I rarely go to the ROM. It's a fine museum, with interesting exhibits thanks to a wide and deep permanent collection, but I'm just rarely in the mood for the kind of shows museums curate.
Today, we went to see an exhibit of Ed Burtynsky photographs on oil. This type of exhibit should be held in an art gallery, but the lines are getting increasingly blurred between art galleries and museums, so to the museum we went.
First, we had brunch in C5, a beautiful restaurant at the top of the building. Scrambled eggs & lobster -- the eggs perfectly fluffy, the lobster a teeny bit overdone but not so much to make it unpleasantly chewy, a beautifully creamy avocado puree, the whole topped with a sprinkle fried black beans. A great way to start the day. The restaurant is big, bright and inviting; the staff warm and unpretentious. I loved it.
Next we headed down a floor to the Burtynsky show. It did not disappoint. Over the years, I've seen a number of his oil photographs, but to have most of them in one place really brings it all together, from how we get our oil to to the residues of using it. It's only when you see the mountains of discarded tires, empty oil drums, rusted car batteries, and dismantled cars; only when you see those mountains of waste do you begin to understand the full impact of the oil industry.
I did spend some time visiting the other floors, but not in great depth -- I did overhear that the other exhibit they're holding now, on water, is worth it. So I will be back at the ROM soon, and suggest you drop in if you're in the neighbourhood.
Today, we went to see an exhibit of Ed Burtynsky photographs on oil. This type of exhibit should be held in an art gallery, but the lines are getting increasingly blurred between art galleries and museums, so to the museum we went.
First, we had brunch in C5, a beautiful restaurant at the top of the building. Scrambled eggs & lobster -- the eggs perfectly fluffy, the lobster a teeny bit overdone but not so much to make it unpleasantly chewy, a beautifully creamy avocado puree, the whole topped with a sprinkle fried black beans. A great way to start the day. The restaurant is big, bright and inviting; the staff warm and unpretentious. I loved it.
Next we headed down a floor to the Burtynsky show. It did not disappoint. Over the years, I've seen a number of his oil photographs, but to have most of them in one place really brings it all together, from how we get our oil to to the residues of using it. It's only when you see the mountains of discarded tires, empty oil drums, rusted car batteries, and dismantled cars; only when you see those mountains of waste do you begin to understand the full impact of the oil industry.
I did spend some time visiting the other floors, but not in great depth -- I did overhear that the other exhibit they're holding now, on water, is worth it. So I will be back at the ROM soon, and suggest you drop in if you're in the neighbourhood.
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