Trending in Theatre: Come Fly Away, White Biting Dog, 'Da Kink in my Hair, Exit The King, Kevin Sorbo

9:10 am

Yes, Fringe is over, and SummerWorks is too, but there’s still a lot of great performances going on in Toronto right now, and, well, pretty much every week. That’s why we’re rounding up the top five stage shows on a weekly basis: musicals, dramas, comedies, one-man/woman shows, puppetry — whatever’s trending in Toronto’s theatre scene, we have you covered.

This week’s roundup includes the latest offering from Twyla Tharp, da return of Da Kink in My Hair and KSorbs!

Come Fly Away

If you’re a fan of Ol’ Blue Eyes and the unique vision of Twyla Tharp (her book The Creative Habit is an artist’s bible), then you’re bound to enjoy this new Broadway musical. With a roaring big band onstage backed by 14 of the world’s best dancers, this unique experience — telling the stories of four couples falling in and out of love — will surely have you flying to the moon (figuratively speaking, of course).
Four Seasons Centre, 145 Queen Street West, 416-363-6671; runs Aug. 16-28

White Biting Dog

Think It’s a Wonderful Life meets The Adventures of TinTin. In this award-winning play by Canadian playwright Judith Thompson, a distraught lawyer is about to commit suicide when he’s stopped by the words of a small white dog, who instructs him that his anguish will be eased if he can save his dying father (proving once and for all that dogs aren’t called “man’s best friend” for nothing).
The Young Centre for the Performing Arts, 55 Mill Street, 416-203-6264; runs Aug. 18-Oct. 1

‘Da Kink in My Hair

Trey Anthony‘s uncensored play about the challenges faced by black women in Canada took Toronto by storm five years ago. Now it’s back and looks better than ever, bringing in ‘da kink and ‘da noise with a new character and more music.
Harbourfront Centre, 231 Queens Quay West, 416-973-4000; runs Aug. 11-28

Exit the King

This is the perfect play for you if you’re feeling a little existential lately. Acclaimed absurdist Eugene Ionesco‘s play about a fallen king who’s told that he has until the end of the play to live will surely make you feel better about your life.
The Young Centre for the Performing Arts, 55 Mill Street, 416-203-6264; runs Aug. 16-Sept. 9

The Kevin Sorbo Garbage Weekend

Back in November, thanks to a 24-hour charity stand-up set at Comedy Bar, Chuck Norris-style jokes about Kevin Sorbo started trending like mad on Twitter. Word got to KSorbs himself and how he’s coming to Toronto to do four improv shows and a sketch comedy show. This is sure to be an awesome opportunity for both comedy and sci-fi fans, and for those who want to see that hair!
Comedy Bar, 945 Bloor Street West, 416-551-6540; runs Aug. 26-27

Jamba Juice is coming to Canada; expect many locations

2:48 pm

For years, Jamba Juice has been running the smoothie-show in the United States. Now, it’s Canada’s turn. Thanks to the family that brought us Yogen Fruz and Yogurty’s, Jamba Juice is moving north, and Toronto will be its testing grounds.

After starting the Yogen Fruz franchise 25 years ago and bringing back the venerable Yogurty’s name in May, Serruya brothers Mike, Simon, Jack and Aaron thought it was time to take on a third healthy snacking organization. With their father being the largest Jamba Juice shareholder in America, it was a no-brainer that the smoothie joint would be their next project.

“It all started because we saw a trend that consumers cared about what they ate,” says Aaron Serruya of their first venture, Yogen Fruz.

Yogurty’s, the DIY frozen yogurt store, was their second major franchise, which has been expanding rapidly since its first opening in May with six locations in Ontario (more are on the way) and two in Mexico. But the Serruya brothers have no intention of slowing down.

Since 1995, Jamba Juice has been providing Americans with a wide variety of fruit smoothies and freshly-squeezed juices. With the option of adding a "boost" (sound familliar?), the smoothies are said to help enhance energy and keep you healthy. The chain also sells breakfast items such as oatmeal and flat breads, both of which will be available in the Toronto stores.

The first Canadian Jamba Juice will open in three to four weeks in The Annex, at 495 Bloor Street West, in the former home of Walk in Wok Out. The second will be in Yorkdale mall. While these two locations are the only confirmed ones to date, “there is not a province we will not be in over the next 24 months,” Aaron says. The Canadian locations will be identical to their American counterparts.

Aaron says that Jamba’s fruit smoothies are addictive and that people are anticipating their arrival. “Customers will come everyday. It will be an alternative to coffee.”

With other smoothie chains such as Booster Juice and Jugo Juice already being popular amongst Torontonians, Aaron still believes that there is a large Jamba market. “When you look at Booster or Jugo, they were inspired by Jamba. Jamba is the Godfather.”

Jamba Juice, 495 Bloor St. West

This Week in Sound: Incubus, Against Me, The Weeknd and more

1:43 pm

Please note: Incubus (August 28 @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre) have many, many songs that are not “Drive.” Their fifteen-year career has spanned just about as many genres as music journalists have in their lexicon, and they’ve returned from a prolonged hiatus with this year’s If Not Now, When? — yet another musical departure. Unfortunately for fans of their louder, “Megalomaniac”-era fuzzed-out aggression, this departure has seen them set up residence inside the borders of plush, eardrum-friendly soft rock. Just ask Bob Dylan: you can’t be an angry young man forever. Check out singles “Promises, Promises” and “Adolescents” before throwing down your coin.

Not to be confused with the other “against” band that jumped from Fat Mike‘s Fat Wreck Chords label into mainstream success, Against Me (August 22 @ The Mod Club) will be bringing their own brand of shout-along radio-punk to Toronto tonight. The refinement of singles like “I Was a Teenage Anarchist” (which ate up the Edge airwaves last summer) is certainly a far cry from their rough-hewn gutter-folk roots, as is this cutesy-but-charming duet with Tegan, 50 per cent of the genetically-harmonious Tegan and Sara.

I’ve had Mississauga upstarts Morning Thieves (August 22 @ The Horseshoe Tavern) quietly growing my musical radar for a few months now. These fresh-faced guitar slingers have been rocking the suburbs, swirling Bryan Fligg‘s throaty-sincere vocal charm with tastefully arranged indie-pop. They’re working on building their empire: catch them at The Horseshoe tonight before they begin their hostile takeover of the industry.

And now for something completely different: The London Symphony Orchestra will set up shop for three gigs at the Black Creek Music Festival (August 27, 29 & 30 @ York University) this week. Maybe the world’s best-known classical troupe, the LSO has (in previous incarnations) been responsible for a slew of movie scores, many of which resonate today as the finest soundtracks of all time: the iconic melodies of John Williams’ Star Wars and Indiana Jones scores came straight from their horsehair bows. How awesome is that? Conducted by crack maestro Lorin Maazel, they’ll be laying down some serious sturm und drang with Beethoven‘s Ninth Symphony.

And, finally, in non-concert news: ascendant Torontonian purveyor of tripped-out R&B delirium, The Weeknd, dropped his newest mix tape, Thursday last, um, Thursday. The follow up to the widely acclaimed and hugely viral House of Balloons promises more moody beats and glassy-eyed ruminations on sex, and drugs, and sex, and sex, along with guest vocals from follow Torontonian Drake.

Let them eat (lots of) pizza: Toronto's Furious Pete faces Takeru Kobayashi in a pie-pounding rematch

3:06 pm

This weekend, legendary competitve eater Takeru “The Tsunami” Kobayashi battles Toronto’s own “Furious Pete” Czerwinski in the second annual pizza pie eating competition at PIE, Barrie’s only wood-fired pizza joint. The Let ‘Em Eat Part Deuce competition will see the two — along with nine others — hoovering sauce and inhaling cheese like human garburators.

At the inaugural competition last year, Kobayashi downed 40 slices of gloriously cheesy pizza in a mere 12 minutes. (For the record, that’s 10 full pizzas.) The eating machine gained a bad-boy reputation last summer, when he crashed the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest after a dispute with Major League Eating (yes, that is a real thing). This year, he’s back and vows to break last year’s record, said a PIE spokesperson. Earlier this summer, Kobayashi set an unofficial world record by consuming 69 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

In the other corner of the pizza pie ring is homegrown power-eater “Furious” Pete, who struggled with anorexia in high school (which even he admits is pretty ironic). Finishing in a not-so-distant second against Kobayashi, he ate his way through 29 slices of tomato, mozzarella and basil pies last year. Hungry for the competition (quite literally), he recently consumed an entire pizza in just 35 seconds.

The two face off this Sunday at 3 p.m. in Barrie. Eleven contestants will compete in the final, mowing down on 14-inch Queen Pies made up of margherita tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and basil.

Up for grabs is a personal parking spot at PIE and $3,000 (which, if spent on food, will sate one of these guys for precisely five minutes).

Let ‘Em Eat Part Deuce, PIE, 705-725-WOOD

How will Toronto’s upcoming aquarium stack up on the world stage?

1:06 pm

After hearing about the new Ripley’s Aquarium, opening in 2013 at the base of the CN Tower, it would be easy to make jokes about our esteemed mayor preferring sharks to, say, libraries, books or Margaret Atwood (alright, alright, that was his brother, but still). Yes, it would be easy, but we aren’t going to do it, because let’s be honest: we like sharks too.

Another thing we like, as Canadians, is building things that are just really, really big. It’s good clean fun, and it probably has nothing to do with inferiority complexes or any of that psycho-gibberish. Dubai may have us beat on the CN Tower, but how will our new aquarium compare to other similarly gargantuan aquaria? Let’s find out.

1. Tank size. At 1.5 million gallons (5.7 million litres), the Ripley’s Aquarium will be big, but not the biggest by any means. In Canadian terms, it’s smaller overall than the Vancouver Aquarium (2.5 million gallons between its combined tanks). Both of these get clobbered by the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia, which has the world’s largest single tank at a titanic 6.3 million gallons.

Which raises the real question in terms of where we’ll rank on the world stage: how much of the 1.5 million gallons will be accounted for by a single tank? According to this Touropia guide, the cutoff for being in the top 10 largest tanks in the world is the Aquarium of Western Australia in Perth, at 793,000 gallons.

Facts like this can get pretty murky on the Internet, so we gave Tim O’Brien, Ripley’s VP of Communications, a call to set the record straight. “It’ll be multiple tanks,” he explains. “The main attraction is a 750,000 gallon shark lagoon, under which there’ll be a 100 meter gliding walkway offering spectacular views. There will also be a number of smaller tanks,” including a psychedelic jellyfish display (tentatively called Planet Jelly), which will bathe onlookers in blue luminescence and classical music.

So, there you have it — we just missed the top 10, even though our main tank is almost 10 times the size of Vancouver’s. (We’re assuming that siphoning 43,000 gallons from the Perth aquarium with mouth suction and a garden hose isn’t a viable solution.)

2. Number of animals. About 13,500 fish, sharks and other water-dwellers from oceans and streams across the world will call Ripley’s home (that number refers to individual animals, not species). That’s a tiny fraction of the Vancouver Aquarium’s 70,000 individual animals, and Georgia’s whopping 120,000. Personally, we think that we should just buy more fish. Couldn’t we just grab some from PetSmart and bring them over in a plastic bag filled with water? No? Eco-what? Okay, jeez, sorry.

3. Number of species. In terms of different kinds of fish, the Toronto aquarium (450) will be roughly equal to both Western Australia (400) and the Georgia Aquarium (500). So, in terms of sheer variety, Toronto’s right up there with the big boys.

And that’s where we stand. Happy shark-peeping!

Manic Coffee set to become the next player in Toronto’s burgeoning gelato scene

11:10 am

College street’s bustling indie java spot Manic Coffee has a sweet new project in the works: house-made gelato. Owner Matthew Lee, who apprenticed at Vancouver’s famed Elysian Coffee, plans to approach his artisanal gelato with the same science-driven zeal and attention to detail that he takes with his coffee.

Lee isn’t the kind of guy to filter marginal effort into any task. Before opening Manic in 2007, he trained and traveled extensively, earning an education in all things coffee-related, so it’s not surprising that he’s gone down a similar path in preparation for his gelato-making debut.

Between classes in dairy science and technology at the University of Guelph, shiny new Italian equipment by Gel-Matic and a sweeping reconnaissance of cutting-edge North American gelaterias (he cites Il Laboratorio and Ciao Bella in NYC and the Bi-Rite Creamery in San Francisco as inspirations), the visions dancing in Lee’s head are quickly becoming a reality.

With such dedication, it’s hard to imagine Manic’s gelato being anything less than stellar. Some flavours you might expect to sample once Manic starts scooping? Sweet corn and vanilla butter with a pinch of fleur de sel; peppermint and hand-chopped Michel Cluizel dark chocolate; scalded milk stracciatella and a maple walnut done Lee’s way: with coarsely hewn walnuts and local maple syrup.

Manic’s gelato will be the antithesis of those cheap and sugary iced confections that often contain no milk at all: Lee plans to source his ingredients locally as much as possible, using nearby Kensington Market to his advantage. “I want to be proud of what I’m serving,” he says.

But what will the transformation mean for Manic’s young and trendy clientele? Does Lee worry that his new offerings will attract a more family-friendly crowd, driving the caffeine-guzzling hipsters onto their fixies towards the nearest competition?

“People come here because they like the space and believe in the product,” he says. “For me, [gelato] will be an additive. The appeal is to have somewhere people can come at night.” Although Lee does anticipate a change — customers are already planning to bring their kids, he says — he has faith in his bedrock clientele and in Manic’s community vibe, something he’s cultivated by refusing to offer WiFi and by encouraging the communal din that has come to characterize his shop.

Manic’s comfort quotient won’t be fluctuating dramatically, either, though shop’s interior is getting a revamp, including an extended bar front crafted from refurbished old Douglas fir beams. The idea is for a warm, woody vibe with nods to the traditional notion of a gelateria.

With hopes of opening the gelateria by the beginning of September, Manic will extend its hours — to 10 p.m., or possibly later on weekends — to accommodate Toronto’s sweet tooth. Diehard fans needn’t worry that Manic’s coffee culture is being tossed on the back burner with the addition of gelato: Lee plans to begin hosting regular (free!) brewing classes, and plans to bake an assortment of coffee-accompanying goodies in-house.

He’s thrilled about the new venture, regarding it as an opportunity to exercise passion in the sweetest possible way. Grinning widely, he articulates the bottom line: “for me it’s like, I have a great coffee, and I’m going to have a great gelato. Why not bring them together?”

Manic Coffee, 426 College Street, 416-966-3888

Where to find Toronto’s best online boutiques

9:13 am

The truly fashion-obsessed don’t let heavy workloads or business hours get in the way of obtaining new duds. With e-commerce, we can now shop 24-hours a day without leaving the comfort of our office or home. There are the obvious heavy-weights in the world of online shopping — Net-a-Porter, ASOS, Urban Outfitters, Topshop — but what about the little guys? More specifically, what about the ones based in Toronto?

We’ve tracked down five great boutiques in the city where you can shop in person and online.

Bicyclette

Launched last summer as an online boutique, owner Paige Boersma set up a permanent location in March after the huge success of her pop-up shops throughout the fall. Specializing in girly, city-pretty pieces, labels stocked include Wildfox, Equipment, MINKPINK and Evil Twin.
Shop online @ www.shopbicyclette.ca and in person @ 880 Queen St. W., 416-532-8048

White Crow

Here’s another independent e-tailer that found a boutique space after the success of its pop-ups. White Crow offers stylish ladies inexpensive, runway-inspired looks in small quantities. This is the new way to get your fast-fashion fix and avoid style doppelgangers on the streets. High-five to that!
Shop online @ www.whitecrowonline.com and in person @ The Burroughes Building, 639 Queen St. W., 647-828-7302

Nomad

Since its opening in 2005, Nomad has outfitted the men of Toronto with its exclusive mix of luxe sportswear clothing and lifestyle goods, with brands ranging from the Canadian to the Japanese. It has recently grown from its original spot on Richmond Street by opening a second location on Queen West and launching a sweet online shop.
Shop online @ www.nomadshop.net and in person @ 431 Richmond Street West, & 819 Queen St. W., 416-682-1107

Jonathan & Olivia

You have to give credit to Jonathan & Olivia’s owner, Jackie O’Brien, for stepping up the shopping game at Queen and Ossington in a big way. Thanks to her, downtowners no longer have to trek up to Yorkville to get their hands on coveted lines like A.P.C., Alexander Wang, Pamela Love and Isabel Marant. Now, with the new online shopping site, they don’t even have to leave home!
Shop online @ jonathanandolivia.com and in person @ 49 Ossington Ave., 416-849-5956

Carte Blanche

This boutique is filled with cutting edge pieces that leave you lusting after each one. Expect to find some of the best that Europe has to offer – Camilla Skovgaard, Ann-Sofie Back, Mark Fast, Cheap Monday – mixed in with the shop’s notable in-house line, Pink Cobra. We love.
Shop online @ www.shopcarteblanche.ca and in person @ 758 Queen St. W., 416-532-0347

A by-the-numbers look at the upcoming Canada’s Wonderland rollercoaster, Leviathan

1:40 pm

Thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies will be pleased to learn that Canada’s Wonderland has announced it’s latest roller coaster addition, Leviathan. The new ride — bigger than any of the older ones — will cross over the park’s front gate and make just about any coaster-goer say, “Behemoth what?” Below, meet Leviathan, by the numbers.

93.3m

The rollercoaster’s height at its peak. It beats the height of Wonderland’s 2011 addition, WindSeeker, which reaches a measly 91.7 m.

80 degrees

The angle of the drop. Probably easy to handle after the nearly 100 meter climb, right?

1,672m

The length of track. In case your heart only fell half way to your stomach on Behemoth, Leviathan will be about 50 meters longer.

148 km/h

Levian’s speed during the first drop. Too bad, because we were really hoping this thing would crack 200: our high school joyrides were faster than this. Then again, those joyrides were pretty fun.

3 min, 28 seconds

The approximate ride time. It also happens to be the perfect amount of time for all that pizza, funnel cake and cotton candy you ate to come right back up.

$28,000,000

The investment. A small price to pay for inducing queasiness and shrieking in others.

2012

The year the ride is expected to open. It’ll be Wonderland’s 16th coaster and rank amongst the largest in the world.

The five weirdest things you’ll find at the CNE this year

12:45 pm

Here’s news that’s sure to be a mind-rending shock: according to the National Post, Canadians are sometimes perceived as “boring” by the international community. Little do they know that once a year, a rift in the space-time continuum opens next to a dumpster behind the food pavilion at the CNE, spilling forth all sorts of extra-dimensional weirdness. Here’s a rundown of the oddballery you can expect this year, beginning tomorrow.

1. Deep fried North American life. By now you’ve heard about the deep fried cola, yes? And the cheeseburger, sandwiched between two halves of an artery-obliterating Krispy Kreme donut? Add to this deep fried butter, pop-tarts, slushies… Excuse the philosophical waxing, but there’s a strange irony in the wares that the CNE’s food vendors concoct. It’s like an edible wax museum — something that could be shown in a Michael Moore doc with eerie strings humming in the background. But, does that mean we aren’t going to eat it? Oh hell no. Christmas comes but once a year, kids. Check it out in the Toronto Star Food Building.

2. The bra as conceptual art. Personally, we think the bra is a pretty decent invention as-is, but the good people at The Bra Project have made improvements, and for a good cause. This collection of sixty eccentric female undergarments seems like a joke at first, but it’s actually a creative and touching way to raise breast cancer awareness. And, yes, it retains a sense of humor as well. You can check out “Booby Orr” and other decorative breast support systems daily, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. in the Arts, Crafts and Hobbies Pavillion.

3. Becky Hoops. She’s a cavorting, hula-hooping jokesmith: a little weird, but not exactly a Twilight Zone remake starring Christopher Walken. On the other hand, really, 10 bucks if you can tell us just what is going on in this YouTube video we found of her act. We’ll go, but we’re not taking our shirts off. Be entertained, or possibly endure crippling psychological humiliation daily at Busker’s Corner.

4. The International Sand Sculpting Competition, returning for its sophomore year. Don’t call them sandcastles: this showdown is serious business. Six artists from around the world will square off, moulding 10 tons of sand into massive sculptures symbolizing their home nations. Who knows what’ll happen? Sand Elvis (USA)? Sand U2 (Ireland)? Sand “crowd of people eating deep fried butter” (Canada)? The competition will take place from Aug. 19-24 at Heritage Court in the Direct Energy Centre, with the resulting creations displayed there afterwards.

5. Bob Blumer. Okay — yes, on the surface he’s just a normal Food Network personality hanging out at the CNE to spread some culinary know-how. But have you seen Glutton for Punishment? Bob Blumer is more insane than a deep fried brassiere working a hula-hoop. He once lived off of nothing but Guinness for a week. (Shocking verdict: Guinness is probably not that “good for you.”) He also paddled a hollowed-out pumpkin downstream, tossed haggis and made a 2,672-pound bowl of salsa. Please, can somebody challenge him to a sixteen-course fried food contest? You’ll find him tomorrow at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. manning the Food Network stage in the At Home Pavillion, Hall A.

CNE, Aug. 19 – Sept. 5

I Robot: Q&A with Anthony Daniels, continuing C-3PO's legacy at Toronto's Fan Expo

10:56 am

Star Wars fans everywhere know the name C-3PO, the loyal golden robot with no sense of humor. The name that may be a little less familiar however, is Anthony Daniels, the man behind the droid. For those who question if there is actually a man behind the robot, head to this year’s Fan Expo, where Daniels will be making a guest appearance in his human form. We caught up with him to get the pre-show low down.

When you first saw the concept painting of C-3PO, before you accepted the role, how did you react?
When I look at the Mona Lisa I don’t feel anything, but when I looked at C-3PO, I felt something. I looked into his eyes. I like that he is vulnerable. Part of me thinks that he wants to be human, and that makes him vulnerable.

Do you share any qualities with Threepio?
I share his impatience.

When George Lucas first contacted you, didn’t you ignore him?
[Laughs.] I ignored the meeting. My agent told me to go, so I went. I liked that George was very quiet. I don’t have that same acting quality that Harrison [Ford] has. I don’t want to say that I needed C-3PO but… My life was literally changed with a phone call.

You are the only actor to appear in all six episodes. How was it filming the later ones with a younger cast?
The characters were the younger versions of themselves. There I am, working with Ewan McGregor, and he was just thrilled when he saw me come out. They were all thrilled to see C-3PO, they had grown up with him. And for me, well, there was Samuel L. Jackson.

What questions do fans ask you the most?
Does it get hot in there? How do you go to the bathroom?

What do you tell people who believe that Threepio is an actual robot?
It’s similar to Santa Clause. Sometimes, I tell them [children] that Threepio has helpers all over the world. Other times, you tell them that it is like a Superman cape. When anyone puts it on, they become Superman.

What do you think of people who question the "intimacy" of R2-D2 and C-3PO’s relationship?
They’re droids. It’s like saying two kitchen appliances are more than just that. It makes me laugh when people think of it as anything but what it is; it doesn’t bother me that people poke fun at it. It’s a very British kind of friendship. I don’t know how it is in Canada, but the British don’t like to admit to close friendships because they get embarrassed.

What are you most excited to see at the FanExpo?
The people that keep Star Wars alive. It is a part of their life. I am excited for people to say, "thank you for entertaining me."

What is the most memorable things that you’ve ever seen at a fan expo?
Ms. Darth Vader. Once I also saw a child wearing a speed-bike costume, like from Episode VI. It was cut out of cardboard. I love that side, that encourages people to create and make things.

With all of the Star Wars merchandise out there, what is the weirdest thing you’ve seen C-3PO’s face on?
There is this scotch tape holder where Threepio is lying on his back with his legs up in the air and the tape comes from in-between. I also don’t understand the bobble head. I don’t really like those.

Fan Expo, Metro Toronto Convention Center, August 25-28.

Grab of the Week: a unisex canvas bag by Makr Carry Goods, available at Nomad

8:49 am

From style blogs across the globe to the streets of Toronto, the latest in handbag trends has been identified. No, it is not the newest Louis Vuitton print or Céline shape: it is the backpack. But we’re not talking Mountain Equipment Co-Op or Euro trip-ready backpacks here.

This trend comes in the form of understated shapes with minimal froufrou. Guys and gals across the board are trading in their man-bags and designer arm-candy for the more conventional, pro-posture alternative. We love this unisex canvas bag by Makr Carry Goods. Its preppy simplicity is sure to go with any outfit.

$210. Available at Nomad , 819 Queen Street West, 416-202-8777

Q&A: John McEwen, the Toronto sculptor who’s been decorating the cityscape for two decades

3:00 pm

Toronto’s landscape is synonymous with ravines and sky-grasping condo towers juxtaposed against Victorian red-brick townhouses. Over the past two decades, Toronto artist John McEwen’s outdoor commissions — steel pieces inspired by nature and local lore — have become intrinsic to the city’s scenery. McEwen has brought a bear to life above Spadina; he’s pulled the lake further into the city by erecting a canoe on the Queensway and he’s filled a Rosedale park with northern Ontario wildlife. We caught up with him before his biennial Olga Korper Gallery show. Here’s what we learned.

You have a number of public installations in Toronto. Is there one particular work that you have a special attachment to?
There are two works: Canoe and Calipers and the Ballad of Ice and Water. They exist opposite each other at Queensway and Windemere and create a gateway to Lake Ontario.

What inspired those two commissions?
The Canoe and Callipers is about the short history of the area. I have multiple interests in the canoe, from its status as a gift from the First Nations to all who came after, to the way one views the landscape from within and not above. The Ballad of Ice and Water was inspired by Lake Iroquois and the glaciers that once covered Toronto.

Who are your current influences?
My current influences tend to come from reading. I am currently part of a touring exhibition called Animal, curated by Corinna Ghaznavi. One of my works in the exhibition was influenced by Mark Rowlands’ book The Philosopher and the Wolf. It is one of my rare pieces that uses neon — there is something about the ephemeral contrast of neon against the gravity of steel.

What is your primary medium?
It’s steel followed by bronze. For the longest time my use of steel plates in the form of animal silhouettes anchored my view that the imaginative importance of animals lay in their being treated as completely separate from us. I now see a common fragility to all life.

How have your works changed in relation to this epiphany?
For some time now I’ve constructed all kinds of vessels from small laser-cut stars [instead of large steel sheets]. These newer works communicate an impending sense of dispersal. In my upcoming Olga Korper show there will be an over-sized skull composed of four-inch stars, which I refer to as a loose leaf skull.

What else will you be exhibiting at Olga Korper?
A number of steel animals including a dolphin and a twice life-sized Doberman, all made with small one-inch stars. There will also probably be a teddy bear composed of large stars, but it hasn’t been finished, so I can’t tell you if it’ll be a success or not.

What are you currently working on?
One of my recent interests has taken the form of a limited edition book called Public Thoughts. I decided to look at my public art in the broadest possible way. I have considered everything from the most secluded gardens to the most public of spaces. In all cases the common factor is simply the outside of night and day.

What have you learned from your public commissions?
In the larger context, in the best of public art the artist and spectator become something new, a third party.

John McEwen’s 2011 Olga Korper Gallery exhibit will be showing from Aug. 27 till Sept. 24. The touring exhibition Animal will be at the Robert Mclaughlin Art Gallery in Oshawa from March 12 to May 6, 2012

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