Category: Public Art (Page 5 of 6)

“U.V. Ceti”

November 29, 2022 / Marvin Job / 1 Comment

U.V. Ceti is an abstract sculpture by Andrew Posa, a Hungarian-Canadian sculptor. The piece was established at 30 Wellington Street East in 1992.

This large bronze sculpture sits on a base in the centre of a fountain. The sculpture looks like an asymmetrical V, with its arms spreading out to the sides and upward. Resting at the joint, in the centre of the V, is a large round ball. The V form looks like it is a cross-section of something larger. The front and back surfaces are smooth and slightly concave while the top and bottom of the V are rough with the look of earth. The sphere in the centre of the V looks as if it is a planet or asteroid that has crashed and formed a crater in the V.

U. V. Ceti by Andrew Posa
Dedicated to Edward Isaac Richmond
Architect 1908 – 1982
A kind man who shared his love of beauty
dedication plaque, attached to the base

Just in case you were wondering what a U. V. Ceti is:

Our galaxy is filled with billions of red dwarf stars, all of which are too dim to see with the naked eye. Lying at the faint, red end of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, their small masses — a few tenths that of the Sun — make them much cooler and dimmer than our own Sun. In fact, few of these stars have been detected beyond a dozen or so parsecs of our solar system. However, some of these stars belong to the spectacular class of variables known as the flare stars or the UV Ceti variables. At irregular and unpredictable intervals, they can dramatically increase in brightness over a broad wavelength range from X-rays to radio waves for anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. The fact that such small, unassuming stars can suddenly undergo incredibly energetic events make the flare stars one of the more intriguing targets for variable star observers.¹

¹ UV Ceti and the Flare Stars

Puente de Luz Bridge

November 26, 2022 / Marvin Job / 2 Comments

Located at 524 Front Street West over the busiest railway corridor in Canada, the Puente de Luz is a sculptural pedestrian bridge and the largest public art installation in Canada. The name Puente de Luz, or Bridge of Light, was chosen to signify the link between North and South and the connection between the two countries that came together to build it – Canada and Chile.

The Puente de Luz was designed by Chilean sculptor Francisco Gazitua with structural engineer Peter Sheffield. Located in the Concord CityPlace neighbourhood, the bridge carries pedestrians and cyclists from the western portion of CityPlace to Front Street West just between Spadina and Bathurst.

The $8 Million bridge was completed in 2011. It was built as required by the City of Toronto for developer Concord Adex to create inter-connectivity with surrounding neighbourhoods.

A Walk Up & Down Avenue Road

November 23, 2022 / Marvin Job / 0 Comments

It was a crisp fall day when I started my Avenue Road photowalk at Bloor Street West. I made my way up Avenue Road, reached Dupont Street, then returned south until I hit University Avenue and Dundas Street West. Here’s a little of what I encountered along the way.

**The Prince Arthur Condo**
38 Avenue Road

**The Prince Arthur Condo, 38 Avenue Road**
I’ve always loved this entryway – so elegant, dramatic

**New Condo Construction: 183 Avenue Road**
Construction on the northeast corner of Avenue Road and Pears Avenue in Yorkville. This is a proposed 10-storey mixed-use condominium building designed by BBB Architects for K P Isberg.

**Hazelton Lanes Residences**
55A Avenue Road

**Galerie de Bellefeuille**
87 Avenue Road

**Future Site of “The Webley”**
121 Avenue Road

**Bike Memorial For Adam Excell**
On the corner of Avenue Road and Davenport Road. Adam Excell was riding his bike on Avenue Road, near Davenport Road on June 13, 2015, when he was struck and killed by a car that did not remain at the scene.

**David Drebin Mural**
On the northwest corner of Avenue Road and Davenport Road. David Drebin is a Toronto-born professional photographer.

**David Drebin Mural & “Super Convenience”**
Northwest corner of Davenport Road and Avenue Road

**The Hare Krishna Temple**
The Hare Krishna Temple is located at 243 Avenue Road. The building is the former home of Avenue Road Church. It was built in 1899 and was originally the Presbyterian Church of the Covenant. The building was designed by Toronto architects Gordon & Helliwell.

**The Church of the Messiah**
240 Avenue Road. This Anglican church was founded on March 24, 1891 by members of the Church of the Redeemer further south on Avenue Road. The building, and the rectory next door, were designed by Gordon & Helliwell, the same architects who designed what is now the Hare Krishna Temple across the street.

**Mural Outside Havana Coffee Bar**
233 Davenport Road, southwest corner of Davenport Road and Avenue Road

**Flower Markets**
Avenue Road, south of Davenport

**Giant Ring**
Outside Louro & Sons Jewellers, 104 Avenue Road

**“Mixer”**
These cast bronze figures are entitled “Mixer” by sculptor An Te Liu, a Taiwanese-Canadian artist living and working in Toronto. “Mixer” envisions its installation as a stage inhabited by a pair of cast bronze figures engaged in dialogue with passersby, hotel visitors, and each other. Bold and distinctive in silhouette and richly finished in a lustrous deep gold patina, the sculptural ensemble forms a vivid and iconic tableau establishing the Park Hyatt as a singular destination. As a public artwork, “Mixer” is monumental in scale – visible from afar and instantly recognizable. Open and intimate, the work invites visitors to experience the artwork fully and in the round. People become a critical part of the scenography, which unfolds within the architectural proscenium and extends out into the city.

“Mixer” finds shape and expression in the rich history of Park Hyatt Toronto, merging classical figurative allusions with industrial, artisanal, and organic forms culled from glassware, vessels, and couture. The forms also stem from a reinterpretation of the artistic legacy of Henry Moore, a seminal figure in the history of the modern era in Toronto. “Mixer” captures the allure of social encounters and celebrates imbibing in all the senses. They form a continuity between the illustrious past of Park Hyatt Toronto and its present renaissance as an exemplar of elegance and luxury. An Te Liu’s inspiration for this work comes more specifically from an archival photograph of the Park Hyatt Rooftop Lounge, commonly known as “The Rooftop bar at Park Plaza,” years ago. An Te Liu would visit during his years as a student at the University of Toronto – understanding its’ social significance as a landmark in the city. Park Hyatt Toronto invites visitors to experience the artwork in the round, as this ensemble of works seems like an encounter or conversation. The hotel program inspired this meaningful concept as a place of social convergence, where friends and strangers cross

**Lillian Massey Building**
Building used by University of Toronto, 125 Queen’s Park

**Al Purdy Statue, Queens’ Park**
Al Purdy was a 20th-century Canadian free verse poet. Purdy’s writing career spanned 56 years. His works include 39 books of poetry; a novel; two volumes of memoirs and four books of correspondence, in addition to his posthumous works. He has been called the nation’s “unofficial poet laureate” and “a national poet in a way that you only find occasionally in the life of a culture.”

**Iranian Demonstration**
There was an Iranian demonstration happening that day at Queen’s Park, and this guy was ripping up and down Queen’s Park and University Avenue with his balloons and flag

**U of T’s Schwartz Reisman Innovation Centre**
112 College Street, at University Avenue

**“Happy Lunar New Year”**
Canada Post box at University Avenue and Dundas Street West

**The United Building**
481 University Avenue. On the corner of University Avenue and Edward Street. Converting into luxury condos.

CLICK HERE TO BROWSE ALL THE SHOTS FROM THIS WALK

“The Ascent”

November 19, 2022 / Marvin Job / 2 Comments

This piece, entitled The Ascent, is located outside Starbucks at 1121 Bay Street, corner of Bay and Charles Streets. Designed by Toronto husband and wife team Paul Kipps and Colette Whitens, it features nine female silhouettes climbing upward.

A bit of trivia: this Starbucks location is the former site of the famed, but long-gone, restaurant La Scala.

“Liquid Echo”

November 17, 2022 / Marvin Job / 0 Comments

This sculpture is located in front of the Penrose condos at 750 Bay Street. As part of this condo’s development in 1999, this waterfall-inspired artwork by Catherine Widgery was installed. Liquid Echo was commissioned by H and R Developments as part of the program of integration of art and architecture for the City of Toronto.

The entire plaza in which the sculpture sits is over 100 feet long by about 33 feet wide and was designed as part of the work. The vent shafts to underground parking across the front of the site, that would have been massive concrete planters in the original plans, were razed and replaced with circular openings that house the supporting structure for the twenty-four spiral cut columns that turn to create the impression of a water fall.

All the language of the elements in this work is a translation of the experience of nature. My goal is to find a language and materials appropriate for the urban environment. Large boulders were cut and reassembled along the grid of the pavers to be seating in the warm weather. Inlaid into the pavers are sections of circles made from stainless steel to suggest the way light bounces off of water that has been disturbed. Small groves of honey locusts (on platforms to minimize the massive planters necessary for this site) frame the space and the stairs provide additional seating.
Catherine Widgery

“Immigrant Family”

November 15, 2022 / Marvin Job / 4 Comments

I love these! There is something incredibly adorable about the characters in this sculpture.

Immigrant Family, a work by New York sculptor Tom Otterness, sits outside the Lanterra condos at 18 Yonge Street. The 10-foot high bronze work was unveiled in 2007.

Selected through an international public art competition, Otterness’ work recalls the experience of visitors and new immigrants to Canada, capturing their sense of wonder at seeing the city and Lake Ontario, while bringing them close together as they embark on their new life.

I think it is a good purpose of public art that it sort of honours being a newcomer in the country and acknowledges it is an important role to play in the society.
Tom Otterness

The artist and the developer discuss the project

Condo Sculptures

November 9, 2022 / Marvin Job / 3 Comments

Sculptor Shayne Dark, a Kingston native, has three sculptures which dot Toronto’s downtown condo landscape.

I. Double Vision

Double Vision is located on the northwest corner of Jarvis and Charles streets in front of X Condominium at 558 Jarvis Street. The huge red poles jutting out of the sidewalk bring to mind bamboo shoots.

II. Double Take

Just across the street, at 101 Charles Street East in front of The X’s younger sister building X2, sits Double Take. It is characterized by the same monumental poles, but this time they are slightly slanted toward Double Vision as if the two pieces are communicating. You have to be careful when you come out of Rabba at this site, as you could potentially brain yourself or take one of these in the eye… not the best way to appreciate the artwork.

It’s an interesting project because there’s a dialogue between the two pieces across the road from one another. You’ve got the red vertical sticks, then you’ve got the blue horizontal ones and it sets up a dynamic and creates a threshold. They are engaging both in their own right and also with one another. They engage in an interesting artistic and architectural discussion,
Brad Golden, a Toronto public art consultant whose job it is to partner with developers and organizations to help them figure out what kind of art would work for their space.

III. Nova

Shayne Dark’s third condo-based sculpture, Nova, is located at the Tableau Condominium at 125 Peter Street. The piece is completely incorporated into the structure of the building.

Shayne Dark’s Inspiration For The Pieces

Initially, we’d walk in the forest or along the lakeshore and I’d find these interesting found objects, like a big pile of sticks and pieces of driftwood, and these became my art practice. I think for any artist, where you live is so important. Being Canadian at this point in history, on this day, in this time is an experience and feeling I want to document. I feel where you’re from can not help but influence every artist’s practice to some degree.

The “One Percent Solution”

“Under Section 37 of Ontario’s Planning Act, developers are allowed to have taller buildings or more units and other such concessions in exchange for putting a minimum of one per cent of the project’s construction costs toward public art. The art can either be on-site, on city property nearby, or a combination of both. The guidelines set out by the program ensure that the art is of public benefit and is also visible, accessible and adds to the urban character of the city in a positive way.

Financial investment is a huge factor for anyone who makes their living as a sculptor. Shayne Dark, the artist, says it costs literally tens of thousands of dollars to manufacture the materials necessary to make those big public art projects you might see as part of a condominium development.

‘Those jobs in Canada are few and far between. But luckily, what ended up happening in a few major Canadian cities was this one percent rule where if you were a developer working on a public building, a portion of the construction costs would actually go to art,’ says Shayne Dark”.¹

¹Storeys, Real Estate News

Untitled Sculpture

November 7, 2022 / Marvin Job / 0 Comments

At 1033 Bay Street, there stands this bronze, marble and mosaic monolith. It was designed by Hamilton-based artist Robert Bowers and installed in 1988 as part of the Polo Club condominium complexes that went up at that time on Bay Street.

With all due respect to the artist, I think this thing is Plain Butt Ugly and the face in the circle simply gives me the creeps. The shallow, sad, empty pool with raised and dislodged tiles surrounding the piece is not doing it any favours either.

“Flow Blue”

November 6, 2022 / Marvin Job / 1 Comment

Flow Blue is created by artist Marlene Hilton Moore. Located at the Encore Condo at 23 Carlton Street, this treed walkway leads from the condo entrance to neighbouring Granby Street. The blue trees were installed in 2008 and are 17 feet high. The design was inspired by the numerous trees on nearby Granby Street.

By night the vault of the Archway is illuminated with blue LED lights, simulating the sky. I have no shots of that, unfortunately… time for another visit – nighttime next time around.