RobertBurleyAnEnduringWilderness:Toronto’sNaturalParklands

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CONTENTSListofWorks……………3

Forward……………4

Introduction……………5

Photographs:AnEnduringWilderness……………6

EssaybyCarlaGarnet……………10

InstallImages……………15

PublicEngagementProgramming……………17

• EnduringPhotographs:RobertBurleyinconversationwithTorontoPhotoLaureateGeoffreyJames• Toronto’sNaturalParklandsinthenewMillenium:Theroleofnaturalparklandsinbuildingagreatcity

• EnduringWilderness/NatureintheCity:Exploringthecomplexrelationshipbetweennatureandthecity

ArtistandCuratorBiographies……………22

CatalogueDesignbyErinStorus

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LISTOFWORKSFrontPage:ScarboroughBluffsPark,2014

Page6:BeachfrontneartheTorontoHuntForest,2014

Page7:FishingbeneaththeMacdonald-CartierFreeway,RougePark,2015

Page8:HomelessmanbeneaththePrinceEdwardViaduct,2013

Page9:Untitled

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FORWARD

TheJohnB.AirdGalleryisdelightedtopresentaprimarysoloexhibitionforthe2017ScotiabankCONTACTPhotographyFestivalbytherenownedCanadianphotographerRobertBurley,entitled:AnEnduringWilderness:Toronto’sNaturalParklands.ThisexhibitionfeaturesaselectionofworksfromBurley’sremarkablephotographicseries,alongwithanaerialmap,avideoandothervisualizationsoflandscapethatreflecttheartist’sinterestintheCityofToronto’sparklands,waterfrontsandravinesystems.TheCityofTorontocommissionedBurleytocreatethiscollectionofphotographscelebratingToronto’snaturalspacesasawaytobothexamineandpromoteourtwenty-first-centuryrelationshiptonature.TheexhibitionaccompaniesBurley’snewbook,AnEnduringWilderness:Toronto’sNaturalParklands,publishedbyECWPress,withtextsbyTorontowritersGeorgeElliottClarke,AnneMichaels,MichaelMitchell,LeanneBetasamosakeSimpson,andAlissaYork.

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INTRODUCTIONToronto’sNaturalParklandsinthenewMillennium:Theroleofnaturalparklandsinbuildingagreatcity,theexhibitionandbookcouldnothavecomeaboutwiththehardworkanddedicationtheartistRobertBurleyandJaneWeningerseniorplannerwithTorontoCityPlanningresponsiblefornaturalheritageandenvironmentalpolicy.JaneandRoberthavebeenworkingonthisprojectsince2012whentheCityPlanningandParks,ForestryandRecreationDivisionscommissionedthenaturalparklandsphotographs.PartoftheimpetusforthisworkwasJane'sprojecttodesignateenvironmentallysignificantareasacrossTorontointheCity'sOfficialPlan.JanealsoworksextensivelyontheGreenBeltPlanandtheestablishmentoftheRougeNationalUrbanPark.

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PHOTOGRAPHS:ANENDURINGWILDERNESS

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RobertBurley:AnEnduringWildernessbyCarlaGarnetIthasbeenarguedthatsociety’srelationshipto

naturewasredefinedbytheIndustrial

Revolutionthattookholdinnineteenth-

centuryEurope.Asthemassesmovedfrom

farmlandtofactory,theirliveswerenolonger

shapedbytherhythmsofthenaturalworld,

yettheirdesireforthecountrysidepersisted.

Crowdedandcongestedcitiesrespondedto

thisneedbycreatingthepastoralexperiencein

theformofurbanparks.Thisperiodalsoledto

“theageofthelandscapepainter,”inwhich

urbaneartistssuchasJMWTurnerbeganto

combineimaginationwithobservationofthe

naturalworld.Acenturylater,theriseof

photographywouldchallengeanddemystify

landscape’sroleintheculturalimagination.

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Inthetwentiethcentury,NorthAmericancities

grewatsurprisingratesandsoonbeganto

sprawlanddominatetheirsurroundings.The

seminal1975exhibitionNewTopographics:

PhotographsofaMan-AlteredLandscape,

curatedbyWilliamJenkins,pointedtowardan

alternativeapproachtomakinglandscape

photography—anobjectivestylethat

nonethelessaddressedthenotionofthe“man-

madeenvironment”—andsuggestedthat

society’srelationshiptothenaturalworldhad

becomedysfunctional.

LiketheNewTopographicsphotographers,

RobertBurley’spracticeconcedeshuman

actiononthelandscapebyfocusingon

constructedurbanenvironments.Sharinghis

predecessors’survey-likesensibility,hebrings

anequallyliminalawarenesstohisslow,

tripod-dependentoperationofobservation,

allowingviewersaccesstonotonlyplace,but

alsotime.Burleyhasphotographedtheravine

systems,waterfronts,andparksofNorth

Americanmetropolisessincethemid-eighties.

Hisdispassionatescenesfeatureurban

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watershedsknittedwithexpressways,railway

lines,industrialcompounds,utilitytowers,and

pipelines.Atthesametime,Burley’s

phenomenologicalimagesoftenofferglimpses

intosomeoftheremainingnaturalhabitats

foundwithinandalongtherivervalleysystems

andlakefronts.

ItisthereforefittingthattheCityofToronto

commissionedBurleytocreateacollectionof

photographscelebratingToronto’snatural

spacesasawaytobothexamineandpromote

ourtwenty-first-centuryrelationshiptonature.

Throughthisvisualarchive,thecityacquires

evidenceoftheconsiderablenaturalareas

withinitsurbanparklandsystemaspartofa

strategyformaintainingandcommunicating

theirecologicalandcivicfunction.Though

commissionedfortheirdocumentaryvalue,the

imagesthatcomprisethisexhibition,and

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Burley’snewbook,alsorevealintangible

aspectsofthetemporal.Heplacestimeless

elementsalongsidethosethatareinflux,

interrogatingtemporalitybyjuxtaposingthe

permanenceofmunicipalinfrastructure,the

seasonalshiftingoflandscapes,andthe

ephemeralqualityofpeople’sday-to-day

movements.Theseimagesarenotsimply

records;theyalsobearwitnesstothecurrent

stateofToronto’sshoreline,rivers,creeks,and

valleyforest,impartingknowledgeaboutour

urbangeography,watersupply,biodiversity,

andpublicspace.Subsequently,theseimages

becomeinstrumentstosafeguardandprotect

thatwhichtheydescribe.Intheend,Burley’s

worksuggeststhattherelationshipbetween

cityandnatureisbeingredefinedagaininthe

twenty-firstcenturyasmoresympatheticand

enlightened,asurbandwellersincreasingly

investinnourishingandencouragingallforms

ofthenaturallandscapefoundinsidetheircity

limits.

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Thebook,AnEnduringWilderness:Toronto’s

NaturalParklands,ispublishedbyECWPress,

withtextsbyTorontowritersGeorgeElliott

Clarke,AnneMichaels,MichaelMitchell,

LeanneBetasamosakeSimpson,andAlissa

York.

CG/2017

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INSTALLIMAGES

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PUBLICENGAGEMENTPROGRAMMING

May9th,2017EnduringPhotographs:RobertBurleyinconversationwithTorontoPhotoLaureateGeoffreyJames

GEOFFREYJAMES(b.1942,Wales,UnitedKingdom)GeoffreyJameswasborninWalesin1942,readModernHistoryatWadhamCollege,Oxford(BAandMA),andemigratedtoCanadain1966.Aself-taughtphotographer,heistheauthororsubjectofmorethanadozenbooksandmonographsandisrepresentedinmajorcollectionsinternationally.HehashadsoloshowsatthePalazzoBraschi,Rome,theAmericasSociety,NewYorkandtheNationalGalleryofCanada.HehasparticipatedingroupshowsatDocumentaIX,Kassel,theMuseumofModernArt,NewYork,theFrankfurterKunstvereinandSanFranciscoMOMA.

GeoffreyJamesisaGuggenheimFellowandrecipientoftheGershonIskowitzPrizeandtheGovernor-General’sPrizeinMediaandVisualArts.HelivesinToronto,wherehehasbeennamedthecity’sfirstPhotoLaureate.

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May13th,2017Toronto’sNaturalParklandsinthenewMillenium:Theroleofnaturalparklandsinbuildingagreatcity

PANELISTS

MichaelMcClellandisaregisteredarchitectandoneofthefoundingprincipalsofERAArchitects,amultidisciplinaryfirmspecializinginheritageandculturalprojects.MichaelisalsocurrentlyoneoftheboardofdirectorsfortheFriendsofAllanGardensandheservesontheStewardshipCommitteeoftheCulturalLandscapeFoundation.Heistheeditorofanumberofbooks,includingConcreteToronto–aguidebooktoconcretearchitecturefromthefiftiestotheseventiesandTheWard–thelifeandlossofToronto’sfirstimmigrantneighbourhood.

JakeTobinGarrettisawriterandparkadvocateinToronto.HeworksasManagerofPolicyandPlanningforParkPeople,acharitythatbuildsstrongcommunitiesbyanimatingandimprovingparks.HeistheauthoroftheseveralreportsincludingMakingConnections,whichhighlightscreativestrategiesforparksinintensifyingcities,andSparkingChange,whichexploresthesocialimpactsofparksinunderservedneighbourhoods.TobinGarrettistheleadonplanning,policy,andengagementworkinurbanparks,includingpubliclifestudies,walkshops,andgovernancestrategiesforclientssuchastheCityofTorontoHeistheprojectleadontheGreenLine,aninitiativetotransformahydrocorridorintoalinearparkandtrail.

SincegraduatingfromtheUniversityofToronto'smasteroflandscapearchitectureprogramin2011withaspecializationinknowledgemediadesign,DenisePintohas

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pilotedanimpressivemulti-disciplinarycareer,incorporatingcivicengagementintoadiverserangeoffields.Thesedays,Pintoistakingtheworkshedoeslocally–whichincludesadvocatingforsafe,accessibleandstimulatingpedestrianenvironmentsandencouragingpeopletoexploretheircityonfoot–toagloballevel.AsglobaldirectorofJane’sWalk,anannualinternationalfestivalofcitizen-ledwalkingtours,shehasbeenconveningconversationswithincommunitiesincitiesaroundtheworld.

WayneReevesischiefcuratorforCityofTorontoMuseums&HeritageServices.Hemanagesthecity’sartifact,fineart,andarchaeologicalcollectionsandhelpsshapemajorexhibitionsatToronto’stencommunitymuseums.Heisalsoahistoricalgeographerwhohaswrittenandlecturedextensivelyaboutthelong-terminterplaybetweennatureand

cultureinToronto,includingtheestablishmentandevolutionofthecity’spublicgreenspaces.HecontributedessaystoSpecialPlaces:TheChangingEcosystemsoftheTorontoRegionandGreenTOpia:TowardsaSustainableTorontoandwasco-editorofHTO:Toronto’sWaterfromLakeIroquoistoLostRiverstoLow-flowToilets.

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May20th,2017EnduringWilderness/NatureintheCity:Exploringthecomplexrelationshipbetweennatureandthecity

PANELISTSJasonRamsay-BrownistheauthorofToronto'sRavinesandUrbanForests(Lorimer,2015).HeservesontheboardofdirectorsoftheTorontoFieldNaturalists(TFN),andrepresentedtheTFNontheCityofToronto'sRavineStrategyAdvisoryGroup,2015-2017.HeisavolunteerontheTodmordenMillsWildflowerPreserveStewardshipTeam,BeechwoodWetlandStewardshipTeam,andisamemberoftheOntariochapteroftheSocietyforEcologicalRestoration.

ToddIrvineisanarboristwithBruceTreeExpertswherehespecializesinthecareandpreservationofmaturetrees.Healsoco-

teachesamasters-levelecologycourseattheUniversityofToronto,FacultyofLandscapeArchitecture,andleadstrainingworkshopsforlandscapeprofessionals.Heisaco-founderandcontributingeditoroftheaward-winningurbanaffairsmagazineSpacing.HiswritingontreesandecologyhasappearedintheTorontoStar,GlobeandMailandCanadianGeographicandhehasbeenafrequentguestexpertonmediaprogrammessuchasCBCRadio’sMetroMorning.

JoyceChauistheExecutiveDirectorofEcoSpark,anenvironmentalcharityinOntario.EcoSparkconnectsstudentsandcommunitygroupstotheirlocalenvironmentthroughenvironmentaleducation,citizenscienceandcivicengagement.Joycehasbeenworkingintheenvironmentalnot-for-profitsectorforthepast12years.Sheisactivelyengagedinnumerousenvironmentalcommitteesincluding

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theOntarioGreenbeltAlliance,BiodiversityEducationandAwarenessNetwork,theSouthernOntarioStreamMonitoringandResearchTeam,andtheSmallChangeFund.PhilipCoteisShawnee,Lakota,PotawatomiandOjibwayfromMooseDeerPointFirstNation.Apublishedshortstorywriterandmuralist;CoteisagraduateofTheOntarioCollegeofArtandDesign.Hehasbeenattheforefrontofagroupofartistswhoareexploringnewwaystoimbuesculpture,paintingandotherinstallationartwithtraditionalspiritualperspectives.Thegreat,great,great-grandsonofTecumseh,Cotehasbeenexploring,researchingandmakingartabouttheimportanceoftheShawneeleader’slifeandspirit.

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BIOGRAPHIESSincethemid-1980s,photographerRobertBurleyhasusedthecameraasarecordingdevicetomakefleetingtracesofthematerialworldpermanent.Burley’sworkshavebeenexhibitedaroundtheglobe,andcanbefoundinmuseumcollectionsincludingtheNationalGalleryofCanada,Muséedel’Elysée,GeorgeEastmanMuseum,FoMu,MuséedesbeauxartsdeMontréalandMuséeNiepce.Overhiscareer,BurleyhasundertakennumerousurbanlandscapeprojectsincludingexplorationsofToronto’sDonValley,Chicago'sO'HareAirfieldand,aspartofthelargercommissionViewingOlmstead,NewYorkCity’sCentralPark.HispublicationsincludeViewingOlmsted:PhotographsbyRobertBurley,LeeFriedlanderandGeoffreyJames(1996)andTheDisappearanceofDarkness:PhotographyattheEndoftheAnalogEra(2012).Burleycurrently

livesinTorontoandteachesatTheSchoolofImageArts,RyersonUniversity.

CarlaGarnetistheJohnB.AirdGalleryDirector/CuratorandJOUEZcuratorfortheannualBIGOnBloorFestivalofArtsandCultureinToronto.GarnetisontheTrinitySquareVideoBoardofDirectorswheresheisactiveonboththeprogramandfundraisingcommittees.Shehasworkedasin-housecuratorattheArtGallery

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ofPeterborough(2010-2013),asguestcuratoratGalleryStratford(2009-2010),asanindependentcurator(1997-2010)andasthefounderanddirectorofGarnetPressGallery(1984-97).WhileattheArtGalleryofPeterborough,inadditiontohercuratorialwork,shedevelopedandmanagedthegallery’seducationprogram.GarnetholdsanAssociateDiplomafromtheOntarioCollegeofArtandDesignandaMastersDegreeinArtHistoryfromYorkUniversity.AboutJohnB.AirdGalleryTheJohnB.AirdGalleryopenedin1985.Itwasnamedinhonourofthe23rdLieutenantGovernorofOntariotorecognizehissupportofthevisualartsinCanada.GovernedbyaBoardofDirectors,theGallery’smandateistocreateawarenessandpromotetheenjoymentofworksofartbyprofessionalcontemporaryartists.Inordertofulfillitsmandate,theGallerystrivestoencourageexcellenceinvisualart;presenta

varietyofmedia,disciplines,andstyles;andtoprovideopportunitiesforstudyandeducationinconjunctionwithexhibitions.

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