I know I’ve been away too long when I discover parts of my hometown that I’ve never seen before. Less than a block from where I used work, there’s an alley festooned with street art and urban murals. Made famous by Rick Mercer, Graffiti Alley runs parallel to Queen St West and stretches from Spadina to Bathurst.
Hubby and I were en route to Ossington for a photo crawl but stopped at Bathurst for a quick look. Our quick look turned into three hours of roaming and photo shooting.
The street art was amazing. Vivid and vibrant, the murals thrummed with energy and colour. In Seoul, I’d been impressed with the city’s attention to art in public spaces. The art in Toronto is different. It is brighter, edgier; more street-wise. The murals are complex, detailed and quirky. They reflect the diverse make-up of the city.
Although visually appealing to look at, the murals don’t always make for good pictures. My favorite shots were juxtapositions of art and real-life. Sometimes, art and reality transpose themselves.
Queen Street West, Toronto. July 2016
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