Whether we’re arriving, connecting or departing, we move through Toronto’s vast transit system as members of a mass urban community, briefly inhabiting its network of spaces as we follow our own paths and trajectories. As the former northwestern terminus of the Yonge-University line, Wilson Station is a venue particularly rich in these pathways. ‘Outside the Lines’ is a public art work integrated within Wilson Station that captures the site’s capacity for dynamic movement through bursts of colourful sculptural forms. Rather than a singular static art piece, ‘Outside the Lines’ is playfully fluid. Popping out of walls, shooting through floors and coiling around columns, it flows through the sprawling station in the form of 10 vibrant installations.

Taking the omnipresent steel handrail tube, ‘Outside the Lines’ transforms this simple material into an interactive sculpture and wayfinding device. The installations are formed from durable, powder-coated steel tubes mounted to various surfaces throughout the site. Not far from Wilson Station is Downsview Airport, the site of countless air shows. The curving, swooping forms of ‘Outside the Lines’ mirror the aerial acrobatics that have mystified Toronto audiences for more than a century. This art work expresses LeuWebb’s commitment to reimagining the possibilities of everyday materials, and highlighting the unique histories of Toronto spaces.

‘Outside the Lines ‘ also provides both amenity and wayfinding for Wilson Station. At virtually any point within the Station, it’s possible to view an element of the work. Further complementing the physically interactive environment – turn-styles, press buttons, and grip handrails – the art work is similarly tactile. Floor-mounted installations provide a novel place to lean and sit while waiting for a bus or subway, engaging visitors in art they can touch, use, and remember.

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Location
Toronto, ON

Client
Toronto Transit Commission, Public Art Program

Status
Completed 2019

Project Type
Public Art, Sculpture

Role
Lead Artist

Collaborators
Punchclock Metalworks (Fabrication)

Photography
Doublespace Photography

Press and Awards
Designlines – ”LeuWebb Projects Creates Squiggly Line Art for Wilson Station,” Fall 2019