Reasons to Love Toronto Now: because the city is our canvas
Reasons to Love Toronto Now: because the city is our canvas
By Kelly Reid | June 11, 2015
By Kelly Reid | 06/11/2015
(Images: Erin Leydon)
Four years ago, Rob Ford and his heavies were power-washing graffiti (both artful and vandalistic) wherever they could find it. In the po-Fo era, city hall is actively embracing the stuff, commissioning dozens of underpass murals and alley paintings. This new graffiti gusto has unleashed a torrent of creativity among Toronto street artists, who are beautifying the city’s surfaces with cheeky, radiant works. Here, a tour of our 10 favourites.
317332 In 2014, the city’s StreetARToronto initiative commissioned a series of underpass paintings by the <strong>Essencia Art Collective</strong>, including this piece near King and Sumach by <strong>Shalak Attack</strong>. (Image: Erin Leydon) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-01-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-01.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas/slide/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-01/ reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-01 0 0
(Image: Erin Leydon)
317333 The city has commissioned street art for 56 of its traffic signal boxes. Artist<strong> Jeff Blackburn</strong> created “Rac on a Box,” at Spadina and Davenport, as a tribute to Toronto’s unofficial mascot. (Image: Erin Leydon) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-02-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-02.jpg 493 631 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas/slide/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-02/ reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-02 0 0
(Image: Erin Leydon)
317334 Nicole D’Amario, Melissa Luk and Andrea Manica from the <strong>Buckteeth Girls Club</strong> created this mural on the side of Good for Her at Harbord and Croft. Fittingly, it’s all about female sexuality and empowerment. (Image: Erin Leydon) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-03-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-03.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas/slide/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-03/ reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-03 0 0
(Image: Erin Leydon)
317335 Illustrator <strong>Iva Jericevic</strong> designed “Noodle Doodles” on a traffic signal box at the corner of Bay and Albert. The whimsical pasta hair was inspired by her time spent living in Bologna. (Image: Erin Leydon) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-04-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-04.jpg 500 701 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas/slide/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-04/ reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-04 0 0
(Image: Erin Leydon)
317336 <strong>Aaron Li-Hill</strong>’s mural “Fractured Space” sits on Parkside Drive under the Queensway. He created the piece in 2013 as a comment on the city’s segregation from the waterfront. (Image: Erin Leydon) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-05-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-05.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas/slide/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-05/ reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-05 0 0
(Image: Erin Leydon)
317337 This Parkdale piece by <strong>Wysper</strong> and <strong>the Doh Crew</strong> is a throwback to old-school graffiti style. (Image: Erin Leydon) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-06-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-06.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas/slide/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-06/ reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-06 0 0
(Image: Erin Leydon)
317338 This is a detail from the 200-metre mural that runs along Bathurst between Davenport and St. Clair, which the city commissioned in 2013 from the Brooklyn collective <strong>Faile</strong>. (Image: Erin Leydon) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-07-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-07.jpg 1200 400 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas/slide/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-07/ reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-07 0 0
(Image: Erin Leydon)
317339 The French artist <strong>Nelio</strong> is often considered a member of the new wave “graffuturist” movement, which merges graffiti with high-art techniques. This piece in Kensington Market betrays his background in graphic design. (Image: Erin Leydon) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-08-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-08.jpg 794 1189 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas/slide/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-08/ reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-08 0 0
(Image: Erin Leydon)
317340 <strong>Logan Miller</strong> and <strong>Viviana Astudillo</strong> spray-painted “Falantitos” over five days in 2010. It’s located in an alley near St. Clair and Keele. (Image: Erin Leydon) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-09-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-09.jpg 800 1198 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas/slide/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-09/ reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-09 0 0
(Image: Erin Leydon)
317341 Artists <strong>Jamie Bradbury</strong> and <strong>Joshua Barndt</strong> worked with five apprentices to paint this 400-foot mural in the underpass at Dupont and Dundas West in 2009. It was a celebration of the then-new bike lanes on Dupont. (Image: Erin Leydon) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-10-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-10.jpg 1200 800 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas/slide/reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-10/ reasons-to-love-toronto-now-2015-city-is-our-canvas-10 0 0
(Image: Erin Leydon)