Paving the Way Showcase Labyrinths:
TWO Labyrinths painted on July 26 2014 by neighbourhood kids living in TCHC (Toronto Community Housing) at 2821 Birchmount Road in Scarborough.
The week-long Paving the Way Showcase was facilitated by artist Virginia Tran for Art Starts.
Both labyrinths, a seven circuit classic plus a rectangle spiral pass-through labyrinth, are painted in the pedestrian pathway in-between Finch Avenue East and Glendower Circuit, East of Birchmount Road in Agincourt.
The First Saturday in May is World Labyrinth Day.
First Weekend in May is Jane’s Walk Festival.
Put them together, mix in Toronto City of Labyrinths Project, and ta da!
Toronto City of Labyrinths World Labyrinth Day Jane’s Walk 2015!
Kate Watanabe, Jane’s Walk City Organizer for Toronto, joined the walk.
Kate instagrammed this video from our meeting point, the Christie Street Traffic Island Labyrinth.
“A film about Mark Wallinger‘s Labyrinth.
Directed by Jared SchillerThis 30 minute documentary explores the ideas behind Mark Wallinger’s major artwork commission for London Underground,
From the influence of Harry Beck’s Tube map to the Guinness Book of Records’ Tube Challenge,
Alongside personal responses to the artworks by travellers and Underground staff.”
“2013 was the 150th anniversary of the London Underground.
To celebrate, artist Mark Wallinger has created ‘Labyrinth’, a series of 270 unique artworks – one for every station on the network.
The film reveals the inspiration and processes behind the project during a journey that starts in Chigwell, where Mark was brought up, and ends in St James’s Park, the site of the first installed work.
Along the way we also visit Mark in his Soho studio, and a factory in Redhill, Surrey, where the artworks are being meticulously handmade.”
Sequence project created for a broadcast journalism class at Ryerson University’s School of Journalism.
Actress: Natalia Balcerzak
Videographer: Amal Ahmed Albaz
Videographer/Editor: Ramisha Farooq
The Grange Park Labyrinth has been in need of re-repainting for well into two full summers. It’s become one of this project’s most popular and well walked Labyrinths anywhere in the city.
Most of the north-south circuits had become barely visible, making Labyrinth walking almost impossible for all but a few people who already knew the path or could glean a few faded paint drops still in place. No joy.
It’s Thanksgiving Saturday, and I finally found the time and empty work space to make the restoration. Many regular park people are away this long weekend, plus the water main construction crew are also off the clock. They’ve been working all around the labyrinth, ripping up and repouring concrete, but not quite touching the labyrinth itself.
A few quick photograph panoramics for the Before shot, and after that, painting for the next hour…
Previously, the circuits were blue and white.
Blue in deference to the Giant Blue Wall of the Art Gallery of Ontario facing the park.
The white painted circuits were always intended to have squares and rectangles in the colour black, to match the Shoebox building next door up in the sky above the original OCAD Building.
But, I never got around to painting in those few black squares in all my previous repaintings of this labyrinth.
To speed things up this weekend, I made an editorial decision to only paint it in one colour. So for the moment, this is a white only labyrinth. When I next have time, I’ll come back with blue and black and hopefully, finally, paint the Grange Park Labyrinth as I had always intended.
With ALL circuits repainted now, it’s ready for you all to walk.
Enjoy your New Grange Park Labyrinth!
Windsor Labyrinth, Sunday July 21 2013
During my 30 Masjids Ontario Ramadan Roadtrip, I chalked out this Labyrinth in Windsor, Ontario.
“Today I walked down to the neighbourhood labyrinth at Christie Pits park. It’s painted on the conical wading pool, and on this day the benches were filled with Chinese elderly (joyously) shouting at each other.
“I have a long relationship with this particular labyrinth, I’ve probably walked it 100 times. I used to walk down to this park and hoop the labyrinth each morning before I started my day. It was a commute for me, forcing me to move, experience the weather, and get dressed like a normal person.
“I love the way that the circular shape of the whole labyrinth is so simple, so predictable, but the path inside is not. Even after walking so many times, I can’t predict the path. Or more exactly, when I started the practice I decided to not worry about where the next bend would lead, to not worry about memorizing the path so I could do it more efficiently, but to just do it, to enjoy, and to be lost for as long as possible.
“The Christie Pits labyrinths are made by the same artist who makes most of them in the city – HiMY. I love finding them as I walk around Toronto, they encourage taking a few minutes to wander in a small space, to be present, and to be curious.
“I have a few rules that I set for myself – take a breath at the start and set an intention. At the centre I take another moment to reflect before I turn around and retrace the path. I take a conscious breath and moment of thanks at the end. No crossing the lines, and no talking. The last one was made so that I would focus on the practice, cause especially when a hoop is involved, people are curious about why I’m dancing on this concrete circle and will ask me questions.
“Sometimes I feel like a slave to lines painted on the ground, but it’s those days that I most need the wandering.
“Sometimes, like this morning, I see another walker start the labyrinth, but quit before they reach the center. They often seem frustrated at how long it’s taking, or confused that it’s not a maze – there’s no choices to make and the only way to control how quickly you get to the centre is to change your speed. I like not having to make any decisions.
“A few years ago, Mo and I made a video of hooping in a labyrinth. Mo started in the middle and I started on the outside, and we wandered through as a cyclist learned to ride backwards….”
Re-Blogged from Sadie‘s blog, Circle Nerd.
@HiMYSYeD I have always been curious how the lines are so event and clean. Looking good!
— Mike Layton (@m_layton) May 16, 2012
RT @agotoronto SO COOL RT @himysyed: 1/2 done repainting Grange Park Labyrinth. Next, add Blue to echo AGO's S. Wall pic.twitter.com/JUXG7A7pFz
— HïMY SYeD 🍥 City of Labyrinths Project (@LabyrinthsDOTca) December 6, 2015
The Sir Casimir Gzowski Park wading pool was my second labyrinth stop on this Thanksgiving Sunday 2011.
Having biked from Howard Junior Public School after experiencing their Species of The Humber Watershed playground labyrinth, I was en route to Butterfly Park just west of the Humber River. The original intention for the day was to create a giant Butterfly shaped labyrinth design. It has been on my mind for the past two summers, and today I finally made the time.
Watching a mother and son walk my wading pool labyrinth brought a smile to my face. Looking over to children climbing the nearby playground equipment, my eyes were drawn to the empty spot on the beach immediately south of the boardwalk.
As often happens in my labyrinth building, serendipity takes over and something else, somewhere else gets built first.
Only a moment was needed to decide to abandon plans for the Butterfly Labyrinth. Maybe it will get done next summer? Or the summer after that?
…I began measuring, then outlining circles in the sand… More Photos
Muslims in Toronto have been marking the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan with Eid al Fitr.
I attended GTA Eid at Metro Toronto Convention Centre hosted by Muslim Association of Canada.
After prayers, Muslim children, namely brothers Omar and Ammar and their big sister, helped create a Labyrinth using masking tape.
… okay, so we didn’t finish making the labyrinth in the big backyard earlier this evening … manana, manana …
This is the Big Backyard to my grandparents’ place in Fremont, California.
One of those suburban nightmares where everything is manicured and nothing out of the norm ever seems to appear.
Eyeing the boredom of the complex’s kids and the great green grass canvas since my visit began here, I finally broke down today and installed, or rather tried to install, a labyrinth.
The only materials I could readily use were simple 8.5 by 11 sheets of paper and everyday toothpicks to pin the sheets into the grass.
Harder than it looks or sounds, the grass being deep, the ground moist, my fingers and thumbs aching, the children impatient.
The kids kept asking if the labyrinth was ready all afternoon. They even helped now and then, but their tiny fingers failed them after at best a sheet or two.
Imagine kids in the backseat of your car on a long trip repeating, ‘Are we there yet?’ and your ears may get a feel for what echoed in Fremont all afternoon.
Finally, I just gave in and let them play.
No one seemed to care the paper labyrinth wasn’t done yet.
It was enjoyed as is — unfinished.
