Posts Tagged ‘women’

Festival of India parade

Posted: July 18, 2016 in events
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Many people walked and danced, clapped and chanted, as they paraded down Yonge Street on Saturday to start the annual Festival of India weekend.

The parade is similar to an annual procession (Ratha Yatra) that has occurred for centuries in the city of Puri, India as part of a Hindu festival associated with the god Jagannath.  Here in Toronto, as in Puri,  three chariots constructed to look like temples are pulled through the streets in a procession from one temple to another.    Each chariot carries a richly decorated representation of a god, first is  Jagannatha (another name for Krishna or God) and then his brother Baladeva and his sister Subhadra.   The chariots are pulled by people and the procession symbolizes the pulling of the Lord into our hearts.

In Puri, this Ratha-Yatra procession continues to attract over a million people every year.  In Toronto, the numbers aren’t quite that high!

a police car drives slowly in front of a parade as it makes its way down Yonge Street

people walk behind a yellow horizontal banner that reads Festival of India, Join us at Centre Island.

two women in sarees are pulling on a large rope in a parade. In the foreground, a man is pulling on another rope.

a group of young South Asian women walking in a parade. One of them has her face decorated with paint. In front of them is a group of young men in yellow tops and white bottoms, one has a drum.

South Asian, Indian, women, in long colourful sarees dancing as they move down Yonge Street in a parade

some older people dressed in white riding high in the chariot float in the Festival of India parade, others walking in front and pulling ropes to make the chariot move.

South Asian, Indian, women, in long colourful sarees dancing as they move down Yonge Street in a parade, lifting their skirts a little bit as they move

people walking in front of one of the chariots in the Festival of India parade in Toronto

a large blue wheel that is holding up a chariot float in the Festival of India parade, people walking beside and behind it as they walk down Yonge Street

lifting the red rope that separates the parade from the traffic, women dancing and clapping and walking as well as other people, pulling ropes to pull the chariot in the parade

at the mouth of the Don

Posted: July 13, 2016 in graffiti and street art, locations
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street art painting of a blue fish on light blue background, stylized

Today I walked the southern part of the Lower Don River trail.  It’s not the most relaxing place to walk even though the path follows the river.  I have a habit of absentmindedly meandering and I didn’t want to meander right into a cyclist on the narrow shared path.   There was constant background noise from the cars and trucks on the nearby Don Valley Parkway but it was the GO trains that made the most noise as they rumbled right beside me.  Yes, you are correct, it’s not my favorite place to walk.  But I also knew that there was a reward near the end of the trail.

Near the ‘mouth of the Don River’ (in reality, where the Don River turns into the Keating Channel), there are some new murals on the bents supporting the ramps between the DVP and the Gardiner Expressway.  They are part of the Love Letter to the Great Lakes project.   A previous blog post, love letters in paint, concerned the murals from this project that were painted near Ossington and Queen West.

below: If you approach the area from the north, this is the first bent that you see.  All sides of it have been painted by Kirsten McCrea.  If you are driving south on the Don Valley Parkway and you exit to the Gardiner westbound, you drive right over this, and the next few, bents.  In case you haven’t guessed, a bent is that concrete support thingy holding up the road.

a bent supporting an offramp has been covered in a bright mural, grass and weeds grow in front, the river is behind, a small tree also in the picture

below: The other side of the McCrea mural is in the background, behind the bent that has been painted by PA System (Patrick Thompson and Alexa Hatanaka).  Amongst the swirly watery  shapes there is a face near the top.  Extra bit: The guy on the bike stopped to take a photo too.

A swirl of colours makes a mural of faces and hands and watery things, on a bent under the Don Valley Parkway

below: The other side of the PA System bent. A large fish fits perfectly in the upper portion while a hand reaches up from the vertical part.

A very large fish is painted across the top of a bent, and a hand is on the vertical part, with finger tips pointed upwards.

below: The work of MC Baldassari who is currently from Montreal.

concrete support, or bent, under a ramp has been painted with a mural based on a large dark blue triangle

below:  The other side of the above bent.  It looks like the woman has come through the pillar.

concrete support, or bent, under a ramp has been painted with a mural based on a woman's head coming through a large dark blue triangle

below: A woman with a mouse in her hand and a flower in her hair kneels beside the foxes,
a mural painted by EGR (Erica Balon).   In the background you can see a much taller bent that has been painted blue.   This bent is on a different ramp, the ramp that you would find yourself on if you were driving east on the Gardiner and then exiting to the DVP.  It has been painted by Jason Botkin and it includes the word Wonscotanach.  Apparently that was the First Nations name for the river before John Graves Simcoe came along in 1790 and decided to call it the Don River.

A mural on a bent in an underpass, a young woman is kneeling. She is holding a mouse in one hand. Two foxes stand beside her.

below: There are more animals on the other sides, along with a city lit up in the night in the background of the mural.   Raccoon, rabbit and a pink butterfly fluttering past.

2 bents covered with murals. In the foreground, the mural is dark blue, with a pink butterfly, a rabbit, a mouse and a raccoon.

woman holding a mouse in a mural on a bent in the foreground, with another bent in the background, a mural of water and topless red women walking or standing in the water

below: Rajni Perera‘s mural features red and yellow women walking or standing in the water.

part of a mural of water and topless red women either walking or standing in the water

below: Looking back

a cyclist rides past 4 bents under the Don Valley Parkway that have been painted with murals as part of the Love Letter to the Great Lakes project.

below: A collaborative effort by Jarus and Kwest beside the Don Valley trail, just north of the other murals.

large sea creature painted on a mural on a concrete wall.

below:  And one last photo before leaving the area… a quick note sprayed on a concrete support.

rough spray painted words 'Hi Love' on a concrete support on a railing by a river.

pride parade 2016

Posted: July 5, 2016 in events, people
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Or rather, pre-Pride parade.  The parade route is usually very crowded and this year I decided not walk it.  Instead, I mingled with the parade participants who gathered on Bloor Street in preparation for the event.  What you’ll find in this blog posts are a lot of pictures of people, people laughing and smiling and enjoying the day.  I hope I have captured some of the energy and spirit of the occasion.

below: A temporary rainbow LOVE sign

a rainbow coloured large sign that says LOVE on it, in front of a row of brick houses. A policeman is walking along the street in the right of the picture
below: The orange guy from the fruit group!

a man dressed as a fruit, an orange, with big green glittery bow in the front and oversized orange frame glasses, also white gloves and an orange hat. He is smiling a big smile and waving at the camera
below: One of the floats parked on Rosedale Valley Road. Toronto in balloons, ready and waiting for the parade to start.  The calm before the storm.

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below:  When I first approached this group, the man in the middle had a rainbow flag in front of him. As I took the picture he flung the flag to his back and hammed it up for the camera.  Thanks!

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below: These boots are made for walking, but that bike sure looks great!

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below: Apparently, wearing large amounts of feathers on your back is quite warm. Not so good on a hot day!

Two men with large feathery wings on their back. The one in front has black wings and is wearing a black leather hat. He is topless. The other man is wearing a white T-shirt and white feathery wings as well as a rainbow striped hat.

below: The solution – water of course.   Super soakers and the spraying of water is a big part of the pride parade.

a man wearing black feather wings and a black leather cap is being sprayed with water

below: The three coloured Transgender Pride flag – the stereotype colours of light blue for baby boys and light pink for baby girls with a white stripe in the middle for those who identify as neither.

A young person with short hair and a floral wreath in their hair, holds three pink and light blue trans flags,.

below: #ShareLove wash the hashtag used by Telus and the people on their float. I love the glitter and the purple hearts!

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below: Puppets from Kids Help Phone Line make an appearance at the parade with a little help from some friends.  The one T-shirt reads “Tell us about your #firstpride”

two young women with puppets, from the Kids Help Line float at the parade. One puppet is a girl and the other is a boy.

below: Well, what can I say? It’s Pride.

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below: Nonchalantly blowing bubbles.  Someone looks unimpressed.

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below: I managed to find the saddest person on Bloor Street.

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below: Thanks to these two women who showed off their T-shirts for the camera. #ProudBecause was Fido’s campaign for Pride. Each person on the team had a T-shirt like this, and each person had filled in the white rectangles with their personal messages.

two women pose with their backs to the camera. They are wearing yellow T-shirts that have multicoloured hashtag symbol with the word #ProudBecause written below it. Below that is a white space where they have each filled in the reason for why they are proud.

below: Spectators waiting. One is keeping cool.

A man in a large red afro wig is standing beside the parade route, on the sidewalk but behind the barricade. Viewed from the back, all he is wearing is a leather thong and red shoes and socks.

below: The Liberals had a large presence, most of them in red T-shirts.  They congregated on Asquith Green early on and there were many in the staging area on Bloor Street.  As the world knows, Justin Trudeau walked in the parade with Toronto Mayor John Tory and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne.  As an aside, I may be the only person who didn’t get a photo of Trudeau!

When the parade started, I left Bloor Street, heading south on Ted Rogers Way then back towards the Hayden Street entrance to Bloor subway station.  Somewhere along that route (and I can’t remember exactly where) I saw a small group of PC/Tories with their signs walking towards the parade.

a man wearing a rainbow coloured mask and a rainbow bandana over his head, holding a flag. In the background is a group of people wearing red T-shirts that say Proud Liberal

below: Tomodachi is Japanese for ‘friends’.

a group at a parade, rainbow umbrella, one woman holds a sign that says "Pride from Japen" and another woman holds a placard that says "we are tomodachi"

below: The Federation of Canadian Naturists were also walking in the parade.

a group of naturists , mostly seen from the backside, naked bums, bare bodies

two young Asian men pose beside a man in drag, long auburn hair and a red tight fitting dress, there is also a topless man wearing a hat with a Mexican symbol on it and holding a Mexican flag.

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a person in an orange wig and with green lipstick. You can only see the face because the rest of her is covered by the yellow feathers and glittery pieces that she's wearing. A very vibrant picture.

A woman dressed in a Sailor Moon costume sits on the ground beside a large rainbow flag

A minister in black shirt and white collar, also wearing a large wood cross on a necklace. Other people dressed for the pride parade are in the background.

A young Asian woman wears large round sunglasses with pink peace symbols on them as well as a pink and a green fuzzy necklace. A man holding a rainbow flag is smiling in the background.

a man in drag, pink dress, and a very large pink wig. He also has a partial mask over his face so that is forehead and very large nose look blue.

A young person with very short hair, wearing round purple and pink sunglasses and a tie dyed T-shirt that says Free Hugs on it.

line of people waiting behind barricades at the side of the street waiting for the Pride parade to begin.

a girl in pink sun hat, white sunglasses and a bright multi coloured dress poses for a picture

Two young women from the group 'Mercy for Animals'. One is holding a green placard in the shape of a rabbit and the other is holding a placard in the shape of an orange pig.

two people on a motorcycle posing for the camera

dyke march 2016

Posted: July 3, 2016 in events, people
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This year’s Dyke March (the 20th!) was an energetic, supportive, and positive celebration once again.  It was led as usual by motorcycles and then Dykes on Bikes.  Numerous groups and individuals walked and there was a good turnout that lined the sidewalks to watch the parade pass by.  Colourful.  Joyful.

many motorcycles as part of Dykes March, downtown Toronto

two people hugging, one in black pants and knee high boots, motorcycles parked around them.

walkers in a dyke march in Toronto - one cyclist in a tight red body suit is yelling in celebration, other cyclists around her

walkers in a dyke march in Toronto

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two women on a red motorcycle in a parade

girls and women marching in a dyke march

a young woman with magenta coloured hair and a t shirt that says "Kiss me i'm gay"

walkers in a dyke march in Toronto - a woman carries a large crocheted umbrella with a multicoloured fringe

women walking in a dyke march

walkers in a dyke march in Toronto - two women dancing

topless bare breasted cyclists in dyke march

walkers in a dyke march in Toronto - a woman in a turquoise top with her arms raised, a rainbow flag in one had, another woman is grinning

walkers in a dyke march in Toronto - a group in various leather clothes, some topless

walkers in a dyke march in Toronto - Dykes on bikes, parade has stopped so the cyclists have put down their bikes and many of them are lying down, crowds on the sidewalks watching the parade

two women carrying a crocheted banner for Dykes on Bikes, walkers in a dyke march in Toronto

walkers in a dyke march in Toronto - Latino, or Spanish speaking group with a baner that says" Estamos Aqui"

spectators sitting on a sidewalk. A woman with flowers in her hair and pink sunglasses as well as white knee socks. The man beside her has a fedora on.

Two people holding hands, one is wearing a pink T shirt that says "Women want to have FUN - damental rights". Closely cropped picture

walkers in a dyke march in Toronto -

walkers in a dyke march in Toronto - a woman with a red boa is dancing and talking to other women at the same time

walkers in a dyke march in Toronto - a large group of cyclists on Yonge Street, Dykes on bikes

walkers in a dyke march in Toronto - two young women walking together, one is holding a sign that says "love is proud"

spectators on a sidewalk watching the Dyke March, one woman has a sign that says "Marching for those who didn't make it"

walkers in a dyke march in Toronto - a woman on a motorcycle with a rainbow flag

two groups, one Muslim and one Jewish, walking in a Dyke March

walkers in a dyke march in Toronto - a couple hugging, a couple wearing long colourful beads

walkers in a dyke march in Toronto - Dykes on bikes, one woman on a bike has one arm in the air,

walkers in a dyke march in Toronto - a young black woman is shouting as she raises her sign in the air

black dog all dressed up for pride, walking in a dyke march

a woman with very short purple hair, a pink sleeveless top, and many tattoos, is taking a picture with her phone of a group marching in the Dyke March

a woman with a rainbow string bikini stands beside a well tanned man in white shorts and no shirt as they watch women marching in the Dyke March

walkers in a dyke march in Toronto - a woman on an E-scooter in short white shorts and a red shirt and red pointy hat

walkers in a dyke march in Toronto - a CTV reporter is walking backwards as he is being filmed following the Dyke March

spectators on the sidewalk watching a parade. A man with a camera, a woman with her shopping, a man with a pink boa, another man with a pink shirt and white pants

people watching a parade

kids riding on bikes with their mothers in a dyke march

walkers in a dyke march in Toronto -

walkers in a dyke march in Toronto - two women wearing T shirts that say "This parade is gay", as well as a topless woman holding a sign that says "We are not targets". Another sign says "Learn the difference between sex and gender"

a woman is carrying a crocheted rainbow banner for a dyke march, behind her a larger group is carrying a crocheted banner that says diversity

a woman in dark sunglasses stands beside a banner with sections for different famous lesbian women - Mary Woo Sims, Lynne Fernie, Betty Baxter, We Wha, Gertrude Stein,

crocheted banner for dyke march is lying on the pavement. A woman is sitting on the kerb and she is crocheting

#pride | #prideTO | #prideToronto

trans rally and march

Posted: July 2, 2016 in events, people
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The Trans Rally and March, first of the Pride parades was last night (Friday).

 

a young man in a white sleeveless shirt in a parade, holding a sign that says #love always wins

below: If you were driving on Yonge street last night, perhaps you got stuck in traffic. Northbound cars on Yonge were stopped to allow the parade to cross from Bloor to Yonge. The parade continued in the southbound lanes which gave the stuck drivers and passengers a front row seat.

Cars coming north on Yonge street are stuck because they have to stop for a parade that crossed Yonge street, the Trans parade then marched south on Yonge street beside the traffic. A woman takes a picture out the window of her car.

Last year it rained for the Trans March and in previous years the turn out was low.  Whether it is because trans issues have been in the news a lot lately, or because the trans community is more visible, or because of other reasons, there were more people walking than usual.

parade coming down Yonge street, cars stopped on the right, a flag on the left, one woman holding a sign that says We celebrate our children

guys walking in a trans parade on Bloor street holding signs that say "We are #orlando, we will always remember you RIP"

A man in butterfly pink sunglasses is making a face as he blows bubbles, the man beside him has a large beard and he's laughing as he blows bubbles too.

a woman in an orange dress holds a sign that says "Hearts not parts", she has her arm around a young man in a black baseball cap and sunglasses.

people walking in a parade on Bloor street in Toronto including a man dressed all in pink and a man with shiny magenta leggings and a rainbow tie dyed top

two men in a pride parade with wigs on, each carrying a rabbit

an old motorcycle and sidecar painted splotchy orange with a person wearing a pink bra sitting in the sidecar. Parked, waiting for the start of a parade.

a boy waits for the start of a parade. He is carrying a sign, dark blue lettering on magenta, that says I have a sign.

a man in a zebra striped dress and a bright pink wig, in a parade, another man is beside him holding a sign that says US anti-trans bathroom bills are full of shit, no more hate

two small dogs on leashes, walking in a parade

trans parade on Bloor Street, many people walking and holding signs, "Support Trans Families". One person with a rainbow flag on their back. one girl with a bright pink boa.

two older guys dressed up for trans parade, one in a glittery top and the other in a pink fishnet top, both in motorized scooters, one with a rainbow flag draped over the scooter, the other with big plastic flowers.

A button that says "Sex, it's what we do".

people walking in a parade including a woman in a jean jacket and a frilly white skirt and a person dressed in white dress, hat and high heel shoes.

three people stop to pose for a photo as they walk in a trans parade for pride weekend

below:  Dave holding ‘Pulse’ a memorial artwork in honour of those who died at the Pulse nightclub Orlando.  The piece was crocheted by Dave and the Craft Action Collective.

Dave holding up a large crocheted banner with a black and grey ribbon, and rainbow ribbons with the names of each of the people killed at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando.

a group of people walking in a trans march, three in long skirts and two with hats, the middle one is dressed all in purple

a couple in a parade, one has a rainbow coloured boa and the other has a pink wig and is draped in the pink and blue trans flag.

a woman wearing a bikibi top and sunglasses is blowing a whistle and pumping her fist as she walks in a parade

a crowd of people walking down Yonge street in a trans parade as part of Pride, one person is holding a sign that says "I just want to pee"

a woman in a parade is holding as sign that says Biological Sex does not equal gender identity

a person with long hair and wearing a purple t-shirt that says fuck on it, holding a banner in a trans parade

a young woman laughing, she's wearing a stars and stripes bikini top and a straw cowboy hat.

young person in a green t shirt holding a sign that says "We need health care not gatekeeping"

A young woman carrying a sign in a parade. The sign says "Proud of my parent and you"

a couple walking arm in arm in a parade, one has short blue hair and the other is wearing a t shirt with a skull on it and holding a rainbow pride flag

a couple standing beside each other with their backs to the camera, one has a rainbow flag draped over her back and the other has a trans flag draped over his back.

#loveislove | #lovealwayswins

Portugal Day Parade

Posted: June 13, 2016 in events, people
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Yesterday the Portuguese community in Toronto held their 29th annual Portugal Day parade.   It was a lively, happy occasion.  Hundreds of people lined Dundas Street West between Lansdowne and Trinity Bellwoods Park to watch the parade.  They showed their Portuguese colours with flags, banners, hats, soccer shirts, and lots of red clothes!  Young soccer players demonstrated their skills.  People of all ages wore traditional dress from different parts of Portugal as they walked and danced along the parade route.  There was music too – bagpipes, marching bands, and music to dance to.

A man pushes a cart from which he is selling popcorn, candy apples and cotton candy to people watching a parade. A black truck is behind him with a boy in the passenger side who is hold a banner out the window that says Portugal on it.

Two boys holding a red banner for a marching band in a parade. Lots of flag holders behind them, a Canadian flag, an Ontario flag, a Toronto flag and a Portuguese flag.

A young girl swirls her long skirt as she dances in a parade. Portugal Day parade on Dundas West, Little Portugal, in Toronto

A boy is wearing a Rinaldo soccer shirt, and sitting beside a Portuguese flag. His father is with him

men, members of a Labour Union, walk in a parade. They are wearing orange shirts with short blue sleeves that say Portugal Day on them.

Women dancers in traditional Portuguese dress, dancing in a parade. One of them pauses to look at the man selling cotton candy and popcorn froma cart.

On a street, Dundas West in Toronto, there is a parade, people on the sidewalk watching, and dancers performing in the parade. Portugal Day parade.

People in a parade, three people holding two flags, Portugal and Benfica. A man behind them is holding his arms up in the air.

Two girls in traditional Portuguese dresses are dancing in a parade, onlookers sitting on the sidewalk behind them.

A young woman is wearing a large tall hat in squares of the colours of the Portuguese flag. Beside her is a person draped in the Portuguese flag. They are watching a parade

Four kids sitting crossed legged at the side of a street watching a parade. They are holding Portuguese flags. The older boy has a red whistle in his mouth.

Two Toronto policemen in yellow safety vests watch a parade, women dancing past them.

members of the Cobourg Legion pipe and drum band, four bagpipers in their blue and red kilts marching in a parade

A float in a parade featuring the Portuguese Radio and TV stations, Camoes,

Close up shot of the hands of three men dancing in a parade. The faces of only 2 of them are visible. They are wearing white shirts, black vests, and black hats. Portugal Day parade

Spectators in a parade hold small Portuguese flags as they watch traditional dancers perform.

A woman holds a colourful banner in a parade

A woman from the crowd watching a parade, goes over to a float that has a live sheep and goat on it, she is hesitating to pat the sheep.

people watching kids kicking around a soccer ball as part of a parade. The kids are all in red uniforms.

A woman is giving out small portuguese flags to people watching a parade. She is wearing a t-shirt in support of local politician Anna Bailao,

Spectators at a parade, sitting on chairs, one of which has a Canadian flag on the back. Passing by is a marching band in dark pants and white shirts. Portugal Day parade on Dundas West.

beauty and the billboard

Posted: June 3, 2016 in events, public art
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This is another post about an exhibit from the CONTACT Photography Festival.   I know that it’s now June and CONTACT was in May, but I wanted to post these photos.  I actually took them early in May as you can probably tell by how many clothes the people in the pictures are wearing.  They’re certainly not dressed for the warmer weather we’ve been having lately.  I have had trouble deciding what to write in this post.

There is a parking lot at the NE corner of Front and Spadina with some billboards in it.   Maybe you saw them as you drove or walked past but maybe you passed by and missed them.   There are so many things on the street vying for our attention and a billboard is just another piece of street ‘furniture’.

For the month of May, an installation titled ‘What it Means to be Beautiful’  by Mickalene Thomas occupied a number of billboard spaces at the above mentioned corner.   All the images are portraits of women and are “shown within the context of street advertising, where women are constantly bombarded with narrow notions of female beauty.”   A sample of the billboards:

 

part of an art installation, portrait of a black woman in profile, with a shaved head, on a billboard, by Mickalene Thomas, in a parking lot in downtown Toronto

part of an art installation, portrait of a black woman wearing a blue hat on a billboard, by Mickalene Thomas, in a parking lot in downtown Toronto. A woman stands on the corner talking on her phone. Another, large, billboard is in the background.

Two women walk past part of an art installation, portrait of a black woman on a billboard, by Mickalene Thomas, in a parking lot in downtown Toronto

Two portraits of black women, in a billboard space in a parking lot, with people waiting for a streetcar in glass bus shelters in the background.

part of an art installation, portrait of a black woman on a billboard, by Mickalene Thomas, in a parking lot in downtown Toronto, A group of people wait for a green light at the intersection in the background, tall condos too.

Part of the reason that I hesitated to write this post was the fact that the iphone 6 ad campaign was on at the same time.  It was a campaign that used photos taken with the phone and the ads were very visual and used very few words. In my opinion, they are more eye catching and visually appealing than Thomas’s work. I found a few of them to show here (below).  I know that there were many more but unless I was consciously looking for ads, I didn’t notice them as billboards are one of the things that I block out as I walk.  That led to a few thoughts about what catches a viewer’s attention on the street –   Faces?  Colours?  Contrast?

There is more going on in Thomas’s photos and collages than just visual appeal but I still question the validity of asking the viewer to look at them in the context of street advertising.   Is it fair to compare her images to ads produced by, and in aid of, a large corporation?   Would it have been better to  exhibit her work in different form or a different place?  I don’t have the answers for those questions.  Do you?

 

iphone ad on a bus stop wall showing a woman in a field

iphone 6 ad on a bus stop wall of a woman lying in a field of pumpkins. Her head is surrounded by pumpkins.

an iphone ad on a bus stop wall of a man lying on the ground. He is upside down in the picture

And now I will go back to ignoring billboards as I walk.

anatomy lesson, and more

Posted: May 31, 2016 in graffiti and street art
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Today’s blog starts with an anatomy lesson as illustrated by vampz on a wall in Graffiti Alley – the arterial and venous blood flow of the head and neck.

street art painting of a larger than life, realistic depiction of the blood supply to the human head. Skull with eyeball, teeth, some neck muscles as well as arterial and venous blood vessels. In profile.

I walked the alleys behind Queen St West today to see if there was anything new.  The biggest new pieces were the above head and a new birdo creation, pictured below.  A realistic looking blue jay and a floating pink gem.

a garage decorated with a mural by birdo, of a realistic blue jay and a pink cut gem floating in front of the bird.

  below: The back part of the blue jay is on the side wall of the garage
which produces an interesting 3D effect.

a garage decorated with a mural by birdo, of a realistic blue jay and a pink cut gem floating in front of the bird. The front part of the bird is on the garage door and the back part of the bird is on the side wall.

below: This tribute to the basketball Raptors and their appearance in the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals is also a new addition.  DeRozan is pictured on the left and my apologies for not knowing the player on the right.  Unfortunately, it was too close to garbage day and the bins were overflowing so I couldn’t move them out of the way.  Next time.

streetart mural in tribute to Toronto Raptors basketball team and their presence in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2016. The heads of two black basketball players on a red and purple background.

below: And unfortunately, garbage was an issue today.

a bin of garbage plus a pile of garbage bags in front of a street art piece, a face and a tag in green and red, signed hangman, detroit.

below: The face isn’t new to the alley, but the words are.
Written by a woman with priorities!

Pretty female working retail falls in love with guys who need bail
the sweet smell of lust or love
you mean well, but money can get her a new car and clean nails.
The Lady”

number 669 in lime green letters above a stylized woman's face with yellow hair and a blue top. Someone has written words on the brick wall beside the painting.

below: Love Department featuring Phoebe.
You can find more of her on instagram @phoebenewyork

A little paper paste up of a large headed girl with black hair and a large red heart on her head. on a pink background with the words Love Department. Stuck on a garage door painted in pink and blue shapes

below: Even a simple smile will do most of the time.

under the rusted metal of a wire grill over a window, on a wall that was painted in black and orange street art, there is a small white line drawing of a girl's head

below: Cloud Monet and the woman in white, or Who you lookin’ at Mr. Fish?

small vertical drawing of a woman, drawn in white, wearing a long form fitting dress, standing, on brown, tied to a wall with a mural laready painted on it.

a painted piece of street art has been partially covered with many vertical lines in black marker, producing an interesting pattern over the colours below.

Three hinges have been bent forward so they are flat, multicoloured graffiti behind them, words written on the hinges except for the bottom one which has a question mark on it.

below: A couple of stikmans.  No anatomical realism here!

a little wooden stikman with only one leg on a green concrete block wall, with white stencilled daisies above him, street art in an alley

a very pale blue stikman on a very pale blue window and wall.

below: A bit of mystery.  I’m not sure if it’s a stikman or if it’s a newcomer to the alley

orange coloured stikman, double, foot to foot, in a pink wall with foam insulation on both sides of him

below: Pull up a seat and rest a bit, we’re almost done.

cast off furniture in a lane, two chairs, a TV, a small yellow set of drawers, a mop,

below: The final words on today’s walk.  Someone’s not happy!

graffiti wods on a red and white wall, "Graffiti Sucks"

Sackville Street murals

Posted: April 6, 2016 in graffiti and street art, locations
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Sackville Street, just south of Dundas, is right in the midst of the Regent Park renewal project.  It is also the site of two murals.  First, there is bright and colourful mural which is painted on the side of a new apartment building.

mural painted by Shalak Attack and Bruno Smoky in Regent park Toronto, showing a brightly coloured woman;s face, with a flower in her hair and her body (from the shoulders up) made of buildings in a jumble as well as a blue owl (large bird) in flight, passing in front of the sun that is represented by circles of orange and red radiating out from the bright yellow center. A green hand is reaching up towards the sun

A man with a dog an a leash is walking by a mural of a brightly coloured woman;s face, with a flower in her hair and her body (from the shoulders up) made of buildings in a jumble. Painted by Shalak Attack in Regent Park

close up of a mural by Shalak Attack and Bruno Smoky of a blue owl (large bird) in flight, passing in front of the sun that is represented by circles of orange and red radiating out from the bright yellow center. A green hand is reaching up towards the sun

The other mural is a painting by elicser on hoardings around a building under construction.

a long mural by elicser painted on hoardings around a building under construction. People flying past in the mural

below: With the ubiquitous Timmie’s cup on the ground.

the end of a mural, a man is sideways, arm above his head, painted on a mural, a large orange concrete block is in front of the wall, an empty Tim Hortons cup (Timmies cup) is on the ground.
part of a mural of flying people by elicser, a woman in a light purple dress and head scarf as well s a boy in beige Tshirt and blue shorts

Two people painted flying sideways on a mural, a brown man with no shirt on and a much smaller person below him with a yellow T-shirt. An orange concrete block is on the sidewalk in front of the mural along with an orange and white traffic cone

people flying sideways on a mural by elicser, including a girl in a pink dress

people flying sideways on a mural by elicser, including a woman in a blue dress and a man with a red hat.

flying people mural by elicser

the words Regent Park are written in pink paint on a light blue background, painted on wooden hoardings around a construction site.

pillow fight!

Posted: April 4, 2016 in events, people
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Pillow Fight at Nathan Phillips Square
in celebration of International Pillow Fight Day 2016

people in the midst of a large pillow fight at Nathan Phillips square in celebration of international pillow fight day -

people in the midst of a large pillow fight at Nathan Phillips square in celebration of international pillow fight day - 2 asian women hit each other with pillows while other people watch

people in the midst of a large pillow fight at Nathan Phillips square in celebration of international pillow fight day - a young man with two yellow pillows looks intensely at a man with a pillow raised over his head

feathers go flying as pillows break during a pillow fight amongst a crowd of people

people in the midst of a large pillow fight at Nathan Phillips square in celebration of international pillow fight day - a man wearing a suit and dark sunglasses participates in the pillow fight

people in the midst of a large pillow fight at Nathan Phillips square in celebration of international pillow fight day -

people in the midst of a large pillow fight at Nathan Phillips square in celebration of international pillow fight day - a number of young people laughing

people in the midst of a large pillow fight at Nathan Phillips square in celebration of international pillow fight day - a boy closes his eyes and ducks his head as two pillows come his way

two young women leaping at each other as they try to hit each other with pillows

two young boys swing pillows at each other - people in the midst of a large pillow fight at Nathan Phillips square in celebration of international pillow fight day -

people in the midst of a large pillow fight at Nathan Phillips square in celebration of international pillow fight day - a young girl swings a pillow

young people participating in a large outdoor pillow fight

people in the midst of a large pillow fight at Nathan Phillips square in celebration of international pillow fight day -

a woman holds her hands up by her head defensively to ward off pillows being swung by two girls

people in the midst of a large pillow fight at Nathan Phillips square in celebration of international pillow fight day - a young man with earmuffs and a woman wearing a face mask

young men swinging pillows at each other in a large pillow fight

people in the midst of a large pillow fight at Nathan Phillips square in celebration of international pillow fight day -

people at Nathan Phillips square on a cold day watching a pillow fight, spectators,

people in the midst of a large pillow fight at Nathan Phillips square in celebration of international pillow fight day - an Asian woman swings a pink pillow at a man wearing a ski mask

people in the midst of a large pillow fight at Nathan Phillips square in celebration of international pillow fight day -

people in the midst of a large pillow fight at Nathan Phillips square in celebration of international pillow fight day -

people in the midst of a large pillow fight at Nathan Phillips square in celebration of international pillow fight day - a woman with long red hair hides under her pillow as she walks through a crowd

people in the midst of a large pillow fight at Nathan Phillips square in celebration of international pillow fight day - a young woman is on the shoulders of a man as they pass through a crowd during a pillow fight

people in the midst of a large pillow fight at Nathan Phillips square in celebration of international pillow fight day - a woman in a pink and blue striped hat smiles at a man as she readies to through a pillow at him

a person in a bear costume waves to the camera as a boy in pyjamas holds a pillow

people, adults and kids, swinging pillows at each other in a large pillow fight

people in the midst of a large pillow fight at Nathan Phillips square in celebration of international pillow fight day -

asian young man in suit and tie and glasses is laughing and smiling as he swings a pillow in a pillow fight outdoors with many people

a young woman holding a pillow and screaming at another young woman

blog_little_kids_pillow_fight

an asian woman with her hair dyed auburn has a pillow over her head as she emerges from a crowd at a pillow fight

#pillowfight | #pillowfighttoronto

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