Good Books, Good Friends: Instagram Takeovers

In conjunction with The Cultural Landscape Foundation’s (TCLF) Good Books, Good Friends auction, TCLF’s Instagram account - @TCLFdotORG - will host two  “Instagram Takeovers” highlighting books featured in the auction and the people and stories behind them.

The first of two “Takeovers” will run from March 1-5, with guest curators Robert Burley and Walter Kehm. They will share their book Accidental Wilderness: the origins and ecology of Toronto’s Tommy Thompson Park, a richly illustrated volume chronicling the origin and transformation of former landfill site turned park. The thought-provoking essays paired with images of sweeping landscapes tell the story of a forgotten landscape and the people who, through their passion, remade it into a dramatic urban wilderness.

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Internationally renowned Canadian photographer Robert Burley uses his work to explore the relationship between architecture and the urban landscape. According to Burley, “For me, it was the edges of the park, where land meets water, which provide a source of endless fascination and the impetus to begin photographing there. The shorelines of Tommy Thompson expose the rough materials of demolished buildings from the city: concrete, brick, rebar, ceramic, and stone. However, over time, the actions of the lake have softened their edges and reshaped them into mesmerizing forms that might be described as accidental artworks. Amongst these accumulations are scattered innumerable impromptu sculptures created by park visitors. Constructions of steel, bricks, and other debris appear each weekend created by families, groups of hipsters, or other individuals who simply can’t resist the urge to reimagine and reconfigure the rubble of Toronto’s past. Sometimes these ephemeral works incorporate a nearby tree whose roots have taken hold in the crevices between concrete forms.” To learn more about the artist, please read his It Takes One profile on TCLF’s website.

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Joining him is landscape architect Walter Kehm, creator of the original master plan for Tommy Thompson Park. In telling the story of his life's work, Kehm shares a poignant tale of revitalization and the dominance of nature over man. "When we think about the design and planning of parks, we usually begin with the needs of people, but when we deal with a nature refuge like Tommy Thompson Park, the game is reversed.  You have to think about nature first, and then consider how people can fit into it," said Kehm, "This book has been a collaboration with photographer Robert Burley alongside invited authors, scientists, and designers to tell the unique history and ongoing legacy of Toronto's Tommy Thompson Park.  Accidental Wilderness presents the park as an ecological marvel for integration between nature and cities."

Follow TCLF on Instagram to see this takeover, along with other content. You can also find TCLF on other social media outlets – Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn – as well as our YouTube channel.

Be sure to register and bid in the Good Books, Good Friends auction running from February 22 to March 15 featuring books by landscape architects, architects, photographers, and allied practitioners with inscriptions, autographs, sketches, watercolors, collages and other additions that make them unique collectors’ items.

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Accidental Wilderness is item #105 in the auction and is a special edition which includes an original signed drawing by landscape architect/author Walter Kehm and a signed photograph by co-author Robert Burley. The signed 9"x12" book, which was published by the University of Toronto Press in November of 2020, is housed in a linen-covered presentation case  along with the artworks.