15 Jul 2020

Keep Ur Distance

Street art featuring a raccoon holding a rule, rendered in black and white. With the words "\keep ur distance".

Location: Lower Don River Trail, south of Corktown Common
Date photo taken: 15 July 2020

I love this Banksy-esque bit of street art for so many reasons. Mostly because I love raccoons, or at least the idea of them. I'm not sure if I had a backyard I'd want them in there, but I love seeing them depicted around the city. I love that the artist chose to render this one pretty much life-sized and low to the ground, easy to overlook if you're not paying attention. And finally I love the duality in this image. Is this a friendly safety message from one of Toronto's unofficial ambassadors? Or is it a warning, backed up by the threat of physical violence? I wonder whether having a backyard influences your reaction?

This raccoon is not alone - there are several more of them out there. Where have you seen them?

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