Toronto International Art Fair

Today, I spent a couple of hours wandering around the Toronto International Art Fair (Oct 28th-31st, 2011). I noticed a couple of themes and techniques that seemed to repeat themselves, as if the artists had only been looking at each other. For some odd reason, numerous artist had taken it upon themselves to depict butterflies in a mandela-like formation. The first time I saw this, I thought - oh how beautiful. The third, fourth and fifth variation, I wondered, "oh - hasn't this already been done?" and, "have you no shame?" I know such harsh criticisms for a dilettante in the art world isn't terribly correct of me, but I speak nonetheless.

I found myself far more fascinated by the various photographers exhibited there. While the subject matter wasn't always original the techniques were. For example, Brent Townshend, combined fish-eye lens with editing to create innovative landscapes. I had the lucky chance to discuss his work with him. If I remember correctly, he said that it was how we perceive the world and the ways this could be distorted which interested him. This reminded me of a former film prof and his surround sound project. Like the photographer, standing in the middle and taking pictures in 360 degrees around him, his mikes were placed in the middle but facing outwards. The resulting photograph showed the place of the photographer at the four edges, while the mikes created the impression of surround sound.


Brent Townshend

The reality of photography has so long been assumed that Townshend's work and also that of Alison Jackson's, which fiddles with this perception of the real but in vastly differing ways, is needed.


Alison Jackson (not really Diana)

Toronto's Mayor Rob Ford Celebrates 8 Year Term

Ok - that's a bald-faced lie. One, I especially hope never comes true. Instead, Rob Ford was actually celebrating his first year in office with the announcement that he's kept his promises and is confident of popularity. Apparently (at least according to this cbc article) the people at Tim Horton's have been using that beautiful phrased Americanism, "stay the course", just because he's one fabulous guy! If he's so fab-u-lous, why was he missing from Toronto's pride parade this year? That's my favourite opportunity to be fabulous.



Kept his promises? So, yes, his bill to outsource garbage collection in West Toronto has been kept and in the process about 300 jobs will be lost. He also promised to "bring the house in order" (another one of those annoying catch phrases that lose all meaning after the second use) without cutting services. I'm more inclined to believe Councillor Adam Vaughn, when he says that "The one thing we know about this mayor is that every single city service ... everything with this mayor gets worse." Ford is cutting services and doesn't keep his promises.

His desire to cut spending is align with the vision of past Toronto Conservatives in power and has determined the chaos of the TTC, the quality of affordable housing, and the use of public spaces. Cutting sources of revenue such as the $60 vehicle registration fee and the Land Tax Transfer will not do wonders for the budget, neither will freezing income tax levels. John Loric's well-written article, How Toronto Lost Its Groove in the Walrus magazine details the history behind Toronto's current woes, and which Ford seems to be now exasperating. Loric also purports that cutting spending is exactly what Toronto should not be doing, if it is to be a world class city.

In order to compete on an international basis and continue to contribute significantly to Canada's GDP, Toronto needs to invest in its Transit system, regulate business, and regulate housing among other things.


Sad, but not really concrete proof of Rob Ford's inadequacies as a leader is his own out of touch relationship to Canadian culture. Instead of reading good Canadian authors such as Margaret Atwood, or watching such great "news" shows as This Hour has 22 minutes, he most likely spends his time on his speed boat in cottage country, wrecking precious Loon nesting habitat.

I wish next time Toronto goes to vote, we would all consider a party and a leader who would make life better here in the long term.