Artist Statement
On December 31, 2016 Honest Ed’s Department Store in Toronto closed after more than 60 years in business. Sold to developers, the fate of the iconic landmark discount department store and surrounding community known as Mirvish Village was uncertain. Ed Mirvish created Mirvish Village as an artist-friendly neighborhood with encouragement from his wife Anne, who herself was an artist. Her frequent visits to the Village in New York motivated Ed to create a similar artistic community for her in Toronto. As Susan Crone aptly states in her essay “Of Form and Future” the buildings that make up Mirvish Village sit next to Honest Ed’s “like quiet cousins seated next to a loud uncle at a birthday party”. The galleries are full of unique art, the bookstores full of exciting plots, the restaurants offer culturally influenced menus, and the boutiques offer fashion with a nod to the past. In addition, unbeknownst to most pedestrians, the buildings hide a myriad of studios in the upper floors where wonderful art is made.
I was looking for a new project, something that would capture my interest and allow me to explore the urban environment with as much enthusiasm as the natural landscape. The Mirvish Village People Project was born out of a conversation around the remarkable people in Mirvish Village. This led to the idea of making environmental portraits of these independent souls that would become a legacy to the community’s unique magic. I decided to photograph the iconic landmark and the surrounding Village before they disappeared.
When I began this project in 2014 I initially decided to focus on the urban landscape and photograph the exterior of Honest Ed’s and the surrounding Village before the renewal. I soon realized that the interior spaces would be more unique and would certainly rarely be seen by most pedestrians. I also wanted to capture the people who contribute much to the character and uniqueness of the Village. With the help of a friend who recently opened a gallery in Mirvish Village I was introduced to several Mirvish Village People who agreed to have their portraits taken inside their respective shops, galleries and studios.
Displaying the first five portraits in my friend’s gallery helped to attract more individuals by giving them a better understanding of the intent of the project. By using an 8×10 view camera I was able to engage the subject in the portrait making process. The large camera added a formality to the portrait session and the use of a wide-angle lens enabled me to capture the individuals within their working and artistic environments, thus providing the viewer with some sense of the Mirvish Village interiors. Making the portraits within each artist’s studio or entrepreneur’s retail space allowed me to tie the portraits to the interiors in a way that captured a seldom seen moment in time. Each portrait engages the viewer directly, offering them a glimpse of the shop or studio to get a sense of the individual, who they are and what they are about.
Full of galleries, artist studios, restaurants and shops, Mirvish Village was rich with culture, the arts and independent souls. My hope is that with this body of work the people that contributed so to one of Toronto’s treasured neighbourhoods that began a a grand romantic gesture will secure a place in the city’s collective, historic consciousness.
The Book
Ed Mirvish created Mirvish Village as an artist friendly neighbourhood and now this neighbourhood which was sold to developers is undergoing a transformation. While some residents might argue for the better others not so much. Many believe the change to be inevitable as Toronto grows and evolves into a much larger and even more cosmopolitan city. Romantics, myself included like to think that redevelopment can be accomplished in a way that preserves the essence and retains the good of the old neighbourhood. Whether the developers can achieve this utopian objective remains to be seen.
After photographing there for over a year it seemed natural that the portraits and images that I was making of the neighbourhood had to be collected into a book. The artists and entrepreneurs, those independent souls had a story to tell about their relationship to Mirvish Village, which needed to be captured as part of our urban history.
The limited edition hardcover book is printed and bound (lay-flat) by Pikto Graphics and includes 68 images plus the exclusive article, Of Form and Future: The Sensibility of Mirvish Village by Suzanne Crone. Each book is individually signed and numbered by the artist and the edition is limited to 250.
The Portrait Portfolio
As a photographer I was looking for a new project, something that would capture my interest and allow me to explore the urban environment with as much enthusiasm as the natural landscape. The Mirvish Village People Project was born out of a conversation around the remarkable people in Mirvish Village. This led to the idea of making environmental portraits of these independent souls that would become a legacy to the community’s unique magic. Each portrait engages the viewer directly, offering them a glimpse of the shop or studio to get a sense of the individual, who they are and what they are about.
Each custom-made portfolio case includes a collection of twelve limited edition 8×10 inch platinum prints that capture some of the remarkable people that made up the Village. The Neighbourhood Portfolio is limited to an edition of 5 plus 3 artist proofs. Each print in the portfolio is signed and numbered by the artist. Also included with each portfolio is a signed limited edition copy of the book entitled Mirvish Village People.
The Neighbourhood Portfolio
As Susan Crone aptly states in her essay “Of Form and Future” the buildings that make up Mirvish Village sit next to Honest Ed’s “like quiet cousins seated next to a loud uncle at a birthday party”. The galleries are full of unique art, the bookstores full of exciting plots, the restaurants offer culturally influenced menus, and the boutiques offer fashion with a nod to the past. In addition, unbeknownst to most pedestrians, the buildings hide a myriad of studios in the upper floors where wonderful art is made.
Each custom-made portfolio case includes a collection of twelve limited edition 8×10 inch platinum prints that capture some of the unique buildings that made up the Village. The Neighbourhood Portfolio is limited to an edition of 5 plus 3 artist proofs Each print in the portfolio is signed and numbered by the artist. Also included with each portfolio is a signed limited edition copy of the book entitled Mirvish Village People.