Anser Graffiti Neon Art in King Taps Toronto

We went out for a birthday dinner at King Taps in Toronto's First Canadian Place and on the second floor I found a neon art outline of a face, a familiar face for those that seek out graffiti in alleyways of the city. This white neon face was designed by, or based on, the work of Anser Mysterious Date. His work can be found in my post from 2013 here.

I found out that this was Anser's first neon piece.

Toronto's Sneaky Dee's

Finally stopped by the bar with the crazy graffiti signs called Sneaky Dee's at the corner of College and Bathurst streets. It is definitely not a glitzy Tex-Mex restaurant. Described as an unassuming bar that is also a concert venue with live music and DJs.

I just went for a couple of pints and the price of drinks was low and I had two draft amber beers for just a little over $10 dollars, sitting in the sun on the patio and watching the world go by. Apparently the site was to be demolished as part of a redevelopment but the plans are on hold now. This is one of the few old, iconic bars that helped shape entertainment in the city. Hopefully the food, beverages and music will flow for a while longer.

The eclectic establishment is full of wonky graffiti that continues downstairs and into the bathrooms.

They don't take reservations or debit cards so plan accordingly.

Big Trash Bunny mural on Dundas Street West

Toronto's graffiti murals and art installations make Toronto interesting. Sometimes they are beautiful and have a message like artist Artur Bordalo who creates art around the world using trash. The one in Toronto (Dundas Street West near Lisgar Street) is of a large bunny, part of the Big Trash Animals series completed for Toronto Portuguese communities.

His website notes, "The excessive production and consumption of stuff, which results in the continuous production of “garbage” and consequently in the destruction of the Planet, are the central themes of his production. This “garbage” assumes itself as the unusual and unique raw material that Bordalo uses in the construction of small and large scale pieces that he has spread around the world and that, above all, intend to be the vehicle of a universal manifesto."

Faces in the alleys - graffiti murals in Toronto

It's still winter, but a warmer winter invites an adventure around the city and in Graffiti Alley to find some interesting murals that haven't been painted over. My goodness, some of these pieces are amazing works of art. Even now you can find people giving tours to visitors in the alley.

Happy Valentine's Day with some Toronto graffiti art

Have fun on the day meant for lovers as February 14 rolls around one more time. The annual love fest requires waiting for a table in a busy restaurant and the exchange of gifts, candy and flowers (especially red roses), followed by a groovy night of love. The graffiti mural pictured above, located in Chinatown, shows how florists paint roses the right shade of red - as proclaimed by Saint Valentine during the hostile takeover of pagan ceremonies.

"Everything you can imagine is real" including love

The graffiti has a tag line of "Grow Up!" and someone replied "NO!"

The lovelorn True Love Cafe sits alone, it will sadly miss Valentine's Day. It only looks like the building has been graffitied

A BDSM bird looks like it is looking for love in all the wrong places

Toronto Graffiti Alley - murals aplenty

Toronto is full of art and a lot of public art is graffiti. In most locations the City of Toronto wants the graffiti removed within 72 hours, 24 hours if it involves hate. But you can always argue that the graffiti is art and deserves to remain. Toronto's most famous graffiti gazing locations is along Graffiti Alley - both north and south of Queen Street West. The graffiti changes often as others tag the art, or paint over a mural. Very little seems permanent.  The Simpson's Moe the bartender cleans a glass in the mural at top.

I think a terminator is grabbing the graffiti art phone

A metal face shines down on the alley

The green lion's head has lasted awhile

Toronto's art public pay phones

While most pay phones have been slowly removed over the years there seem to be more art phones going up around Toronto. I have found one on Queen Street West and two in Graffiti Alley. One of the new phones I found has a Terminator type metal hand holding a handset. I think someone will be back to pick up that hand later.

Another phone in the alley has multiple coloured handsets which I saw some time ago (see my post here).

Then there is the crisis phone along Queen Street West which has been undergoing graffiti and sticker modifications since it has been installed.

The Crisis has been removed and a sticker of a beaver has been placed on the dial.

Imma sucker for Toronto

This suggestive sticker of someone handling the CN Tower is pasted onto a traffic signal walkway crossing button. Alleys along Queen Street West are so full of graffiti that they named the small road Graffiti Alley. And here are some of the newer murals that I found during a recent exploration of the alley.

Lion King

See more graffiti after the jump.

Toronto graffiti 2021

Graffiti don't care about no Covid, it happens whether you like it or not, and the best graffiti is often the murals found around the city, in alleys and in certain neighbourhoods. Or it could be just a phrase on some random street furniture - like "we're burning" on the St Patrick subway entrance.

Kensington Market

Back in the Junction

Colour explosion in RendezViews Patio

A former parking lot in downtown Toronto was transformed into a giant patio in 2020 and is within a giant graffiti mural orchestrated by RendezViews and Collective Arts Brewing of Hamilton. The patio is a joint development with restaurants The Ballroom and The Fifth and is located at 229 Richmond Street West. Of course I visited the patio on a Monday - when it is closed! However, it was worth the detour on the bike because it is spectacular.

Artists Attack and Bruno Smoky, known as Clandestinos Art, painted the asphalt surface as well as the back of The Ballroom and the overall art installation is titled "Reflections". The graffiti mural is on the wall while the old parking lot and picnic benches are painted in bright yellow, pink, green and turquoise.

From their media release, "An idea was born last November when Mayor John Tory dubbed 2021 the Year of the Arts, to transform RendezViews and inspire a greater impact as a destination. “I wanted to use the power of art to restore hope, joy, optimism and vibrancy to the city,” says Oliver Geddes (Owner, The Fifth). Hamilton-based Collective Arts Brewing, known for its colourful and creative labels (and a longtime collaborator and supporter of artists) was the perfect partner to bring this vision to life.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with RendezViews this summer. This is an exciting opportunity to create a space in the heart of downtown Toronto to safely celebrate summer with friends while enjoying incredible art, music, food and drinks,” says Matt Johnston, Co-Founder and CEO of Collective Arts.

“Times have changed and Toronto wants and deserves something that meets the moment - an evolution of a destination Toronto doesn’t have but needs right now,” says Barry Taylor (Director of Operations, The Ballroom)."

You will need to make reservations and check out the website for the hours of operations along with any scheduled musical entertainment. They seem to be closed on Mondays.

Hours for the Week of July 26th
Mon: closed
Tue: 4:00pm – 10:00pm
Wed: 4:00pm – 10:00pm
Thu: 4:00pm – 11:00pm
Fri: 4:00pm – 2:00am
Sat: 4:00pm – 2:00am
Sun: 4:00pm – 10:00pm