some are older and are starting to peel

graffiti on the concrete supports under a bridge - a pile of trash beside graffiti covered sections of the bridge

beached at the waterfront

Posted: May 8, 2015 in galleries, waterfront
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‘The Death of a Journey V’ by Zineb Sedira,
at the Power Plant, Harbourfront,
south exterior wall facing the waterfront.
19 ft x 31 ft

This is a photograph that appears in Sedira’s ‘Shipwrecks’ series, a picture of the ‘United Malika’ that ran aground enroute to a shipping graveyard near Nouadhibou Mauritania in 2003.

A large photograph by Zineb Sadira of an old ship that lies rusting on the shore. A tree is in front of the photo. Although it is rusting, the ship is intact.

Although it is part of the CONTACT photography festival, it is scheduled to remain until September.

Demolition at MOCCA

Posted: May 7, 2015 in galleries
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‘Demolition Site’ by Jihyun Jung,
at MOCCA as part of the CONTACT photography festival

This Korean artist visits demolition sites where he paints one of the rooms red.
Over time, he documents the changes to this room as demolition proceeds.

below:  One of his photographs of a red room covers the entire wall at MOCCA.

 A large photograph of the inside of an abandoned building. The interior walls have been painted red. Rubble has started spilling into the hall from the demolition of the rest of the building.

One of the walls of the courtyard in front of MOCCA is covered with one of his photographs.   It is 30 feet long.  Very annoyingly, a car was parked in front of it the day I was there.  It was promoting a car dealership in return for their support of an exhibit at the gallery that shares courtyard space with MOCCA.   The two planters with the tall evergreens are very tacky too.

A large photograph (30 feet long) that covers the side of a building. The photo is of a building being demolished. It is to scale with the real building.

A close up of A large photograph (30 feet long) that covers the side of a building. The photo is of a building being demolished. It is to scale with the real building.

trees in Brookfield Place

Posted: May 7, 2015 in galleries
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‘Tree’ by Myoung Ho Lee,
an art installation at the Allen Lambert Galleria, Brookfield Place,
part of CONTACT Photography Festival,

large banner with a photograph of a tree against a white background hangs in Brookfield Place with its high rounded glass and white steel ceiling.

Six large banners (12.5 x 10 ft) are hung from the ceiling such that they look like they’re standing upright.
Each banner has a picture of a lone tree taken with a white canvas backdrop.

Three large banners photographs of a tree against a white background hangs in Brookfield Place with its high rounded glass and white steel ceiling. Some people walking past, ignoring the pictures
According to the description of the installation, Lee “transforms the common tree into a highly theatrical and mysterious entity”.
I’m going to disagree.  It’s an interesting visual effect having the large banners arranged as they are but I see the trees as static, captive entities.  Trees as museum pieces.  That’s my two cents worth.

large banner with a photograph of a tree against a white background hangs in Brookfield Place with its high rounded glass and white steel ceiling.

ritual of spring

Posted: May 4, 2015 in nature
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The Sakura Project

The Sakura Project was started in the year 2000 with the objective of planting 3000 Japanese flowering cherry (Sakura) trees in Ontario as a symbol of Japan-Canada friendship.  By the time the project came to an end in the autumn of 2012, 3,082 trees had been planted at 58 locations across Ontario.  One of the locations was the St. George campus of the University of Toronto.  Here, at the corner of Harbord and Huron streets, 70 trees were planted in 2005.

Today, 4 May, the trees were in full bloom.  Perfect.   (Well, almost perfect – a little blue sky instead of the cloud cover would have been an added bonus)

 

rows of cherry trees in blossom in front of the Robarts library, a large concrete building

sakura, cherry blossoms, in full bloom - a branch laden with white flowers

sakura, cherry blossoms, in full bloom - a number of trees in a row. A woman is using a smartphone to take photos of the blossoms. she is just visible at the bottom of the picture

sakura, cherry blossoms, in full bloom - a pathway with a row of cherry trees on both sides. The branches of the trees almost meet at the top to forma canopy of blossoms.

sakura, cherry blossoms, in full bloom - close up of a cluster of blossoms

A couple sitting on a bench that is just behind a row of blossoming cherry trees.

more lovebot!

Posted: May 3, 2015 in graffiti and street art
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More lovebots that I have seen in the past couple of months –
since back when there was snow on the ground. He certainly gets around!

 below: At the bottom of the stairs over the train tracks, Dundas West, in the Junction

a lovebot wheatpaste along with some other graffiti and street art on a concrete wall
below: A very large 3D looking lovebot in a little alcove on Keele St. near the railway underpass

very large new lovebot robot on a grey wall
below: lovebot waits to cross the street.

lovebot sticker on a yellow sign by the button one pushes when one wants to cross at a streetlight.
below: Lovebot and a friendly dinosaur together in the snow near the AGO

lovebot on a low brick wall, in the snow. A black line drawn dinosaur is beside him. Someone has scribbled 'I'm gay' on the lovebot

below: A rusty gameboy lovebot

gameboy lovebot on a metal wall that has become rusty
below: A lovebot and grominator hybrid

grominator and lovebot hybrid large wheatpaste, long red tongue sticking out
below: Standing beside Lee’s Palace, Bloor St. West

A painted lovebot about person height on a wall beside Lee's Palace on Bloor St - a building that is covered with intricate bright coloured pictures

below: Watching over Nathan Phillips Square

A pink and purple sticker lovebot on a glass wall

below:  Lovebot on a crumbling corner on Ossington

grey lovebot wheatpaste on a wall on Ossington Ave., it's down low so some dead weeds are nearby
below: Double!  Two lovebots on an old orange door at Queen and Sherbourne.

two small lovebots on an old orange door.
below: Lovebot waits for a TTC streetcar

a lovebot sticker on a TTC bus stop pole

below: This lovebot lives with the folks at Toronto Collective

a little cement 3D lovebot statue stands on the floor of a store that sells cans of spray paint

 

Best Beach, and others, on Bay

Posted: April 21, 2015 in locations, public art
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The last block at the south end of Bay Street is closed to traffic at the moment because of the continuing, i.e. never ending, construction on Queens Quay.  In that block there are now three pieces of public art.  The most recent addition is a large photograph by Sarah Ann Johnson that covers a large portion of the west wall of the Westin Harbour Castle Conference Centre.

Very large photograph of a beach scene with sailboats out on the horizon and trees on both sides, superimposed with whimsical drawings of circles and swirls in blues, purples, greens, reds and yellows . It is mounted on the side of a two storey concrete building, the bunker like Westin Hotel and Conference Centre

‘Best Beach’ is a welcome addition to the bunker-like structure of the Westin Hotel.  It is part of this year’s CONTACT photography festival and it is scheduled to remain here until the end of December.  StreetARToronto and Partners in ART also played a role in bringing this project to life.

close up of the lake in a Very large photograph of a beach scene with sailboats out on the horizon and trees on both sides, superimposed with whimsical drawings of circles and swirls in blues, purples, greens, reds and yellows

UPDATED: There is now a youtube video on this installation, produced by the City of Toronto.

 Two small sculptures are also on this block, one on the SW corner of Harbour and Bay and the other on the NW corner of Queens Quay and Bay.  Both are difficult to take photos of!

First, ‘The Wave’ by Ivan Kostov

Public art on a corner called 'The Wave' by Ivan Kostov. curved pieces of coloured metal on top of a greenish pedestal.

Looking up from underneath a sculpture, Public art on a corner called 'The Wave' by Ivan Kostov. curved pieces of coloured metal on top of a greenish pedestal. A highrise condo building is behind.

Second, ‘Nautilius’ by Judith Schwarz

Looking upward from below at a public art installation called 'Nautilius' by Judith Scwarz which is a two dimensional cut out piece of metal of a snail-like spiral, mounted about ten to 12 feet off the ground on square sided metal poles.

Toronto has a habit of cluttering up its sidewalks and public art like this one tends to become just another part of the mess. There is no overall plan. Placement of public art might look great on paper but does anyone take into consideration all the other stuff? Stuff that doesn’t appear on architects’ drawings – the garbage bins, newspaper boxes, TTC signs, phone booths, no parking signs, hydro poles, and such things like that.

Public art installation called 'Nautilius' by Judith Scwarz which is a two dimensional cut out piece of metal of a snail-like spiral, mounted about ten to 12 feet off the ground on square sided metal poles. It is an a sidewalk amongst a lot of other things, TTC sign, condos, construction fences, a parked bike, construction signs etc.

And lastly, I couldn’t resist this little guy who’s stuck on a Bell payphone.

A sticker of a one eyed creature, black drawing on white, is on the blue part of a Bell payphone.

 

Dufferin skeins

Posted: April 16, 2015 in graffiti and street art
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On Dufferin St., just north of Eglinton there is a bridge under the Beltline Pathway.
The old railway bridge crosses the road and metal culverts provide passageways for the sidewalks on both sides of the street.  It was painted  in November 2014.

One of the sidewalks is closed because of construction on the north side.
In fact, the area looks a bit messy at the moment.

looking north up Dufferin street towards an old railway bridge. 4 orange construction signs in the photo as well as a lot of traffic on the street.
This was a  project by STEPS (Sustainable Thinking and Expression on Public Spaces) in collaboration with artists Alexa Hatanaka and Patrick Thompson, local residents,  Friends of the York Beltline and local Eglinton-Lawrence Councillor Josh Colle.

culvert passageway over a sidewalk that has been painted in stripes except that the sidewalk is closed - a sign, a pole barrier and 2 orange cones to prevent people from crossing under.

A Dufferin street TTC bus passes under an old railway bridge. The concrete support on the far side has been painted with a brightly coloured skein of wool on a yellow background. In the foreground is a culvert that is used as a bridge over a sidewalk. It has been painted in bright vertical stripes.

The mural was funded by the City of Toronto’s StreetARToronto program with support from area businesses and associations.

Mural of a skein of wool in bright colours on the underpass of a bridge

Close up of part of the mural of a skein of brightly coloured, multicoloured, wool on a bridge underpass, also the yellow part of a culvert that provides a passageway (tunnel) for the sidewalk. Some houses are in the background.

Close up of the brightly coloured strands of wool in the mural under the beltline on Dufferin Street

Link to a video on the making of this mural.

Cyril Lane

Posted: April 7, 2015 in graffiti and street art, locations
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Graffiti and street art murals seen in Cyril Lane recently.

large white skull with yellow teeth, and mouth partially open painted on a wall by a metal exterior staircase. The skull is talking black symbols all jumbled up in a blue speech bubble. There is a bike parked in front of the stairs. Perhaps the skull is about to eat the bike?

street art in a lane, view looking down the lane.

Mural of cartoon-like people

below: Rear entrance to Kaisar Guesthouse and Spic & Span Laundry

Graffiti and mural on the back of a coin laundry, spic and span laundry, and back entrance to Kaisar Guesthouse. Yellow and red tag with a picture of a guy wearing a red and white striped shirt.

below: Annie doesn’t look very pleased to be behind bars!

A white cat head, wearing a crown. Sad face on the cat. Large letters spelling "annie" written beside the cat. She is behind a locked metal bar gate.

below:  Lee Matasi, aka Avers, was an artist and skateboarder from Vancouver.
In 2005, just before his 24th birthday, he was murdered in downtown Vancouver.

Picture of an orange pop can being crushed by a white hand. There are drops of red liquid (blood?) coming out of the straw that is in the top of the can. The words "Lee Avers Matasi" are written in block letters above the picture.
pink and pale orange graffiti tag painted on a brick wall in a Toronto alley

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