TO Cityscapes

Toronto Through My Lens

Category: Sculptures (Page 6 of 8)

Clover Hill Park

January 24, 2023 / / 0 Comments

And exactly where is Clover Hill Park you may ask? Situated in the northwest corner of Bay Street and St. Joseph Street, it is nestled in amongst the University of Toronto buildings and St. Basil’s Catholic Parish at U of T. It’s kind of small and easy to miss but has a few interesting things to offer.

At one point, neighbourhood residents were incredibly frustrated with the park’s development. In the late 2010s it was finished and ready to enjoy, yet remained closed for months surrounded by fencing. City Councillors at the time – Mike Layton and Kristyn Wong-Tam – received many letters of complaint from area residents. At the time, both Councillors cited issues with payment of the developers, Saddlebrook, which had prevented the City from opening the park.

The building of the park was part of a master plan in 2006 for new condos in the area along with a green space for residents tied to the 50 St. Joseph Street parkette enlargement. Construction of the park began in 2017; in November 2020 it was finally opened and warmly welcomed by the community as a much needed green space.

Although it looks pretty dismal in mid-January, as below, it’s a green and inviting park in the summertime. There’s a little bit of something for everyone at Clover Hill Park:

Mushrooms of the non-magic variety

Bunnies, snails and foxes, oh my…

Sculptures

This piece is entitled Zen West. Created in 1980 by Kosso Eloul, the stainless steel sculpture was donated by Father Dan Donovan of the Basilian Order in 1980.

And of course, the beloved Primrose!

Shameless self promotion:
If you’d like to learn about her story, please visit my Primrose post here.

“Elevated Wetlands”

January 19, 2023 / / 2 Comments

Are they giant teeth? Elephants? Modern art?

For years I’ve noticed these structures in the Taylor Creek Park area beside the Don Valley Parkway. I’m sure anyone who has driven up or down the DVP has noticed these and wondered… what the…? In actuality, these objects are called Elevated Wetlands and were created by an artist named Noel Harding.

The structures are there for both form and function: they use their own solar panels to pump water from the Don River through their basins. The water is then cleaned by wetland plants in the structures and returned to the river.

I’ve always wanted to get some shots of these objects because of their unique shape; they can be examined from almost any angle and still provide a unique and interesting perspective.

In total there are 6 sculptures in 2 groups of 3, one group on either side of the Don Valley Parkway. Each sculpture is made of expanded polystyrene foam, acrylic stucco coating, recycled plastic soil structure, native plants, and water from the Don River.

The work was commissioned by the Canadian Plastics Industry Association in cooperation with the City of Toronto. The sculptures were officially inaugurated on October 1, 1998. If you’d like to read a full technical explanation of their operation, click here.

CLICK HERE TO BROWSE ALL THE SHOTS FROM THIS VISIT

“Flower Power”

January 17, 2023 / / 1 Comment

Sitting at 26 Telegram Mews in CityPlace, is a sculpture entitled Flower Power.

The piece, made of steel I-beams, has a bit of history behind it. Created by internationally renowned sculptor Mark di Suvero, Flower Power, along with a similar sculpture, No Shoes, was commissioned for the International Sculpture Symposium in Toronto in 1967 and installed in High Park.  These works were the first large-scale works completed by the artist and had been installed in High Park for more than 40 years. In 2008, the works were removed by City of Toronto Cultural Services and sent to the United States to be restored by the artist. Since this transition, the work has returned to the city and resides in its current location in CityPlace, along the rail path.

The Queensway & Windermere Avenue

January 16, 2023 / / 0 Comments

The last time I was out on the Queensway I encountered a couple of interesting sculptures.

The Ballad Of Ice And Water
97 The Queensway

It’s kind of hard to see in these shots, but the side of the tall bottle-like object (which is actually a chimney billowing smoke), details the formation of what we now know as Lake Ontario over the last 15,000 years.

The Canoe & Calipers
15 Windermere Avenue

This sculpture of Canoe and Calipers, marks the meeting of two technologies: the calipers a symbol of the old world and the canoe a gift of the First Nations. Both were instrumental in shaping Canada and on a smaller scale both refer to the history of the area – First Nations peoples and early explorers canoed Lake Ontario to the south and the Humber River to the west.

Most recently the Stelco/Swansea Iron Works Factory, which made nuts and bolts, occupied this site.

“Uniform, Measure, Stack”

January 15, 2023 / / 3 Comments

At 438 Richmond Street West, on the northwest corner of Spadina Avenue and Richmond Street West, there is an intriguing bronze sculpture by artist Stephen Cruise. Created in 1997, the piece is entitled Uniform, Measure, Stack. The sculpture consists of a thimble, buttons and markings of a tape measure which wraps around the northwest corner of Richmond Street West and Spadina Avenue (please ignore the vandal tagging and snow on the artwork!).

The sculpture was created to commemorate the surrounding area of the city that was once the textile factory district. Even with the Toronto Eaton Centre just blocks away, this area once housed a majority of the textile factories that would produce products for the mega-distributor. As textile production moved out of the city, these factory spaces were re-purposed into artist studios. Now, the neighbourhood has transformed again and condo developments dominate the area.

The piece’s artist, Stephen Cruise, has this to say about his creation:

Spadina has an incredible history that goes back to when workers walked out of Eaton’s in 1905 I believe, on strike for better conditions. And they decided to reorganize themselves and they moved out and moved in and along Spadina Avenue.

So, I guess in thinking about some of the research, it did direct me to what it was that could make up the components of this sculpture. And that is to keep it very simple. And what making a garment is all about draws back to one’s hands. It’s… it’s not so much even the machine, it’s choosing the thimble and choosing the buttons and hand sewing. It’s something that would draw you back to more the personal aspect of it so – I tried to keep the tools as simple as possible and…

Unfortunately, I think, it was a beginning of a foothold for so many people who moved on and with the competitive nature and pressures from offshore it’s become next to impossible to be able to provide that opportunity. And as much as the street signs have the additional text to them, saying “fashion district,” in another short period of time it’s going to be just a memory. So the stacking of the buttons and placing the thimble atop it, trying to create some kind of setting with trees that would mature over time, there still was very much this thought that I was creating something as a memory. So it’s evidence of what once was a colourful past, but at the same time it’s what something once was.

“Rising”

January 13, 2023 / / 2 Comments

Outside the Toronto Shangri-La Hotel at 188 University Avenue, there is a curious sculpture constructed of stainless steel. This piece is entitled Rising by Shanghai-based artist Zhang Huan, and was unveiled in May 2012.

Zhang Huan conceived Rising as a philosophical reflection of the world around us. The polished stainless-steel sculpture consists of countless doves, the international symbol of world peace, and a twisted tree branch that resembles the body of a dragon.

The sculpture draws an analogy to the fragile conditions facing our planet. Zhang Huan seeks to convey the message that humans can exist in harmony with nature, and that, if this delicate balance is struck, our cities will become better places to live. The artist remarks:

… through the monster-shaped tree, I would like to advocate the protection of ecology, and the harmonious relationship between humans and nature. The doves in the tree symbolize the peace of the world and my wish is for beautiful city life to be shared by mankind and nature.

Realized in two parts, the large-scale exterior sculpture  permanently resides at the entrance to the hotel and a second component extends indoors, gracing the walls of the hotel’s lobby. Rising took Zhang Huan two years to complete in his studio in Shanghai. The sculpture is his first public art commission in Canada.

Harbourfront + Union Station in Black & White

January 8, 2023 / / 1 Comment

A little photowalk capturing Harbourfront, York Street and Union Station in glorious Black & White.

Harbourfront

The View From York Street

Maple Leaf Square, Outside the Scotiabank Arena
(formerly the Air Canada Centre)

This installation in Maple Leaf Square is entitled Search Light, Star Light, Spot Light, created by John McEwan and unveiled in 1999. The 3-column steel sculpture is inspired by a quote from author Louis Untermeyer: God, if you wish for our love, Fling us a handful of stars.

The surface of each column has been extensively perforated with holes in the shape of five-pointed stars that glow when lit from within like celestial search beacons in the night. The effect is most immediately associated with the search beams that call attention to entertainment spectacles such as those that take place in the adjacent Scotiabank Arena.

Art critics of the sculpture say that the telescopic shape of the columns and the starry lights suggest a connection between the earth and sky; between the infinite cosmos and the depth of the human imagination.

Union Station

Entering via Bremner Boulevard:

Taken while Union Station was still under renovation

“Garden Of Future Follies”

January 6, 2023 / / 3 Comments

On the Front Street Promenade (Front Street & Bayview Avenue) near the new Canary District/Corktown Common area, there is a curious sculpture set of 7 pieces by artists Hadley+Maxwell.

The Garden of Future Follies (2016) is a bronze sculpture garden bringing together elements from over 80 existing public sculptures and architectural details from around the City of Toronto. To create the garden, fragments of existing Toronto sculpture were cast using a Cinefoil casting technique – pressing material directly onto a sculpted surface – to generate over 150 unique impressions that were subsequently cast in bronze.

A Little About the Artists

Hadley+Maxwell (Hadley Howes, Maxwell Stephens) are a Canadian artist duo formed in Vancouver in 1997 and now based in Berlin. Their body of work includes installations, performances and writings that employ a diverse array of media to rework iconic images and traditional forms as they are expressed in pop-cultural, artistic, and political movements.

“Businessman On A Horse”

January 2, 2023 / / 2 Comments

This 1989 bronze sculpture by William McElcheran is somewhat tricky to find. It is tucked into a small square in St. Michael’s College at U of T.

The artist has remarked that the businessman replaces the classical hero. Instead of dealing with heroic imagery, McElcheran endeavours to find his idea of the “larger-than-life” non-hero. Inspiration for the piece grew as he watched the “fat cats” wheel and deal on the corner of Bay and King Streets.

There are more works by McElcheran around Toronto, which I endeavour to find for future TOcityscapes posts.

Bonus!

Although technically not a TOcityscape, there is another of William McElcheran ‘s sculptures located in Calgary on Stephen Avenue at 1st Street S.W. This one is called Conversation, and was presented to the City of Calgary by Norcen Energy Resources Limited in 1981. Vince and I were in Calgary in the fall of 2019, which is when I grabbed this shot:

William McElcheran is now internationally recognized for his bronze figures of portly businessmen, portraying these self-important men of trade in different settings and situations. His commissioned works can be found in churches, subways, and numerous public places worldwide. Since his death in 1999, McElcheran forgeries have appeared on the market, which is indicative of how well regarded and widely accepted his works have become.

“Rune”

December 31, 2022 / / 2 Comments

At 7 Hart House Circle in the University of Toronto sits a bronze sculpture entitled Rune. Placed in 2001, the piece was created by artists Randy Gledhill and Berenicci Hershorn.

What exactly is a “rune”? Merriam-Webster defines rune as: any of the characters of any of several alphabets used by the Germanic peoples from about the 3rd to the 13th centuries. As applied here I would imagine rune refers to information/education as provided by a university.

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