Public art in the TTC works with local artists to bring creativity into Torontonians’ daily commutes

By: Calan Pittis and Hailey Ford

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is home to dozens of public art installations that range in medium, scale and style, creating an opportunity for Torontonians to appreciate — and often critique — artwork as they bustle about their busy lives.

In an effort to incorporate more public art and to reduce vandalism within subway stations, the TTC created the TTC Public Art Program. The program, since its development in 2015, has allowed for the creation of seven works of art that would not otherwise exist. Not all public artwork in the TTC is a part of the program, with many pieces predating the initiative or being produced outside of it.

However, not every commuter is pleased with the artwork they see each day on their way to work.

The particularly controversial piece that has been a hot topic of discussion since its creation, titled Zones of Immersion, was created by London, Ont. artist Stuart Reid, and predates the program. The piece runs the length of the subway platform at Union Station, consisting of sketches of commuters blown up onto coloured glass, with fragments of poems overlayed on top.

Since it was unveiled in 2015, commuters of the TTC have had mixed feelings about Zones of Immersion, varying from concerns to criticisms to defences.

On his website, Reid points to Charles Dickens’ novels, distributed in newspapers, as inspiration. Reid sees both Zones of Immersion and Dickens’ novels as being for and reflective of the public. Both can also only be taken in at small intervals, yet form something larger.

The mural is still a topic of controversy today, with an online Reddit discussion with over 800 comments, detailing just how depressing people believe this piece to be.

“It makes the station, and the experience of the…thousands upon thousands of commuters who pass through it daily, definitely worse,“ wrote one Reddit user.

Critiques of the mural are mostly directed at the choice of location, given the theme of the art is often interpreted as a melancholy view of the commuting experience.

On the contrary, some commuters see value in the controversial subway mural. “I kind of like the work because it shows the reality of society,” said Julius Manapul, an OCAD art professor, while commuting by subway.

Artwork in the TTC has been attracting recent attention from the negative sentiments directed towards the Union Station murals. Still, artists who have contributed work to the TTC, say public art in the subway can better the experience of commuters.

Rebecca Bayer

Rebecca Bayer is the creator of The Whole Is Greater Than The Sum Of Its Parts, a collection of ceramic mosaics displayed at Sherbourne Station. The piece was created collaboratively, with each mosaic made by combining patterns devised by various community members who attended workshops hosted by Bayer.

“The name of the piece kind of says it all,” Bayer said. “Each person’s contribution adds up to this greater sense of community within that area.”

Bayer discussed the need to have a variety of artwork on the TTC, allowing artists to express more serious themes.

“The intent of public art is not always to bring beauty. It could be something to think about or something to contemplate in a different way,” said Bayer. “Some artists have very challenging topics they are trying to get out there. They’re trying to talk about personal issues or social issues or political issues, and I think that’s all amazing.”

Katharine Harvey

Katharine Harvey created the Florae mosaics, complementary and vivid additions to Chester Station on Line 2.

“My proposal was to reflect the native plant life in the area,” said Harvey. “Chester subway station might be the smallest subway on the whole line and it comes out into a residential area. I wanted to bring nature into the subway.”

Harvey spoke to the role of artists in bettering the commuting experience. “We’re beautifying the stations so that it’s not just drab subway tiles. [We’re] engaging the audience to think more about art and culture.”

Charles Pachter

Hockey Knights in Canada by Toronto-based artist Charles Pachter, which has been on display since 1985, is one of the oldest and perhaps most well-known pieces of public art within the TTC.

“I used the primary colours, the red and the blue, the conservative and the liberal. There are so many different analogies for the imagery,” said Pachter. “Being able to work in that kind of a scale was terrific. It’s the only time I’ve ever done a mural like that.”

Pachter also spoke on the value of artwork in the subway system.

“It lightens people’s day. They get out, instead of seeing a blank wall or just an ad for shoes, they get to see a floor-to-ceiling image,” said Pachter.

Panya Clark Espinal

Canadian multi-media artist Panya Clark Espinal has done three pieces of public art for the TTC, which were created in the span of over a decade. Two of them can currently be seen inside subway stations — Spin at Downsview Park Station and From Here Right Now at Bayview Station, both utilizing unique perspectives to create optical illusions. The third piece, titled Generations, finds its home at a Streetcar stop on St. Clair Avenue West. 

“It’s kind of nice to make things that go out into the world and they stay out in the world,” said Espinal. “I did these anamorphic projection pieces because I felt that it was never going to lose its impact.”

As a long-time contributor to the program, Espinal said she has a lot of respect for the TTC Public Art Program.

“I think as human beings we need this stimulation. We need engagement with colour, with design, with materials that enliven the experiences of our day-to-day lives,” Espinal said. “Can we really imagine what our cities, our worlds would be if there was never any design element or public art?”