Harbourfront Centre has mounted a photo exhibit called No Flat City. It features six young photographers tasked with the challenge of refuting the general perception that the Greater Toronto Area is flat (and therefore topographically boring). The result is an open-air exhibit displayed in 72 frames arranged beside the Power Plant. There is a certain irony in the exhibit’s location given that Harbourfront, which would be submerged in Lake Ontario if not for the landfill, is ironing-board flat and given, too, that the only natural-looking thing about the space is its Astroturf. You can view the exhibit here.
I was curious to know what locales the photographers documented, wondering if I could mine the exhibit for ideas. One of the handiest locales (for me) is the Baldwin Steps which Darren Rigo documented in winter. The Baldwin Steps climb the Iroquois shoreline which was the shore of Lake Ontario when ice age melt water made the lake significantly larger than it is today. The steps rise from Davenport Road to Casa Loma and offer a great view of the city to the south. Climbing the steps serves as a pointed reminder that, no, the city isn’t flat.
I went to the steps one morning, and came away with my version of a topographically interesting photo. However, while I was doing my thing, it occurred to me that, in the No Flat City exhibit, there isn’t a single night shot. While I understand why there wouldn’t be night shots of a forest trail, it seems to me that city lights might reveal fresh ways of seeing urban topography. So I went back to the Baldwin Steps at night. I’m not wholly satisfied with the result, but I’ll keep going back until I am. Plus the steps are good exercise.
