Bronze casting connects Toronto's working-port heritage to nature and living space
TORONTO, March 12, 2013 /CNW/ - Rising up from the courtyard like the skeletal bow of a Great Lakes freighter, the five-metre tall bronze sculpture is described by its creator, artist Jed Lind, as a visual metaphor for the transformation of the King Street corridor from working class to creative class.
The sculpture, titled "Ballast," was selected by Great Gulf for installation in the public courtyard of the company's new condominium development, Charlie, at King Street West and Charlotte Street (one block east of Spadina) in downtown Toronto. Mr. Lind's sculpture was selected by a panel of highly respected art professionals in a competition for the Charlie public space.
Ballast is a continuation of the theme of much of the work of Canadian-born, Los Angeles-based Lind, whose art explores the intersections of the natural and the manmade.
"I wanted to make a work that looks at the transformation of this King Street corridor from a once productive commercial/industrial corridor to the dynamic cultural hub it is today," said Lind. "In this transformed neighbourhood, high-rise buildings like the Charlie condos where Ballast stands are the homes of this new creative class."
Ballast was selected in a competition that was judged by: Barbara Astman, one of Canada's most respected artists, a member of the Board of Trustees at the Art Gallery of Ontario and a professor in the Faculty of Art at OCAD University; long-time Curator Asset Management president, Kathryn Minard; and Kelvin Browne, vice president of marketing and major exhibitions at the Royal Ontario Museum; Donald Schmitt, one of the principals of Diamond Schmitt Architects. Geoffrey Matthews and Dragana Maznic from Great Gulf were also on the panel.
"Great public art is one of the requirements of a great city," said Alan Vihant, Senior Vice President of High Rise Development for Great Gulf, "Our mission, with all our developments, is to enable people to live greatly and to enhance every neighbourhood we are in. Mr. Lind's Ballast is an excellent complement to an already vibrant neighbourhood."
Public art has the ability to alter neighbourhoods by making them more attractive and bringing people together. Great Gulf is dedicated to serving as a catalyst in making art a valued and integral part of our society, a reflection of its commitment to live greatly.
Created by Great Gulf and designed by Diamond Schmitt, the 36-story Charlie condominiums are near the centre of the entertainment district, minutes from the Rogers Centre, Air Canada Centre and Harbourfront.
About Great Gulf
Since 1975, The Great Gulf Group of companies has grown from a regional home builder into one of North America's premier real estate organizations. With a host of new projects in Canada and several major U.S. cities, the company's fully-integrated activities span the entire real estate spectrum. The Great Gulf Group includes Great Gulf, Ashton Woods Homes, First Gulf Corporation, Tucker HiRise Construction, Brockport Home Systems Ltd. and Taboo Resort Golf and Spa.
http://www.greatgulfhomes.com/
Image with caption: "Ballast, the five-metre tall bronze sculpture by Canadian artist Jed Lind, is prominently displayed in the public courtyard at the base of Great Gulf's Charlie Condos (at King Street West and Charlotte in downtown Toronto). (CNW Group/Great Gulf)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130312_C4159_PHOTO_EN_24475.jpg
Image with caption: "Ballast, the five-metre tall bronze sculpture by Canadian artist Jed Lind, is prominently displayed in the public courtyard at the base of Great Gulf's Charlie Condos (at King Street West and Charlotte in downtown Toronto). (CNW Group/Great Gulf)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130312_C4159_PHOTO_EN_24476.jpg
SOURCE: Great Gulf
Ketchum Public Relations Canada
Kathy Khamis
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