The Office, Jasper Linton, 2020
Office buildings line the streets of downtown Toronto. They were somewhere most people spent 9-5 every weekday, but now in the times of covid, most are left empty while people work from home. They have become pillars of concrete and steel, monuments to ‘normal’ life. With this, their use and necessity are being questioned, do we really need these huge spaces to work productively? People are realizing that maybe we don't and that maybe these spaces could be put to better use.
My piece visually represents this change, the life leaving these buildings. I have done many works in the past using this style of art and these characters. They represent the chaos of life, in this case, forced to evacuate these spaces. Though my piece is about life leaving these buildings, this doesn't mean I think they are lifeless. These are enormous spaces and I believe they could be revitalized through a changed and renewed purpose. Especially in our current housing crisis, I believe these spaces could really be put to good use.