Graffiti in Keele-Dundas West Alleyway

Gainsbourg said it best: «Call it hate… call it love… I call it I call it art.!»
There is nothing more iconic to the Junction than the Keel Street graffiti walls.
This weekend I grabbed my camera, my friend Amanda and a $ 5 Goodwill wedding dress and started shooting. My inspiration? The beautiful eclectic city of Toronto.
I loved the idea of shooting against a these colourful works of arts with such a vintage classic dress. The best part about these walls is they are always changing. It’s like Christmas morning everything my subway car peaks out from Keele station!

It’s no «graffiti alley» (on Queen), but the art that’s featured on the back of a block of shops on Bloor Street West between Keele and Dundas is a Toronto fixture that’s been around for more than a decade.
You can see it while riding the subway on the Bloor line between the two stops as it pops above ground for a few minutes before sinking back indoors at either stop. There have been some recent additions in 2009 that have made the wall even more vibrant than usual. I know that if the wall was painted over I’d definitely miss it!
It’s worth the trip westbound to check it out.

Scribbles? Art? Junk? I don’t care what you call it but I certainly noticed the graffiti behind the Junction buildings when I first moved to Toronto.
As the subway worms its way out of its dark hole– between Dundas West station and Keele station– you can see the backs of the buildings that line Bloor Street, which would normally be a bland testimony to… Toronto-​ness.
But NO! COLOUR ABOUNDS! Graffiti all the way… GOOD graffiti, enjoyable to all (because I watch you all looking at it on the subway, it grabs your eye, don’t deny it you there mister-​man-​with-​the-​briefcase).
It’s cool too because it changes all the time, and on your next ride on the train it’ll be something slightly different.
Whether you believe it to be art or not, it’s something to be seen.
(Disclaimer: I am not promoting going down back alleyways by yourself… unless you’re into that sort of thing. But maybe bring a buddy if you’re going to check it out off the rails. I’ve added many many pictures for those who want a peek.)