At the Break of Dawn (Sackville Street, Toronto), undated, Oil on wood panel, 32 x 30 in
John Kasyn (1926-2008) was best known for images of old Toronto homes, providing nostalgic documentation of the historic buildings of the inner city.
Above: Winter on Eastern Ave, 1975, watercolour on paper, 6 x 10 in
Often depicting the back lanes and rear views of working class Toronto semi-detached houses, Kasyn felt the backs of homes were where the occupants revealed their true selves, and that the house fronts were reserved for display. Kaysn was more interested in such details as the broken fences and clotheslines that he felt gave insight into the lives of the occupants – Heffel
John Kasyn was born in Poland in 1926 and came to Winnipeg in 1938. He began his artistic training at the Winnipeg Museum while in public school. In 1940, his family moved to Toronto, where he studied at the Central Technical School, then pursued his studies at the Ontario College of Art.
After completing school, Kasyn worked as an art director in a variety of design studios before dedicating himself to painting full-time. He spent 50 years painting the back streets and lanes of old Toronto.
He has elected to get the details of every stoop, every window, every dripping icicle right. Houses, like people, put their best face forward but Kasyn is more curious about the rear view. People don’t live at the front of their houses. The back lanes are more interesting than the front. That’s where the clotheslines are, the lean-tos, the garbage cans and broken fences. Toronto Star, 2000 via Klinkhoff Gallery here
This video from Rookley’s Fine Art is worth watching for more context.
Kasyn’s paintings are part of many public and private collections across Canada and are valued for both their artistic merit and the nostalgic documentation they maintain of historic buildings in Toronto.
John Kasyn’s works at Canadian fine art auction houses:
At Heffel, here.
At Cowley-Abbott, here.
At Levis, here.
This is No. 73 in 150 Artists, an ongoing series on Canadian artists you should know.
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I love this tribute to Kasyn. I bought one of his “Back of… ” paintings in the late 70s, when living in Calgary and feeling some nostalgia for Toronto alleys. Kasyn hasn’t the renown (and market value) of AJ Casson, but my own preference is definitely K not C, and for the reasons you and the video provide: the architectural detail, the respect and love for humble urban vernacular of his day. I always loved those alleys myself and, thanks to him, this particular bit of alley, at that particular moment in time, is mine to continue to enjoy.
These paintings look so real, like we just walk into the neighborhood.
Yes indeed, quite the ability to capture that reality, for sure.
wonderfully insightful work. As an applied anthropologist, I worked in a working-class neighborhood for years that expressed the same contrasts. The artist’s eye for patterns and details was especially interested. My, My, the intersection of Art and anthropology!
What a fascinating comment, thank you. I get it, and love the link to applied anthropology. I lived for many many years in neighbourhoods like this througout Toronto and found his eye especially discerning and his works so beautiful.
It’s really satisfying to see your observations echoed from another discipline.