Ryan Walker
Commissioned Artist @Waterfront Toronto
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WORK HISTORY
Commissioned Artist @Waterfront Toronto
Toronto, ON, CA
As collaborating artists, Vid Ingelevics and I were commissioned to document and interpret the transformation of Toronto’s post-industrial Port Lands. This six-year public art commission, awarded by Waterfront Toronto, gave us unprecedented access to one of the largest and most complex construction and earthworks projects in the city’s recent history.Our role involved- Conducting weekly site visits, spending extensive time wandering the evolving landscape to uncover unique and visually compelling moments- Documenting the erasure of the site’s industrial past, including the demolition of aging structures and remnants of former uses- Capturing the excavation and remediation of contaminated soil, with attention to the engineering processes and environmental challenges involved- Interpreting the visual and conceptual layers of the transformation through a blend of documentary and artistic approaches.Beyond fieldwork, our engagement extended into the public realm- We exhibited the work annually, experimenting with large-scale outdoor installations, including fence-mounted images and site-based displays that responded to the location and context of the construction zone- We organized artist-led tours and talks, inviting the public to engage with the site through our lens and reflect on the broader implications of urban renewal, environmental remediation, and city-building- We are currently working through our extensive image archive to produce a book that reflects on this multi-year collaboration, offering an in-depth visual narrative of the Port Lands’ transformation.This project has allowed us to create an evolving body of work that not only documents a monumental civic effort but also explores how art can deepen public understanding of the spaces we inherit, reshape, and reimagine.
EDUCATION
Humber College
Post Grad, Fundraising & Volunteer Management
University of Waterloo
BA, Arts and Business, History, Digital Arts Communications
Ryerson University
MFA, Documentary Media
SKILLS
ABOUT RYAN WALKER
Ryan Walker is a Toronto-based photographer, specializing in documentary, editorial photography, and visual advocacy. Having graduated in 2013, Walker holds an MFA in Documentary Media from Ryerson University. He is also an educator for the BFA Photography Program at Ryerson University and Sheridan College. His creative practice explores intimate storytelling through cinema and photographic mediums.Walker\'s work has been exhibited in Canada, Russia, Italy, The Netherlands, Australia and the U.S. He has also received several awards, grants, and scholarships, including a Docking Station artist’s residency in the Netherlands (2020), PDN’s Emerging Photographer (Fall 2017), Magenta Flash Forward Emerging Photographers award, an Ontario Graduate Fellowship, and a Magnum Photos scholarship. His work has appeared in Der Spiegel (Germany) and D Repubblica Magazine (Italy), enRoute Magazine, Report on Business Magazine, The Globe & Mail, and PDN Emerging Magazine.Propelled by a curiosity to explore our modern-day relationship with nature - which is both symbiotic and fraught - Walker is especially interested in people and communities who model alternative ways of living with and off the land. We all have a fundamental need to connect with nature, and the closer we are to it, the more determined we will become in protecting and preserving it.
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