As the completion of the new Eglinton Crosstown LRT draws closer, taking in any stretch along the new 19km line is a surreal sight to anyone familiar with Eglinton Ave. As roads are repaved and fences come down, we see a street split between its past and future.
Inspired by photos from the City of Toronto Archives, artist Arman Bahreini presents a mosaic of Eglinton Ave, depicting it in its current state of change. Just as Bloor St or St Clair Ave have been redefined by transit infrastructure, so will the character of Eglinton Ave, so much so that there will likely come a time when few will remember Eglinton Ave without it.
Shot over several months, Bahreini traversed many neighbourhoods along Eglinton Ave between Kennedy Rd and Weston Rd. This is Eglinton in 2024.
Arman Bahreini is a Toronto-based photographer working with analogue processes. He is drawn to capturing the often unseen, and overlooked aspects of urban living, Often revisiting sites and subject matters as a way of documenting gradual changes throughout neighbourhoods. Bahreini is a member of Gallery 44 and has participated in artist residencies across Ontario including Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts and Spark Box Studios. His work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally.
