Tag: Toronto

A Toronto Intermission

On By ResaIn Parking Lots106 Comments

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. ❦

Bird in Hand

On By ResaIn Alley Gallery128 Comments

A mural for the coming spring.

I travelled across the city to Greek Town.

I found 5 works of art worth posting, 2 ruined by the sun’s shadows, 1 for just in case and 1 WTF.

All in all a fabulous day!

The day was made even better by the wonderful vibes, shops, restaurant patios and people in Greek Town.

I would definitely consider moving there when we eventually downsize. It’s a beautiful lifestyle.

Pics taken by Resa – March 4, 2024

Toronto, Canada

The Artists:

Adrienne Trent – Burdens

On By ResaIn Interviews, Sculptures96 Comments

This truly unique and fascinating collection of sculptures has caught my imagination.

It’s found in the temporary space of John B. Aird Gallery, housed in the Artscape building at 906 Queen W. during renovations of its home at MacDonald block.

Artist Adrienne Trent (pictured below) says, “the focus of installation work is not usually about sales, unless to a museum”.

Therefore she is able to project her mind’s eye without the yoke of commerciality. Hers is an honest  exposé of “art for art’s sake”.

About 2 years ago, photos of Adrienne’s  art was fed into an AI program. It came up with the image you see below. She decided to create an actual sculptural collection based on what she saw.

 Below is the result. So, a reflection is added to the mirror of art imitating life and/or life imitating art : Art – imitating artificial intelligence imitating art imitating life that is possibly life imitating art, ad infinitum.

Adrienne created the sculptures using gesso plaster and old curtains from The Goodwill.

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When I asked Adrienne how she came up with the title “Burdens”; she replied that she was at home when asked, on the spot, for the working title. She looked around her home, and answered “Burdens”.

Although not raised in the house she bought as an adult, it had been in her family for 6 generations. This has kept her reticent to fully renovate the original heritage. That respect was a burden. The name stuck.

John B. Aird Gallery is one of the few avant garde galleries to show in Toronto. For me it was a breath of fresh air, after strolling through certain posh downtown galleries where there’s seemingly a second coming of Andy Warhol, and commercialized street art on canvas.

The collection of 4 at the rear of the room is sustainable art from an earlier show. I love this. Some of the items include:

An old used easel, baskets, snowshoe, baseball mitt, license plate, violin, muffin tin, plaster head, rusty can, broken chair, wheel of sorts and is that a paper cup?

The show runs until March 23, 2024. Go on a Saturday, and Adrienne will be there to talk with.

Photos (except for poster) © Resa McConaghy

Night Owl

On By ResaIn Street Art138 Comments

Owls are largely nocturnal hunters.

They might hunt from a tree like my tree (aka Resa’s Tree), which lives on Tim’s Magic Tree Sanctuary

However, I found this owl in the daytime.

You’ll notice no owls in my daytime tree!

This owl is actually sitting on rocks by porch steps.

As day closes…

My tree awaits.

Owl Pics taken by Resa – February 21, 2024

Toronto, Canada

The Artist:

Tree pics © Timothy Price.