Back Lane Studios

Mark Sunday, Aug. 30, 12:30 pm on your calendar for a documentary and discussion at the Revue Cinema about the mysterious, unique artist Hilma Af Klint. 

Born in 1862 in Sweden, Af Klint was well educated, studied art and like many intellectuals and artists in the late 19th century, was attracted to the philosophies of the occult Theosophist and Anthroposophist societies. She was interested in the paranormal and found inspiration through seances. She was also influenced by the flood of scientific discoveries at the time. such as radio waves, x-rays, electrons and radioactivity. She set out through her visual medium to portray the invisible reality of our world and the unseen spiritual dimension. The result was abstract images a few years before other major artists such as Kandinsky and Mondrian pursued similar paths.

Although some paintings were shown in her lifetime in spiritual circles, she instructed that her  work, which was prolific, be kept secret for 20 years after her death in 1944.  In recent years, though, her art has gained attention, with major international exhibits (one at the Grand Palais in Paris closes at the end of this month).  Her story has also inspired books, films, a graphic novel and operas.

We will be screening the 2019 documentary Beyond the Visible — Hilma af Klint. Our guests for the Q&A are U of T Associate Prof Alison Syme, who focuses on late 19th and 20th century art, including early abstraction, and PhD student Brownen Cox, who is exploring women artists and the occult around the turn of the last century. There will be lots to discuss, from the widespread influence of spiritualism and the occult in intellectual circles and various controversies about Af Klint’s life and work.

Read more about Hilma here. Watch the trailer here. 

The larger the pin on the map, the more stories are contained in that area and the more pins will show when you click on it. Click on one of the small pins, and you will see a short story about a memory usually with photos, or you will see a video link, accompanied by a short written summary.

Scroll down the story or video page; you will see a map with other pins if there are more stories in that neighbourhood. There are also filters at the bottom of the page that will lead you to more stories or videos linked by time, subject or storyteller.

You can access stories in other ways besides through pins on the map. There’s a page of photos, a page of videos and a page with a list of stories (which include videos0, which can be searched through key words.

Mapping our Memories is very much a work in progress. We welcome feedback, corrections, and  story ideas! We have a lot happening this year for the project. Read about our plans for printed collections of seniors’ stories and photos for Roncesvalles and Parkdale, which we also be adding to the website. We hope you’ll be interested in participating.

Hope you enjoy the website!

Writer an comedian Carolyn Bennett returns to Back Lane once again to offer her workshop for those interested in getting their memories down on paper for family, friends, and possibly a wider readership. A special emphasis will be placed on finding the funny in your memories. Carolyn will use themes as guides, with an emphasis on Toronto memories.

The workshop will be offered in a combination of in person and online sessions, Mondays at 7:00 pm starting Sept. 21 and running to Nov. 9.  The program will wind up with a public reading at Back Lane on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7:00. (Above, in the photo, Carolyn emcees the public reading from her memoir-writing session at the beginning of the year.)

The Fee: $200. Limit of 12 people in the class. Deadline to apply is Sept. 17. Email info@backlanestudios.ca if you’re interested.

We have recently completed our Monday morning video-making workshops series, but we are continuing the Monday and Wednesday afternoon drop-in video-making sessions from 1:00-3:00 pm. We’re offering help for people continuing to work on their videos and for anyone who would like to start a new one. If you’re interested but haven’t attended one of our workshops, please come by. Email us — info@backlanestudios.ca — or give us a call 99 647-313-1654.

Videographer Cheryl Rondeau is our instructor. Cheryl has made many short videos, most recently about Inuit art and artists. Our summer employee Diogo Nobre is also helping with the workshops. 

The image above is of Fred James and his wife Margaret, who owned James Gardens, now a city park.  Margaret James was Doris Dunne’s great aunt. Doris’s daughter Maureen Chicorli put together a documentary about the Etobicoke landmark featuring her mom’s memories. Watch it here.  Sadly, Doris passed away in late 2025. We are so grateful to have her stories on video. 

The programs are free. Donations are welcome!