Filed under: Oddities, Robots | Tags: bizarre, Christmas toy, Father Christmas Robot, old fashioned toy, robot, Santa Claus, tin plate, Toy Post
What young child wouldn’t be thrill to find this charming toy under the tree on Christmas morning? The “Santa-Bearer-of-Doom-and-Destruction” or as it’s listed in the catalogue: “Father Christmas Robot,” can be ordered from Toy Post.
To be fair, this toy is listed for adult collecters only. It was made using traditional methods for tin plating, and does not meet current child safety regulations, sorry kids.
Toy post is actually a very cool UK based shop that specializes in old-fashioned and traditional toys and games. They have a fabulous selection of wooden and old tin plate and metal toys too. But this guy…he definitely tops the freaky list!
Filed under: Oddities | Tags: Alice in Wonderland, Amanita mushroom, art installation, fungus, giant mushroom, Katie Bethune-Leamen, Mushroom Studio, Toronto, Toronto Sculpture Garden
In a mushroom, on the edge of Toronto’s financial district, there works an artist. Not just any old mushroom mind, but a glorious 20-foot-tall Amanita, constructed of steel, rubber, wood and foam. Delightfully magical and fanciful, the only thing missing is a hookah-smoking caterpillar.
Photo by Ben Tong
If you walk along King Street East (just a block and a bit past Yonge street) you can catch your first glimpse of the giant fungus through the gates. It sits nestled among the condos, stores and restaurants in the Toronto Sculpture Garden. The Mushroom Studio is a temporary installation and work space created by artist Katie Bethune-Leamen as part of an ongoing public art project, funded by the City of Toronto.
Past installations have included: a “real” UFO, a pioneer-style log cabin complete with a forest and a plexiglass and aluminum wind tunnel blowing sand dunes across industrial machinery and objects- anyone remember the opening scene for the movie Hardware??
Photo by Ben Tong
Katie has may reasons for having chosen a mushroom for her piece, but my favorite came up in an interview with Peter Goddard from The Toronto Star where she states: “The reason I like them [mushrooms] is that they can be delicious and they can be deadly. This kind of instability is at the heart of any really good piece of work.”
I have included a video interview with Katie Bethune-Leamen speaking to Leah Sandals (on behalf of Canadian Art) about her piece, mushrooms, and the challenges of trying to work while being on exhibit.
Visit The Mushroom Studio soon! The installation will only be in place until April 15. The Toronto Sculpture Garden is located at 115 King Street East, Toronto, Ontario.
Filed under: Beak of the Week | Tags: Beak of the Week, blackbird, Cipolla, crow, gift wrap, hand stamp, handmade, poe, raven, Toronto craft
Crow Gift wrap by Cipolla
I have been madly wrapping Christmas presents, so it just seems fitting that this week’s selection is in the form of delightful, hand-stamped gift wrap by Toronto’s own Cipolla. My other favorites are the anitomical heart and sea creature. Be sure to check out her Zombie and Raven pillows too, wonderful!
