Jeremy Kai knows and loves Toronto in a way most of us only dream of. He wanders the city above and below ground photographing buildings and reading up on their history. We had an opening for his show at JCMJ on Sunday, January 20th 2013 with amazing food by Michelle Kay and cocktails (inspired by the architecture in Jeremy's work) served by Amelie Dinh. Thanks to all who came by!
Jeremy's show will be up until late February. Please be in touch if you'd like to come see it.
Here's Jeremy's introduction to the work and a couple of his photographs:
Jeremy's show will be up until late February. Please be in touch if you'd like to come see it.
Here's Jeremy's introduction to the work and a couple of his photographs:
In an episode of "The Layover" in which Toronto is the focus, celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain tells viewers that Toronto is far from good looking:
"They sort of got the worst of the architectural fads of the 20th century. It looks like every public school in America, third-tier city library, soviet chic, butt-ugly, glass box...”
While aspects of this holier-than-thou judgment hold some truth, Toronto finds ways to flaunt its virtues and beauty to those wishing to see it.
Toronto is a city that swells with architectural diversity. In and around the "butt-ugly" are plenty of examples of great urban design that Toronto should be proud to have adopted. No such city exists where every building is beautiful. Such monotony would devalue good design and craftsmanship. An ugly museum or stucco-lined storefront helps you appreciate good architecture.
Toronto doesn’t have a single urban style that defines it, like the grand boulevards of Paris or the high-rise canyons of Manhattan. Instead, we have a vast collection of styles interwoven throughout the city: the ornate details of the mid to late 19th century, the lavishness of Beaux-Arts and Art Deco, the functionality and inventiveness of post-war expansion, and, more recently, the repurposing and modernization of old buildings. In many cases, you can find examples of all of these styles within walking distance from each other amongst the plain, boring, ugly and extraordinary.
"They sort of got the worst of the architectural fads of the 20th century. It looks like every public school in America, third-tier city library, soviet chic, butt-ugly, glass box...”
While aspects of this holier-than-thou judgment hold some truth, Toronto finds ways to flaunt its virtues and beauty to those wishing to see it.
Toronto is a city that swells with architectural diversity. In and around the "butt-ugly" are plenty of examples of great urban design that Toronto should be proud to have adopted. No such city exists where every building is beautiful. Such monotony would devalue good design and craftsmanship. An ugly museum or stucco-lined storefront helps you appreciate good architecture.
Toronto doesn’t have a single urban style that defines it, like the grand boulevards of Paris or the high-rise canyons of Manhattan. Instead, we have a vast collection of styles interwoven throughout the city: the ornate details of the mid to late 19th century, the lavishness of Beaux-Arts and Art Deco, the functionality and inventiveness of post-war expansion, and, more recently, the repurposing and modernization of old buildings. In many cases, you can find examples of all of these styles within walking distance from each other amongst the plain, boring, ugly and extraordinary.