John Tory
born Toronto, Ontario, 1954

Installation — Concrete, asphalt, steel, paint and construction equipment
(2022)

As the viewer approaches this large-scale installation, several large and brightly reflective signs draw the eye. The clarity of the signs is juxtaposed against the obscurity and confusion of construction equipment beyond. The artist has made it clear that due consideration has been given to cyclists on this stretch of road, and he has decided to steer them directly into the path of cars. The installation is meant to evoke feelings of claustrophobia and impending doom. This is the feeling cyclists feel every day as they try to navigate Toronto’s roads, but the artist is also hinting at something grander. Gradually squeezing, and living on the verge of a breaking point is the entire point of austerity, and it inexorably places citizens on a collision course.