Personal Touches

Adding a personal touch to your home is simple: collect what you like. It doesn't matter if an item is considered to be on trend by design magazines. And neither should an item's monetary value have any bearing on how you value it.

As a case in point, I found this miniature bust in a Lakefield Antique shop for 10 dollars. I was drawn to the sculpture because it reminds me of my visit to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City this past January. He now lives at my house and his name is Herman.

Sculptural Wonders

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City houses one of the most extensive collections of Greek and Roman art in North America. Many of the marble statues are housed in the beautifully designed Mary & Michael Jaharis Gallery, where the barrel-vaulted ceilings bathe the sculptural wonders in natural light. Behind this hall, the Leon Levy & Shelby White Court features a central fountain and skylit ceiling, which invokes the feeling of entering an outdoor garden.

Mary & Michael Jaharis Gallery
Greek Art of the 6th, 5th & 4th Centuries B.C.

Head of a Herm
A square or rectangular pillar with the head of Hermes
(usually with a beard) adorning the top of the pillar.

Leon Levy & Shelby White Court
Hellenistic, Etruscan & Roman Art

Dionysos
The Greek god of wine.
Here he leans on a female figure.

Aphrodite
The Greek goddess of love, beauty & sexuality.

Hercules
Famous for his strength.

In a central section of the museum, with windows overlooking Central Park, the Carroll & Milton Petrie Court houses French and Italian sculptures, and was designed to resemble a classical French garden. This court incorporates the 1888 facade and carriage entrance to the museum.

Carroll & Milton Petrie
European Sculpture Court
17th to early 20th Century

Air

Fire

Earth

Water

All photos by CherishToronto

Beautiful!!
Bello!!
Magnifique!!

Cloud Gate

Besides preparing to host Thanksgiving, one of the reasons I haven't written many posts recently is that I took a 5 day vacay to spend some time with my sister in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. While there, we did an overnight stay in nearby Chicago, where we visited Millennium Park. The park opened in July 2004, and features many interesting pieces of sculpture and architecture. I loved the reflective Cloud Gate by Anish Kapoor created from polished stainless steel plates.

The AT&T Plaza at Millennium Park

Cloud Gate Reflections

Inner Reflections of Cloud Gate

If the name Anish Kapoor seems familiar, you may recall that I previously posted a photo of his aluminum sculpture located here in Toronto on Front Street West:

Untitled (Mountain)

Anish Kapoor is a master of metal. Visit his website for more details about his works.

The Art of the City

Today was my ideal Perfect Day. No alarm clock, no appointments, no need to be anywhere or meet anyone by any particular time. Sun shining, birds singing, not a cloud in the sky, and a more than comfortable high of 26 degrees Celsius:


With such a beautiful day beckoning, I went for a walk. Yes I did. With no final destination in mind, I went out to wander the streets as though I were a tourist in my own city. And what a pleasure it was!! Who needs to visit the AGO when the streets of Toronto are full of interesting outdoor sculpture?

Memorial to Commemorate the Chinese Railroad workers in Canada
Artist: Eldon Garnet
Figures by: Francis LeBouthillier
Bronze, Wood, Stone
September 1989

The Audience (1 & 2)
(Rogers Center, Northwest & Northeast Entrances)

Artist: Michael Snow
Fibreglass, Paint

1989

Woopecker Column
Artist: Dai Skuse & Kim Kozzi
Fastwurms
1997

100 Workers
Artists: John Scott & Stewart H. Pollock
Bronze, Granite
1988-1998

The Anonymity of Prevention
Artists: Derek Lo & Lana Winkler
Bronze, Granite
2000

untitled (Mountain)
Artist: Anish Kapoor
Aluminum
1995

Triad

Artist: Ted Bieler
Stainless Steel
May 24, 1984

Front Street median across from Union Station

Benches at TD Centre, Wellington & Bay

The Pasture
Artist: Joe Fafard
Bronze

1985

Megaptera (Great Wings)
Artist: George Schmerholz
Bronze, Granite
May 18, 1993

SunLife
Artist: Sorel Etrog
Bronze, Granite Base
November 1984

The Hand
Artist: Sorel Etrog
Bronze, Granite Base
1972

Pas de Trois
Artist: Russell K. Jacques
Stainless Steel, Granite
June 7, 1984

Marlin
Artist: Andrew Posa
Bronze, Granite
1987


Remembered Sustenance
Artist: Cynthia Short
Bronze
1992



Fair Grounds
Artist: Michael Goulet
2003


Uniform measure/STACK
Artist: Stephen Cruise
Bronze
1997


Barca Volante
Francisco Gazitua
Steel
2004

Rosa Nautica
Francisco Gazitua
Steel
2007

Lesson Learned Today:
Once in awhile, take the time to slow down and appreciate what lies just outside the front door!!

To see where all of these sculptures are located, follow this link to my Google Map:
Toronto Sculpture

Ireland Park

Today I took a stroll along the waterfront for a breath of fresh air. Along the way, I stumbled upon a new discovery at the foot of Bathurst Street: Ireland Park. I thought the timing was ironic, considering St. Patrick's Day was just this past Tuesday.

Ireland Park is dedicated to the 38,000 Irish immigrants who arrived in Toronto during the summer of 1847, as they fled the famine in their homeland. The sculptor, Rowan Gillespie, has created "The Arrival" here in Toronto, as the North American counterpart to his work in Ireland, "Departure".

The Arrival

The Jubilant Man

Pregnant Woman
(The Apprehensive Man behind)

The Orphan Boy

The rock forming the craggy wall was lifted from limestone beds in the hills of Kilkenny.


More than 1,100 Irish immigrants died upon arrival in Toronto. Of those, 675 names are known, and have been engraved in the crevasses of the limestone wall.


To find out more about Ireland Park, visit the website:
www.irelandparkfoundation.com