The Midway - Starship 4000

Location: The CNE Midway
Date photo taken: 25 August 2014

Experiencing the lights of the Midway at night is one of my most anticipated summer rituals. Viewing them while passing by on the Lakeshore or the Gardiner is a treat but nothing beats wandering in among the rides for sheer sensory overload. While I rarely ride at the Ex these days, I do still have my favourites. Starship 4000 is one of them. Its classic graphics and the blur of its lights while spinning perfectly combine Midway fun with a great retro sci-fi vibe.

The Ex is open until September 1 and then the rides will be packed up and whisked off to their next event. The Midway attractions are provided by North American Midway Entertainment, based out of Indiana.

Livestock Medallion - Pig

Location: Direct Energy Centre, Canadian National Exhibition grounds
Date photo taken: 24 August 2013
Image 4 in the Remnants Series

This cast stone medallion is one of many roundels that once decorated the Livestock Pavilion at the CNE. Built in 1926 as an addition to the Coliseum (now known as Ricoh Coliseum, home of the Toronto Marlies) the Livestock Pavilion consisted of the Cattle Palace, the North Extension or Swine Pavilion, and the Fraser Pavilion. The building, also known as the Industry Building, was demolished to make way for the new Direct Energy Centre. I'm happy that the faces of the pigs, cattle and sheep that adorned that original building remain to remind us of the pride of place that livestock displays and competitions once held at this national exhibition.

Brickman

Location: Jarvis St. just north of Adelaide
Date photo taken: 17 March 2013

This solidly imposing and yet somehow still whimsical figure is called Brickman. He stands outside of a condo building at Jarvis and Adelaide and he was commissioned by the developer as part of the City of Toronto's Percent for Public Art Program. Toronto's official plan "recommends that a minimum of one percent of the gross construction cost of each significant development be contributed to public art" and in this case, I think the piece is pretty special.

Brickman was created by the German art collective inges idee. According to their website, the sculpture is meant to evoke smokestacks and the grid pattern of urban streets and its materials call to mind the 19th century roots of the neighbourhood in which it now sits. One of the coolest things about this piece is that the forced perspective created by using smaller and smaller bricks as you move toward the head of the figure makes it look even larger than its 8-meter height.

Uber5000 Mini Mural

Location: SW corner of Kingston Rd. and Scarborough Rd.
Date photo taken: 30 March 2014
Image #1 in the Traffic Signal Box Series

Murals large and small have been sprouting like mushrooms around the city in the past few years. On the smaller side, it started with the painting of the ubiquitous short stout Bell phone boxes but colourful corner artworks now come in a new shape. Traffic signal cabinets, which normally sit quietly at intersections, invisible in plain view, are the targets of a new initiative by StreetARToronto. In 2013 they commissioned local artists to liven up 30 of these boxes. This great box is by Allan Ryan, aka Uber5000.