If you didn’t know about Buddies In Bad Times before, you certainly did after the building on the corner of Yonge & Alexander came down. Toronto’s premiere queer theatre took advantage of clear sight lines to tack a massive poster to the side of its building. Unfortunately, like everything else in Toronto, construction on a new condo began a few months later and the sign vanished behind scaffolding.
But there were a few good months when I could stand on the west side of Yonge Street and shoot east, watching people pass on the opposite sidewalk while the BIBT sign offered commentary. Oftentimes, on busy city streets, scenes play out in ways that are no less theatrical than staged productions. So I was pleased when a father and child entered from stage right. The child held a happy face balloon which seemed to contradict the “buddies in bad times” message.
I love it when I end up with a photograph that suggests an internal contradiction. Don’t ask me what this means. I have no idea. It makes me happy just to produce an image that raises a few questions for the viewer.
