The Things That We Do...

Jay Z and Mariah Carey once said "It's those things that you do that make you feel so, I don't know..." which pretty much sums up how we're feeling at the moment. We have been back in the nation of maple syrup, snow and moose for about a month, and at times it has felt like we haven't left at all. That can be both a good and a bad thing. We are slowly finding our ways and settling in nicely, although the thought of London life sometimes lingers in the back of our minds. With that said, free time has been bountiful thus far and therefore I've taken the opportunity to try and use this time constructively. And what's more constructive than random art projects (that's a joke ps). Here is the fruit of our labour, enjoy.

T.

Look up, way up...

What wonderful things one can find when they take the time to look up amongst the rooftops of houses and buildings in any given neighbourhood. My fascination with looking up to the roofs of buildings began with my urban hunting of old painted advertisements. An interest in all things graffiti related soon followed and with that, a whole new world of looking up, had opened up to me.
There are endless possibilities in terms of what you will find on rooftops, whether it be downtown amongst taller buildings, or in a more residential neighbourhood. Next time you find yourself going for a walk, talk the time to look up, and embrace the opportunity to explore urban rooftops.

 

T.

Marc Chagall at the AGO

While visiting Toronto, an afternoon trip was made to the AGO to peruse the Chagall and Russian Avant Garde exhibit. Prior to visiting, I knew close to nothing about Marc Chagall except that he was a rather renowned artist who lived in France for the better part of his life. I left the exhibit knowing much more in regards to Chagall, but also understanding what his motivations were, and who he was as an artist.

The Exhibit provided a nice mix of Russian artists inspired, much like Chagall was, by their homeland and their culture. Chagall specifically drew upon his love of his town or shtetl of Vitebsk, located in present day Belarus. His admiration and dreamy outlook on life in his shtetl is all Chagall needed to inspire beautifully constructed artwork. He painted through a lens of an Eastern European Jew, showcasing his culture and everyday life which he was used to as a child and a teenager. The exhibit did a good job of displaying video art, and sculptures among the paintings, providing a variety of mediums in which artists of that period expressed themselves.

It was fascinating the way in which the "Russian Avant Garde" artists were able to draw upon their past, and their homes, to inspire their works. This inspiration is something that everyone can relate to; having a special location within our memories, influencing our everyday lives.

 

 T