Recall that a half dozen years back artworks appeared along Preston and West Wellington Streets. Granite poly-coloured ones on Preston; white marble on the other.
For the first few winters, the spray of road salt actually washed the paint colours off the granite artworks by j c fleury.
By mid-summer, contractors were back touching up the paint, with mixed results.
This year, in addition to the yellow fibreglass stakes that help mark the artwork from sidewalk plows and ambitious snow-bank clearing cat loaders, the city installed canvas “drawers” or overalls …
These canvas bags, sleeves, or whatever the correct artistic term is (surely we have invented a uniquely Canadian term for such uniquely Canadian art installations) added a certain haute couture je ne sais quois to the streetscape:
Alas, the concept needs some further refinement. Maybe suspenders to go up and over the top of the art when a belt won’t do?
Whatever it takes, it’s worth it to have livable, walkable streets.
It appears that, once again, the city has come up with a solution that does not fully meet the need. That the top opened up after installation, either due to gusting winds or the actions of a social misfit (vandal), should not come as a surprise. Perhaps they should have considered a sleeve with a permanently closed end at the top, sort of like a canvas condom?
Love the sculptures on Preston, not so much the ones on Wellington. The idea of transformed fire hydrants wears thin after viewing 5 or 6.