The Madison Group

Toronto, ON

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The Madison Group – 150 Eglinton Ave. E, Toronto

Curated by Marnie Mandel, mural artist David Guinn and lighting designer Drew Billiau have combined their talents to create an illuminated mural on the west wall of 150 Eglinton Ave East. The project was commissioned by Madison Group to highlight a pedestrian thorough way from Eglinton Avenue to their parking lots. This work is part of a larger scheme by Madison Group to invest in art for the public on their properties. Owning several properties on Eglinton Avenue, Madison considers the inclusion of art as an opportunity to enhance community spirit as well as brighten up the area – in this case literally!

For this work, Guinn was inspired by Geometric Abstraction and most notably the artwork of Sonia Delanuay (1885-1979). Guinn’s use of a myriad of bright contrasting colors reference Delaunay and amplify the geometric patterning of the artwork. The colours selected for the work reference the 1980’s, a time of experimentation in technology and design from the invention of Apple, the beginning of MTV and the music video phenomenon, and the unique designs of the Italian Memphis Group.

Drew Billiau is a lighting aficionado. He specializes in designing meticulous light displays for opera, dance, and theatre. This mural’s light display is created using Linear Flex Vivid S 270 RGB Fixtures: an environmentally friendly and safe alternative to neon. The Linear Flex mounting channel were thoughtfully applied to the mural by Billiau to contour the shapes of Guinn’s design and enhance the visual experience of the work. Billiau had two goals: to create an arresting piece of visual eye candy, and to impact viewers emotions with a seamless interchange of bold colors.

The artwork is well situated amongst the bright lights of Yonge and Eglinton and only a few short blocks east from the busy intersection. The murals bold color scheme and neon glow draws us eastward as was the intention of the artists and aspirations of the developers.