‘Duck man!’ ‘Duck man!’ A look inside the world of unsanctioned art in self-serious Toronto

At the corner of Bathurst and College streets, a large mallard duck towers over me. His bulbous body stands on two stick-thin orange legs. His long yellow beak points at my head, my recorder hovering between his mandibles. From the back of his throat, two human eyes look back at me, barely visible behind black mesh. × Already a Subscriber? Sign in You are logged in  Switch accounts ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Lewis Mallard’s painted concrete barrier at the intersection of Bathurst Street and College Street. R.J. Johnston Toronto Star The exterior of Bloordale Beach, set-up by Shari Kasman. Shawn Micallef/Toronto Star The LEGO tower created by Martin Reis outside of Sam James coffee bar on Harbord Street.  R.J. Johnston/Toronto Star Jode Roberts standing in front of an Earth sign. Tara Deschamps/Toronto Star Lewis Mallard says he chose barriers to paint because he wanted something “playful to interact with — ignored parts of the city. Things that I saw as underutilized.” He got compliments from a TTC streetcar driver and a free coffee from a passerby as he worked. R.J. Johnston Toronto Star