A Toronto Intermission

On By ResaIn Parking Lots

Excerpts from “toronto”-by Chinkok Tan(1942-2025)

Found this installation art in an outdoor parking lot. The images & “words” are from a rare book. Only 58 copies were ever made. They reside in private collections and rare book libraries.

“toronto (canada) is a place like no other place, for all i know”

Chinkok Tan’s drawings of streetscapes and buildings are visual love letters, from his early years. He arrived in Toronto from Malaysia on December 4, 1967, with $129.00.

"first,
i felt the cold
the cold i had never felt before

the wind
icy cold wind
biting, penetrating,
- going through me like i was nothing."

Tan had come to Toronto to attend the Ontario College of Art (OCA – now OCAD).

"the y.m.c.a. i was told
is cheap.
it cost four bucks a night
my room was small, cell like,

*
it was my fortune on the second day
to meet the cleaning lady,

*
out of loneliness i spoke to her,
my problem became hers,
she understood."

Tan found a job as a bus-boy in a restaurant on Bay Street. For 2 years he worked nights, part time.

*
"time old buildings expressing nostalgic past,
residential streets within the city,
people actually make their home in downtown
toronto - the city is for the people!"

He turned these drawings into a book in 1973. It is now a time capsule of Toronto in transition.

"recently, the city has changed because of the
fantastic building boom
that will soon turn toronto into a city
none of us know."

Pics taken by Resa – August 13, 2026

Baldwin Street – near the Ontario College of Art & Design

Toronto, Canada

❦ As this post was ready to go, and I am swamped with “to do’s”; I decided to post it now. The Underpass “Scattered Order III” will resume after a brief intermission. ❦

106 thoughts on “A Toronto Intermission”

      2. So moving! I just watched it. I love how his home, his life was built around art.
        A bed, a place to make coffee and food and a desk for a computer; everything else, art.

        Reply

    2. Ohh, how cool! I checked out the page. Thank you, Merril!

      Yes, wow, a rebel artist with his screening process makes him as rare as his books. I wish I would have known about the exhibition. I would have gone.

      Yet, what a joy to find this art in a parking lot on Baldwin St. When I saw the art, I thought – I love this city, a city that hangs art in a parking lot. That was before I read any of the info & writing that was hanging by the art. When I realized it was about his love for the city, the feeling grew in me.

      I was on Baldwin, where he lived. We rented around the corner for 10 years, until we bought where we live now.

      I was so excited when I got home, I did this post up in less than an hour, for the future. Turns out the future was now.

      I’ll watch the video when I get back. I’ve been suddenly called away.

      Reply

      1. Thank you and you’re welcome, Resa!
        It is wonderful that your city is so full of art in the streets! I wonder if what you saw was part of tribute after his death in 2025? The video is very moving.

        Reply

        1. I just watched the video.

          You are so right about it being moving. I am not an immigrant, but I left my family behind to seek my life, a better life than was offered me where I was.

          I feel his life, in some ways. He was so young and handsome when he came. A life now lived; his art a mark left. 💙

          Reply

    1. Thanks Dave! What a great city that hangs art in a parking lot, and paints art all over its wall.

      I’ve been called away… but hey… there might be wall art where I have to go. Maybe I’ll get lucky!

      Reply

  3. This is golden, thanks for the upload and history lesson. Always love finding obscure books and spreading the word. Innit. I like the details, like the Warning sign depicted. That is an excellent warning sign.

    Reply

    1. LOl… the warning sign. Yes, it seems when I find art in the streets, there’s always a warning sign

      ‘Oron, I was thrilled to find this wonderful art installation, in a parking lot. That is almost as rare as the book itself.
      That will be $25.00 Cdn for commenting. I take cash, cheque and money order. Credit cards not accepted.

      Reply

    1. I agree, Robbie!
      The book is rare, and finding an art installation in a parking lot is pretty rare, too. Okay… painted walls, but this was reproductions under an all weather glass.

      The art is wonderful. It was such a joy hanging around taking pics. xx

      Reply

  7. Wow, thanks for sharing Chinkok Tan’s drawings, Resa! So cool to get insight into this rare text. The words are hauntingly beautiful and each drawing really draws on color and theme, giving a subtle suggestibility that interacts with the words. I love word/art combos, so this was a real treat! 🌼🕊️🌸

    Reply

    1. You are welcome, Ada!
      I just love this art style. There was more poetry with the art, but it would have been a long post. I felt the presentation said enough.
      I would love to see one of the original books!
      ✯ 🌹 ✯

      Reply

  8. It seems Toronto is a center for creating magical art, as I learned from your posts, although I personally know the city as a place where many Persian activists protest against the IRGC.

    However, the art you share is a balm for wounds.

    Thank you for that! 🙏💖🤗💞🫂

    Reply

    1. I love this city. Its art is keeping me keen on life.
      Yes, a balm for wounds; you must be at home convalescing?

      You must also be disappointed about what’s happened in Iran. It started so hopeful.

      You are always welcome daer Aladin! ✯ ꧁💙꧂ ✯

      Reply

      1. Absolutely agreed; the city is a world city! About me, I had a horrible time before surgery and afterward. Now that the catheter has been removed, I feel much better. However, I need to rest and regain my energy. I just hope the problem doesn’t crop up again. Sending love.

        🤗🙏💖😘

        Reply

  12. Ohhh I LOVE Chinkok Tan’s drawings!! Love his style and his beautiful visual love letters to Toronto!! 💌💌💌💌💌 As an immigrant myself, I LOVE his immigrant experience and turning it into art!

    Btw, my late dad’s Chinese last name is ‘Tan’ (so my middle name has Tan in it, Tantri) and I have a Malaysian friend whose last name is Tan as well 🙂

    Thanks for sharing this, Resa!!

    Vive l’art!!
    ⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹

    Reply

    1. I love his drawings, too.
      I’m glad this artist, his art and his experience has spoken to you.

      Interesting about your father. My hubs mom was Japanese and gave him an interesting middle name – Tomim-Tai

      ✯ ꧁🌹 𝓥𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓵’𝓪𝓻𝓽 🌹꧂ ✯

      Reply

  13. Resa, I’ve been reading a bit more about Chinkok since this post. He had great love for the city and the OCAD considering he was a instructor there for over three decades after graduation. His early renderings of “early” Toronto are so well done, and clearly he felt he was “home.” Thank you for introducing him here!

    Reply

    1. You are welcome, Bruce!
      Happy to know you were inspired enough to read about him. There’s a wonderful short video, too.

      I love Toronto, and seeing this art and his love for the city made me swell.
      ✯ ꧁ 𝓥𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓵’𝓪𝓻𝓽 ꧂ ✯

      Reply

    1. Thanks Jo!
      I will take care, and you, too!
      Hmm… I didn’t get a notice this week or last week about your posts.
      I’ll pop by after dinner to see if you have fallen off my notifications.
      xx

      Reply

        1. LOL!
          It’s all Akismet’s fault. They work for WP, so WP doesn’t have to get blamed.

          Years ago, I got snared in Akismet’s web. They said what happened was I probably went into someone’s Spam. Not unusual, and I have found some of my best blog pals in Spam, wich I check daily.

          So, the person did not free me, which suggested tp Akismet that I was Spam worthy, so it put me into another Spam which did not free me.

          Anyway, one Spam led to another, and soon all my comments were going into Spam folders. I could not comment anywhere. It took WP & Akismet over a month to get me going again. They said if I knew the original Spam I had gone into, they could totally rectify the issue.

          But, as it is, they told me to always make sure I could see my comment after I posted it. (Waiting for approval is fine). If I did not see my comment, I was to contact the blog owner to free me to avoid the issue flaring up, again.

          It’s a small extra job, but I like blogging. I’d say I have to beg someone to free me from their Spam about every 6 weeks.

          This is why I only comment on blogs where they have a contact info, or have commented on my blog. So I can let them know! WHEW! xxx

          Reply

          1. It’s a hard life…. laughing! xx
            You can usually tell if you’ve banished someone to Spam- sometimes accidentally, and then I’ll go rescue them. And your tip is a good one. Thanks, darlin. Happy weekend xx

            Reply

            1. Yes… brutal.😹😹
              Omg, Jo, I’m having the best life! LOL… You make a great point with your laughter.
              Thank you!
              And you have a fab weekend too! ༻💙༺

              Reply

  16. Resa, this is an extraordinary exhibition. We are seeing Toronto through the eyes of someone arriving far from home, alone, not knowing what would happen next. There is a poignancy that comes through the artwork. Chinkok Tan must have wondered how the place he had chosen to live would eventually change him. Tan’s words about loneliness and the cleaning woman who understood him resonated with me. These drawings feel like so much more than pictures of buildings and more like a person slowly learning to belong to a new place, a new home. And all the while, Toronto was changing too. More than fifty years later, his drawings have become a remarkable time capsule not only of a city in transition, but of a person in transition as well. Resa you have given us another treasure! Hugs and more hugs!!

    Reply

    1. Yes, it is a treasure. That is how I felt when I saw this, in a parking lot of all places.
      Chinkok’s stroy is quite brilliant. Merril left a link in her comment. There is a page on him with a short 9 minute video.

      It’s quite … heartening and heart wrenching all at once.
      HUGS!

      Reply

    1. I agree, deceptively simple. It’s to be admired.
      Yes.. finding it in parking lot is amazing. Lol, how Toronto.
      Thank you for checking out the art and your swell comment, Audrey!

      Reply

    1. Thanks Yvette!

      I am really touched, and impressed by this artist’s work. I’m thrilled you like it, too!

      Gee, pardon for the tardy reply, but I have been sooo busy. Between the Emmys and my new Art Gown (finally) I barely have time for survival and sleep. Lol!

      ༻❦༺

      Reply

    1. I was running all over the parking lot like it was Christmas morning and I was 10 years old. I was so thrilled to find this.

      Thank you, Luisa! Toronto does seem a cold city… and it is in many ways, but the art we love does make it warm to be here!
      ༻🌹༺

      Reply

  22. What a beautiful piece of history and humanity.🤍
    Tan’s words make Toronto feel almost alive—you can sense the cold, loneliness, uncertainty, and then those small moments of kindness that made a new place feel a little more like home.

    I especially love the idea of his drawings and words becoming a time capsule. Cities change so quickly, but art has a wonderful way of preserving the emotions and stories that buildings alone can’t hold. Thank you for sharing this rare glimpse into Toronto’s past.✨

    Reply

    1. Thank you for this most lovely comment!
      Yes, Tan not only left us beautiful art and words… he did leave an image of the past.

      You are welcome! Presenting this post was a pleasure.

      Reply

    1. I adore this… and all in a parking lot on Baldwin Street. Baldwin is still a lovely treed street, but it is now pretty much all restaurants, many Asian Foods.

      The last vestige of the past is the “Baldwin Health Food Store”. Although, it has evolved into being more of a “health products” store: vitamins, supplements, shampoos/soaps, health bar snacks, etc.

      Reply

  26. Dear Resa, forgive my tardiness. I think my mind is going. 😴. This is such a delightful post , adore this wanderer’s art. Traveling so far to a huge wonderland to study must have been quite overwhelming. Thank you for sharing this artist and your city with us. Sending you so many hugs.
    xoxoxoxo

    Reply

    1. Meece,

      No worries! Glad you got to see this wonderful art. HHUUGGSS!!!!

      I am so behind these days. The whole Emmy thing really sucks up time, and of course..THE NEW ART GOWN!!! EEEEEEeeeeeeeEEEEE!!!!!

      xoxoxo༻❦༺xoxoxo

      Reply

      1. I’m really excited for the art gown. Seems like a while since we saw one. I am looking forward to the Emmy’s and always wonder. Hmm… What did Resa think about that? lol!

        love ya Meece!
        xoxoxoxoxo

        Reply

        1. Aww.. yeah, I love Palm Royale for the period costumes. They are up against “Love Story” (Camelot 2) and The Gilded Age, so I’m probably backing a loser if politics has anything to say.

          The costumes a sooo good this year, especially Palm Royale!
          Love ya!!!
          xoxoxoxoxo

          Reply

    1. I agree! The art swept me away.

      Yes, Toronto is so changed, not just from when I move here in my 20’s, but even just since 2000.

      Thanks Debby! Sigh! XOX★ ~ ❦💙❦

      Reply

  29. I had to look him up. Born in 1942. About my older bothers’ age… RIP.

    His name, Tan, tells me he was a Straights Chines from Malaysia. I can understand the cold he felt.

    Again, thanks for sharing.

    Reply

Speak your art mind!