Nicky Let’s talk about walls
Where would we be without walls? We take them for granted, yet if we didn’t have walls everywhere would be just a huge, open space. We’d certainly have no privacy, that’s for sure.
Yet walls get such a bad press. As every marathon runner knows, there comes a time in a race (around 20 miles) when they “hit the wall” – the point at which the body simply just wants to give up. You have to break through the wall to finish the race. If we stop communicating, we are said to be “putting up walls”. To gain freedom from some form of oppression we have to “tear down walls”. If we’re trying to keep a secret, we are warned that “walls have ears”.
Are there any positive sayings about walls?
Well, I for one think that walls get a bad press – but as an art photographer, I’m bound to say that. If (or … ahem … when) you buy one of my photographs, where are you going to put it? On the ceiling? Maybe. On the floor? I hope not. I’m thinking you’re decorating a wall!
So, I for one say YAY for walls! Without them, I don’t think I’d do as much business.
Here for your delight are some very funky walls. I’m not sure what speed that cow was running in when it “hit the wall” but I’m guessing it was at quite a pace. Perhaps it was trying to reach that piano above “N’Awlins” for a quick tinkle on the ivories.
The photograph above is of Toronto’s Entertainment district on King Street West, named after the then reigning British monarch, King George III. At the time Toronto was still called York, as you’ll know if you’ve been paying attention! King Street West is home to the Princess of Wales and Royal Alexandra Theatres, the Toronto Stock Exchange, and is the venue of the annual Toronto Cow-hurling Festival in Novem… okay, so I made that bit up!
It’s quite rare to see wall art like this in Toronto. I’ve often eaten at N’Awlins and have become used to the prospect of the piano dropping on my head, or half a cow. It’s a unique spectacle, and I wanted to capture it as best I could. Photographing walls is challenging, as of course they are flat, so for this art photograph I wanted to create the impression of height without it being over-whelming. These are both quite tricky aspects of photography to pull off – getting the correct angle in order to re-create the view you perceive, then conveying that view to the viewer of the photograph.
What I also like about this photograph is the “expression” of the building on the left. It’s as if the building is casting a sideways glance at our half-in, half-out cow and can’t quite believe what it is seeing.
Of course the one question I haven’t answered is – why is there a half-in, half-out cow above the Kit-Kat Italian Restaurant in King Street West? The only response I have is – I haven’t a clue! Answers on a postcard please!
