Posts from the ‘Art’ Category

May 12

The Evergreen Brick Works

Evergreen Brick Works, is an old industrial site located near the Don River valley. It operated for nearly 100 years and provided bricks used to construct many well-known Toronto landmarks, such as Casa Loma, Osgoode Hall, Massey Hall, and the Ontario Legislature. The original factory closed many years ago, and has recently been converted into a city park which includes a series of naturalized ponds. The buildings have been restored and opened as an environmentally focused community and cultural centre by Evergreen, a national charity dedicated to restoring nature in urban environments.

The last time I visited the area was six years ago, and my has it certainly changed. There were so many people out and about enjoying the warm weather that I was a tad overwhelmed. Salvation came in the form of a killer soy smoothie! Here are my photos from today’s journey.

May 10

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Canadian Opera Company mural

Canadian Opera Company administration offices — side entrance

The Canadian Opera company is the largest opera house in Canada and the third largest in North America. The photo you see above is the company’s administration offices, the performance centre is located on Queen West, about ten block away; I posted a photo of it weeks ago.

At the back of this building are two murals depicting Canadian aboriginal people. I’ve tried to find some information about the art work but have not yet succeeded (my research skills suck). Regardless, I wanted to share them with my readers because they’re stunning pieces of art. At least that’s my opinion.

Mural in the back of the Canadian Opera Company administration offices

2nd mural at the back of the Canadian Opera Company administration offices

May 5

Picasso exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario

La Célestine (La Femma à la taie) (Celestina [The Woman with One-Eye]) Oil on canvas. 1904 Musée National Picasso, Paris

At 10 a.m. sharp I bought a ticket for the Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). I was lucky to be in Barcelona during the 2004 blue period exhibition and saw most of his art then, as well as the works of Spanish Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí.

I have to admit I’m not a Picasso fan. Personally I think he just got carried up and away in the art scene at the time and he was fortunate enough to be prolific and eccentric, as most artists are.

I always find it funny how male painters are shamelessly obsessed with women’s breasts. Get over it already, they’re just lumps of fat designed to feed babies! Picasso was a notorious womanizer and I think it’s evident in most of the pieces currently on display at the AGO. But that’s my theory, and I’m sure someone can contradict my claims easily. Breasts everywhere!

There’s no doubt that he was tremendously talented. If you’re in Toronto, go to the exhibit and experience it for yourself. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Pablo Picasso Deux femmes courant sur la plage (La Course) Two Women Running on the Beach (The Race) Goache on plywood. 1922 Musée National Picasso, Paris

Photos of exhibit courtesy of WarholianPics Flickr Photostream.

May 4

Keith Haring gets a Google Doodle

Keith Haring would have been 54-years-old today. He died of an AIDS-related illness at the height of the HIV epidemic on Feb. 16, 1990. He was known for his pop-art drawings and illustrations, influenced by Andy Warhol.

Born in Reading, Penn. and raised in nearby Kutztown, Haring began drawing at an early age and learned basic cartooning skills from his father. After graduating high school he studied art in Pittsburg and New York, taking an interest in performance art, video installation and collage.

Haring had his first solo exhibition in New York in 1981. He gained international recognition and participated in numerous exhibitions between 1980 and 1989.

He championed public art producing over 50 murals in the 1980s. He began the Keith Haring foundation the year before his death and a year after he was diagnosed with HIV. The foundation, still in operation, focuses on AIDS-related and children’s charities.

Happy birthday Keith. We miss you.

Keith Haring in his apartment in 1983

Apr 28

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)

Founded in 1912 The Royal Ontario Museum is Canada’s largest museum of world culture and natural history, containing notable collections of dinosaurs, minerals, meteorites, African and East Asian art, along with European and Canadian history.

The new main entrance, designed by world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind opened in 2007 to a lot of controversy. Many Torontonians complain that it’s the ugliest building in the city, but I happen to like it, in part because it was the first time Toronto opened itself up to architectural experimentation. Named The Crystal, its goal is to provide openness and accessibility, offering an open threshold where people, as well as artifacts, animate the space.

The last time I actually paid to see the galleries was in 2010; the dinosaur exhibit is the best in the world, and I recommend you see it if you are ever in Toronto.

Apr 25

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Air Pressure

In the lobbies of 13 downtown Toronto office buildings you’ll find an unusual sight: Blue bird installations. Called Air Pressure, they were developed for Earth Week and will remain where they are until this Friday. The birds were designed by Studio F Minus and commissioned by Oxford Properties with the purpose to address the importance of clean air while raising awareness about bird deaths that result from collisions with office tower windows.

Each structure consists of reusable materials that will eventually be recycled after the installation is dissembled. The low-power LED lights that illuminate the sculptures consume less energy than an incandescent desk lamp.

Studio F Minus’ flying blue birds can be found in the lobbies of these buildings:

Royal Bank Plaza, North and South Towers, 200 Bay Street
Sun Life Financial Centre, 150 King Street West
MetroCentre, King and Wellington Towers
Richmond-Adelaide Centre, 130 Adelaide West
Dundee Place, 1 Adelaide Street East
WaterPark Place, 20 Bay Street
Citigroup Place, 123 Front Street West
1 University Avenue
277 Front Street West
315 Front Street West
2 Bloor Street West

Apr 25

Hump day walk

Part 1 of a mural in Chinatown

Anxiety had me awake at 4:30 this morning. I did some work, had a shower, took Maude out for her morning washroom break, grabbed a coffee from Starbucks and went for a long walk by 7:30. Toronto is never more impressive than when asleep. The streets are strikingly bare, right before the poor bastards begin their early morning commute. I love how quiet Toronto can be, it helps clear my head and calms my nerves. I walked all the way to Kensington Market up Dundas and then South on Spadina through Queen West and then back home where I sit now typing this entry. The morning Spring brings with it such feelings of possibility. I can’t think of anything more exhilarating, can you?

Part 2 of mural in Chinatown

A small section of Chinatown in Toronto

Kensington Street at 8 in the morning.

A synagogue in Kensington Market

Simple yet beautiful

Street art behind the Art Gallery of Ontario

The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). The Picasso exhibit begins May 1.

The Campbell House Museum on Queen St. W.

Toronto Canadian Opera Company

Osgoode Hall Law School

Old City Hall

St. Lawrence Hall

Great caribbean cuisine on Richmond St. E.

Apr 20

The Broken Tower trailer

Hart Crane was a gay-American poet who killed himself when he was 32. James Franco starred, wrote and directed the film, The Broken Tower, chronicling Crane’s destructive life. Watch it for the blow job scene alone! Sex sells baby!

Apr 11

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Toronto has street art!

Walking up Church St. the other day I noticed this neat mural on the side of an unimpressive building. Toronto’s mayor is against all forms of street art and has vowed to clean up the city. Ummm… it’s already pretty freakin’ clean. Our mayor is stupid though, and no one on his council likes him.

Anyway, I was happy to see a little Buenos Aires in Toronto, and I missed Saturday’s scouring (irony intended) Latin America’s version of Paris for more of its special brand of personality.

If Toronto is willing to learn a lesson from BA and make art more accessible to the masses, I’m all for it. I look forward to see how it measures up.