Q&A: Jeremy Kai. Photographer. Rivers Forgotten
As a teen, we used to hang out at the Rosedale ravine. With a group of friends, we often tumbled through the underground and branches in 8 holed docs, drinking Schlitzes (sixteen year olds have no taste buds) and causing mayhem. Tsk tsk. I regretfully never thought to snap my experiences.
Cue Jeremy Kai’s book Rivers Forgotten, exploring Toronto’s hidden industrial and modern urbanity. His brilliant other worldly photographs depict sewers, elegantly decrepit abandoned spaces, and florescent lit skies. They’re often pigmented in eery colours or washed in pure sunlight, bringing an alien intensity to the photos. Kai’s a modern day adventurer. I got a chance to chat to him about his book, local politics and the best Toronto spots.
Why the title Rivers Forgotten?
The title eludes to the numerous buried waterways that exist within most cities anchored by a main water feature like a lake or river. Several lost creeks exist beneath central Toronto that have been converted into sewers
What was the focus of the book?
My focus is to shine a light upon these overlooked pieces of infrastructure, which are absolutely vital to the functionality of cities. Creeks and ravines play a big role in how a city is planned and expanded. In the pursuit of progress, pollution control, and flood prevention, many of the city’s once defining landscape features have been lost beneath the earth, bricks, concrete and asphalt of the developed surface. However, the natural flow of water is a near impossible beast to tame. Water will always find a way downstream with or without a fabricated enclosure.
What’s the best place you’ve discovered?
By far, my most exciting adventure has been in the tailrace tunnels of an abandoned hydroelectric power plant in Niagara. Built in the early 1906 and mothballed in 1973, these tunnels stand as hidden, immaculate wonders of civil engineering for any era. Built by blasting through bedrock upstream of the gorge, the tailrace empties out via a portal behind the curtain of Horseshoe Falls. You’re able to walk right to the end and feel yourself become overwhelmed by the furious torrents of Niagara. It was one of the most powerful experience I’ve had.
I hear you’re involved in local politics?
When I became interested in urban exploring (wandering through abandoned buildings and other off-limits areas) I was naturally introduced to how it relates to cities and urban planning. It gave me new reasons to be a passionate citizen of Toronto, where I’ve lived my entire life. I became interested in how overlooked elements of the city played a role in urban dialogues and processes. In many ways, the months leading up to 2010’s municipal elections, and in turn, the results and effects of it, have ignited my participation in urban affairs. In short, it pains me to witness my city be run by a mayor who seems indifferent to the cherished elements of the city that generate pride in the hearts of Torontonians. When asked by CBC’s Matt Galloway his favourite things about Toronto, the mayor simply listed a loaded response on a few menial achievements he made since taking office, like cleaning up some graffiti and privatizing garbage pick up.
Why art?
My whole philosophy about art is that it shouldn’t alienate its viewers and consumers. If it’s beyond common comprehension, art should lend a helping hand to become more accessible, while maintaining its intellectuality if desired. This is probably due to my background in illustration and design, where I warmed up to the idea of a marriage between form and function.
As mentioned before, my aim for the Rivers Forgotten project was to show the necessary urban rivers that snake just a few metres beneath city streets. I want people to daydream more about the places they walk, bike, and drive through everyday. Speaking with curious people at shows in Montréal and Brooklyn, where I mongered my books, they were genuinely surprised by my photos and how unusual these underground spaces look. I doubt I could have captured people’s imagination if I didn’t approach this from an artistic lens. No one would find sewers to be interesting if it were presented in a dry format. At the same time, if I were to present my photos without the connection to buried rivers and forgotten urban memories, then I think I would have failed to have any impact on an emotional level. I admit to struggling to find the right balance for Rivers Forgotten. In addition to my own introduction and a foreword by Michael Cook (www.vanishingpoint.ca), there is minimal written content as not to break up the comfortable flow of images. If readers are itching for more context, I’m currently working on a written supplement to Rivers Forgotten that will be available through my website (www.riversforgotten.com). I’ll be going through each photo and share my memories and experiences, as well as their relation to the streets above and how I set up the shots.
Fave place in Toronto to eat and chill?
Toronto has endless opportunities for a good meal, regardless of your wallet size. I have go-to spots all around town and as a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur, know where the good beans are. Sometimes a place can appeal to me if the atmosphere is right, if I like the architecture, if the window seats have nice views, or if the places are good for people-watching. A few of my favourite spots are: Sky Blue Sky in Koreatown, Manic Coffee on College, Saving Gigi’s and African Palace in Bloorcout, Crema Coffee in the Junction, Harbord Fish & Chips, Darkhorse in Riverdale, Te Aro in Leslieville, George Street Diner.
As for places right for hanging out or spending an afternoon, I’m a fan of the rooftop garden at 401 Richmond, Wychwood Barns, the Evergreen Brickworks, Leslie Spit, the ravines in Rosedale, the financial district after midnight, the grounds of the R.C. Harris Filtration plant in the Beaches, and the UofT campus in the summer. I’m also quite fond of sitting in the main hall of Union Station during rush hour with no particular place to be.
Fave artist?
My favourite photographer is currently Edward Burtynsky. I had the privilege of seeing his Oil exhibition for the second time at Musée McCord when I was in Montréal last month. I admit to looking at his work whenever I approach urban and architecture photography. As Burtynsky uses helicopters and cherry-pickers to shoot from, I often look for elevations to mimic his all-seeing eye style. I continue to shoot with wide-angle lenses due to my fondness of his work.
Where can we buy your book?
My publisher, Annie Koyama (Koyama Press) worked her magic and was able to get Rivers Forgotten on the shelves of the Richmond-John Chapters and the Beguiling (601 Markham st.) in Toronto. We are currently waiting to hear back from other stores and distributors. You can also purchase the book through my website www.riversforgotten.com.
Travel spots?
Unfortunately, I don’t get out of town as much as I’d like to, but this past fall I visited Montréal and New York to promote my book. I have some great friends in Montréal who are always eager to show off some new and old underground discoveries and relics of the city’s industrial past. The last two years I’ve skipped down to Buffalo to photograph heartbreaking abandonments like an old Orphanage, a gorgeous crumbling church and military manufacturing plant. Not everybody’s idea of a holiday, I know.
