Gardiner Expressway Ramps
MAY 2010 | Acrylic on Canvas | 11″ x 14″ | View Larger »
The Gardiner Expressway is an elevated highway that crosses the southern edge of Toronto, skirting the shore of Lake Ontario. In recent years the expressway has become controversial for cutting off pedestrian access to the redeveloping waterfront. Various proposals to bury it, tear it down, put a green roof on it, or leave it alone have been floated.
This painting shows the view west under the expressway, from Simcoe Street, as the ramps curve and gradually descend to ground level blocks away. I like the near abstract quality of the composition, as well as the way the lighting makes the concrete pillars vary in colour from plain grey to blue to yellow. The ramps create dramatic lighting with glimpses of bright sunshine between the support pillars contrasting with the shadowy underbelly of the ramps. [map]