Giant Skeleton

 

Location: Dundas Street East

Date photo taken: 16 October 2022

Oversized skeletons are definitely a thing this fall. I see them in front yards and hanging out on porches, even riding giant skeletal horses. Or, in this case, watching the street life from the safety of the backyard.

Afrophilia

 

Location: Sculpture Garden, King & Church
Date photo taken: 5 October 2022

The Toronto Sculpture Garden is currently occupied by 9 busts on elevated plinths, but these aren't the typical white marble depictions of ancient philosophers or founding fathers. Instead, Jamaican-born artist Frantz Brent-Harris celebrates young black people in hues of bright orange and red. He describes it as a love letter to Black People. From his artist statement: "Unapologetically, my artwork seeks to present a juxtapose palate to the white gaze, standing in defiance of historical notions of heroes, representation of beauty and those worthy of being immortalized in a statue. Grounding my work in an anti-colonial and anti-racist lens, I present images that works to dismantle and provide alternative embodiment of beauty.” The work is presented by Black Artists' Networks in Dialogue (BAND) Gallery and Cultural Centre in partnership with the City of Toronto. 

Art Wire & Iron Co.

 

Location: Lakeshore Blvd between Carlaw and Leslie

Date photo taken: 1 May 2021

Last week I talked about the dismantling of the eastern-most part of the Gardiner and the public art project that arose from the demolition. If you look carefully at the pillars that are part of the installation, you'll notice that each has a large plaque affixed to it. These are actually stainless steel plates, each etched with an image of local significance. Some of them document the dismantling of the elevated portion of the roadway, while others delve into the more distant history of the area. This particular image shows employees at the Art Wire & Iron Company Limited on Carlaw Avenue, probably in the mid-1940s. The Art Wire & Iron Company set up shop at 3 Carlaw Avenue around 1923, with Charles R. Shipway as proprietor and manager. They specialized in ornamental iron work. The building still stands today and is now the home of Habitat for Humanity's ReStore. The former business name is still visible in ghostly letters on the exterior.

Fun fact: Prior to the Art Wire & Iron Company locating at 3 Carlaw, the site housed a chemical manufacturer, and before that, Fuller Stanbury Co, one of the many pork packers that helped give Toronto its Hogtown nickname.