TO Cityscapes

Toronto Through My Lens

Author: Marvin Job (Page 10 of 32)

Banksy at One York

November 10, 2023 / / 1 Comment

Today we look at Banksy’s Guard with Balloon Dog.

Banksy is the pseudonym of a UK-based street artist, political activist and film director, whose real name and identity remain unconfirmed and the subject of speculation. Active since the 1990s, Banky’s satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine dark humour with graffiti executed in a distinctive stencilling technique.

His works of political and social commentary have appeared on streets, walls and bridges throughout the world. Like Toronto’s own Elicser, Banksy’s art has a style which is instantly recognizable.

Here in Toronto we are fortunate to have his Guard with Balloon Dog (2010). It used to be on the exterior of what was formerly OPP headquarters in downtown Toronto. The building was torn down to make way for residential and commercial towers, but a section of the wall with the art was saved. Menkes, the company who redeveloped the site at One York Street, preserved the concrete slab and it now has a permanent home on the mezzanine level of One York Street.

There used to be 7 Banksy works scattered around Toronto, but several were destroyed or painted over. Now only two exist, including Guard With Balloon Dog.

Everything you could ever want to know about Banksy is located here.

Shooting “Guard with Balloon Dog” at One York Street

Here are some examples of Banksy’s work (disclaimer: only the first image is mine):

I came across this piece while I was visiting St. Austell in the UK. The work resides on a door beside the Cafe Tengo. If it’s not a genuine Banksy, it’s a great imitation.

Halloween on Church Street!

November 1, 2023 / / 1 Comment

It was another very busy Halloween night on Church Street once again this year. The weather was crisp and quite cool, but there was no rain to speak of. The turnout was massive, having a lot to do I’m sure with events re-energizing after COVID-19.

The mayhem ran from Carlton Street to Gloucester Street, and every inch of the street was packed with people. There were so many inventive and impressive costumes; people’s creativity never ceases to amaze me:

Click here to view the fullscreen slideshow from my photo site

The non-slideshow version is here

Here’s a short video of the scene at Church & Wellesley Streets last night:

“Lineal Order”

October 30, 2023 / / 1 Comment

In the courtyard of Symphony Place at 71 Simcoe Street, there resides an artwork entitled Lineal Order by artist George Boileau.

Created in 1990, Lineal Order is composed of three elements: a shadow on the wall; the life-size figure of a man; and a smaller figure of a little boy, both wearing a long coat. Sculpted in bronze, the man is slim, middle-aged, and wears nothing more than an overcoat. If you face the man you will see his shadow on the wall behind him, a silhouette of his timeless figure.

There is another bronze figure across from him – a small boy, also wearing just a raincoat. Both the statues are standing in the same position, upright, arms at their sides in a relaxed manner. Unlike the man, the boy does not have wrinkles or physical signs of aging, but he expresses the same haunted expression.

According to the artist’s interpretation, the sculptures are about life across generations. The boy has yet to make his impression on the world, while man’s imprint can be seen on the wall behind. I’m unsure why both figures wear a raincoat, but I’m sure it symbolizes a relevant aspect of the piece.

The Griffins at Lillian H. Smith, Toronto Public Library

October 28, 2023 / / 3 Comments

Several of you will instantly recognize this very familiar site! Today we take a look at the Griffins (or Gryphons) guarding the main entrance of the Lillian H. Smith branch of the Toronto Public Library at 239 College Street.

The figures were designed and constructed by architect Philip H. Carter and sculptor Ludzer Vandermolen. The griffins took their permanent place beside the entrance when the branch opened in 1995.

Edgar and Judith

Each griffin weighs 3 tonnes or 3000 kilograms and took about 1.5 years to make. Small clay models were approved by the Library Board, then enlarged and cast in fibreglass and wax before being sent to the foundry. Since they are so big, they were cast in different sections – about 12 parts for each statue. The bronze finisher was Vince Graham.1

The griffins have their own identity and heritage: the lion is Edgar (east side of door) and the eagle is named Judith. If you study the griffins for a while you will soon see various little animals embedded into each main figure.

Judith

Judith resides on the west side of the library’s main door. It is named for the Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation and Fantasy.

Edgar

Edgar guards the east side of the library’s main door. He is named after the benefactor of the Osborne Collection of Early Children’s Books.

Near the griffins, but not part of them, is this owl. Prior to taking up residence at Lillian H. Smith branch it was situated at the entrance of the old Boys and Girls House library on St. George Street.

If you’d like to read about the history of Lillian H. Smith and the Toronto Public Library in general, here are a couple of interesting articles:

Tilted Spheres

October 21, 2023 / / 1 Comment

Hello everyone and welcome back to TOcityscapes after my little hiatus!

Having recently passed through Toronto’s Pearson Airport on an international trip, I had an opportunity to view and photograph this sculpture up close. Given that, I thought a post on this piece would be appropriate.

This work is called Tilted Spheres, created by the artist Richard Serra. It resides at Pearson International Airport in the International Departures area, Terminal 1, and was installed in 2004.

The sculpture is past the security gates, so only international travellers boarding at gates in Pier F will see it and be able to walk among its four sections. It’s so big and heavy that it was laid into the floor when the terminal was under construction, then the walls and ceiling were built around it.

Its sheer size and scope, at 120 tonnes, makes it unmissable. The curved walls create an echo effect that is endlessly tested by intrigued adults and children, thousands of whom pass, and touch, the installation every day.

Whenever I see this work in person I always become enthused; given it’s in the international departures area I identity it with imminent travel, fun and intrigue.

The Tip Top Lofts

September 8, 2023 / / 2 Comments

At 637 Lakeshore Blvd. West just west of Bathurst Street sits the Tip Top Lofts. Just behind it lies Lake Ontario. This building has a long and prominent history in Toronto. Formerly known as the Tip Top Tailors Building, it was constructed in 1929 and housed the manufacturing, warehousing, retail and office operations of Tip Top Tailors Ltd., a menswear clothing retailer founded in 1909 by Polish-Jewish immigrant David Dunkelman.

The building was designed by Bishop and Miller architects, incorporating the Art Deco style. In 1972, the building was designated as a heritage structure by the City of Toronto.

In spring 2002, Dylex (the company owning the building) sold the property to Context Development, who converted it into condominium lofts. The conversion was designed by architects Alliance of Toronto. The conversion included the addition of six stories on the roof. The neon Tip Top Tailors rooftop sign was retained and given a slant. Inside, there are 256 beautifully renovated lofts.

A few notes on the interior lofts courtesy of the website condos.ca:

Offering “hard” and “soft” lofts: When the building was converted into lofts in the early 2000’s, Context Developments was smart-thinking to create both hard and soft lofts. What that means is that Tip Top Lofts offers both the classic, exposed brick and woodbeam “hard loft” style, as well as more modern “soft loft” styles that will feel like a contemporary condo.

A Few Historical Photos

Courtesy of the City of Toronto Archives and torontolofts.ca, here are a few photos tracing the history of this magnificent Art Deco building:

1926
1930
1940
1980: Tip Top Tailors building in the background with a Joy Gas Station in front
1985

Wilson Heights, Part 3: Yorkdale Murals

September 6, 2023 / / 0 Comments

This is the third and last instalment of a 3-part post focusing on some of the murals and artwork in the Wilson Heights area of the city. Here, we visit some community artwork just outside of Yorkdale Mall.

These murals were created several years ago and I’m afraid that time and tide have taken a toll on many of them as they are quite faded and fragmented. The murals can be found on the outside of the north subway entrance into Yorkdale Mall.

I couldn’t find too much information on this particular Art Start project; the listed website on the murals is no longer active. I did, however, source some information on the Art Starts organization in general, courtesy of their website.

Art Starts is a program benefiting thousands of people living in marginalized Toronto neighbourhoods by providing a safe, supportive and inclusive environment for self-expression and creative collaboration.

The organization affords opportunities for vulnerable people of all ages to contribute to the creative ecology of their neighbourhoods, using the arts to help end the negative cycles associated with marginalization and poverty.

Art Starts nurtures local talent, beautifies public spaces and provides safe, inclusive environments for self-expression and collaboration.

I believe many of the subjects in these murals were the actual artists from the neighbourhood.

Wilson Heights, Part 2: Wilson Station South Exit

September 4, 2023 / / 0 Comments

This is the second instalment of a 3-part post focusing on some of the murals and artwork in the Wilson Heights area of the city.

There is a newly developed area on the south side of Wilson Avenue called – strangely enough – Southside. This area has a very colourful subway station entrance and tunnel.

South entrance of Wilson subway station, west side
Artwork created by street artist Shalak Attack, the same artist who created the Allen Road underpass art on Wilson Avenue

Murals in the South Entrance of Wilson Subway Station

South entrance of Wilson subway station, east side

Next post: Wilson Heights, Part 3: Yorkdale Murals

Wilson Heights, Part 1: Wilson Station Exit to Wilson Avenue

September 1, 2023 / / 1 Comment

This is a 3-part post focusing on some of the murals and artwork in the Wilson Heights area of the city.

First up are the Wilson subway station murals. These murals are located on Wilson Avenue under the Allen Road underpass, at the south exit of the Wilson subway station. There are 40 pillars of artwork, created by street artist Shalak Attack and her collaborator Bruno Smoky. The colour of the artwork certainly gives a lift to an otherwise drab, depressing part of the city.

North Side of Wilson Avenue

Crossing Wilson Avenue to shoot murals on the south side of the Allen Road underpass, I took this shot to highlight why a bit of colour is appreciated in this part of town

South Side of Wilson Avenue

Next post: Wilson Heights, Part 2: Wilson Station South Exit

CLICK HERE TO BROWSE ALL THE SHOTS FROM THIS CITYSCAPE

“Sundial Folly”

August 30, 2023 / / 3 Comments

Sundial Folly is a large concrete ball sitting on the edge of Lake Ontario. Located at at 25 Queen’s Quay West, it was created by John Fung and Paul Figueiredo and installed at Toronto’s Harbourfront in 1995.

A folly in architectural terms is a building or structure built for decoration without any real function. This particular folly, though, is supposed to work as a sundial – I’m not sure if that happens or not. Even if it is useless as a sundial, it’s an interesting piece of art and you can actually go inside of it.

Someone, obviously an “Aliens” fan, created this image on the inside of the sculpture

The folly rests in a pool of water. The water feeds a small waterfall that tumbles a few feet into Lake Ontario on the east side of the pier in Harbour Square Park.

« Older posts Newer posts »

Search Site

© 2025 TO Cityscapes

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑

Subscribe to TO Cityscapes

Subscribe to TO Cityscapes

Join my mailing list to receive an email alert when I publish a new post.

You have successfully subscribed! Check your email for further info.

I will not spam you... promise!

Pin It on Pinterest