Pixelpost

My favourite Roncesvalles shop ... and it's now empty!

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:53 -0500

There is a story behind this place.

I first saw this store and noticed it about 7 years ago. At that time it was a clothing store, albeit a very odd one. There were very strange vintage displays in the windows of old style stuff and it was never open. I took pictures repeatedly over the years, drawn to it by who knows what. It wasn't until a few years ago that someone explained that to enter the store and purchase the very crazy old shit in there all you had to do was buzz the apartment above the store and an old guy would come down let you in, and sell you stuff.

I only ever saw the owner once. He was wandering around the dim interior in a wife beater and baggy pants. It wasn't creepy, just weird.

My relationship with the store continued for years, until about a year ago the clothes were gone and sadly the place was haphazardly stocked with Polish books and magazines. There are several shops selling Polish language wares on the Roncesvalles strip populated by the community the neighborhood services. The only thing is that there are less Polish folks living here. They still go to church here, but I think most of the older guard have been gentrified out. This is after all one of the more desirable areas for younger families with it's proximity to High Park, it's suburban feel and now it's pretty coolified street of shops. The polish community still comes in throngs to church, but I'm not sure how many of them still live in the 750,000 plus houses.

I don't mind the change, but I'll miss this store and it's idiosyncratic displays and mysterious business practices.

June 5th Solo Show

Sun, 30 May 2010 07:23 -0500

Saturday's opening is at Bau-Xi Photo. The gallery is directly across from the AGO's Dundas Street facade. There are 19 works on display including a bunch of 24" x 36" works, a few huge 40" x 60", some 36" square and some 20 inch square pieces. All the images were taken in March of this year in Toronto and New York.

2-4 pm is the official opening on Saturday. Wine, beer and other light refreshment will be available and I'll be hanging around to talk about the work. If you haven't seen the gallery yet it's well worth the trip. Also showing are various works by the other spectacular gallery artist including; Zoë Jaremus, Joshua Jensen-Nagle, Ferit Kuyas, Heidi Leverty, Eamon MacMahon, Adam Makarenko, Anthony Redpath, and Toby Smith.

You can check out everyone's work at the
BAU-XI PHOTO website.

NY Lexington & 53rd March 2010

Sun, 30 May 2010 07:21 -0500

NY Lexington & 63rd 3 March 2010

Sun, 30 May 2010 07:21 -0500

NY Lexington & 63rd 1 March 2010

Sun, 30 May 2010 07:20 -0500

NY Lincoln Center March 2010

Sun, 30 May 2010 07:19 -0500

TO Finch 2 March 2010

Sun, 30 May 2010 07:19 -0500

NY Time Square-42nd Street 1

Sun, 30 May 2010 07:18 -0500

NY Times Square March 2010

Sun, 30 May 2010 07:18 -0500

TO Bay March 2010

Sun, 30 May 2010 07:17 -0500