Otino Corsano

"NORTH YORK", 2013

Toronto Centre for the Arts, Location Photo © Otino Corsano, 2013

Working alongside commercial directors, professional actors, contemporary dancers and composers, new genre artist and Willowdale resident Otino Corsano has created a trilogy of art videos collectively titled “North York”, 2013. This collection of thirty-second ‘commercials’ depicts the lifestyle of living in the City of Toronto’s most northern edge as a contemporary Arcadia. 

Drawing from a retrospective realm of nostalgic idealism, Corsano brings motion to dreamlike memory stills of his inner city hometown. Accordingly, the municipal zone of Willowdale becomes a narrative where the daily lives of couples and individuals are choreographed as new visual documents. The classic yet fading medium of the television commercial is activated and altered as an art format. Here, lifestyle/travel advertising aesthetics shed sales slogans to reveal timeless suburban tranquillity.

"North York" Trilogy, © Otino Corsano, 2013 Production Credits 

“Optimus”: Directing duo Jeff Hamill (editor) and Maddie Goodall (cinematographer) build an optimistic and future perspective from familiar local construction sites and unique roof top views.

North York Video 1 "Optimus", 2013 Video Still, Credit: Directors Jeff Hamill and Maddie Goodall

“Betty Ann Bush”: Contemporary choreographer and director Aria Evans collaborates with actress Linnea Currie-Roberts to link everyday domestic gestures with the reverie of unaltered forest space using dance as a bridge.

North York Video 2 "Betty Ann Bush", 2013 Video Still, Credit: Director and Choreographer Aria Evans

“Lansing”: Westside Studio photographer/director Nikki Ormerod and dancer Emma Letki visit North York’s postmodern and thriving Yonge Street centre, delineating urban developments into new choreographed movements and returns to poignantly preserved civic parklands.

North York Video 3 "Lansing", 2013 Video Still, Credit: Director Nikki Ormerod, Westside Studio

The three HD videos are woven together by pensive, original scores created by sound artist and composer Collin McKelvey. Otino would like to extend his deepest gratitude to all these immensely creative and generous artists for their collaborative help in the realization of this video art project.

"NORTH YORK", 2013 runs during regular hours from July 2 to August 26, 2013 just past the tickets booths inside the main entrance of the Toronto Centre for the Arts.

Toronto Centre for the Arts
5040 Yonge St, Toronto

Special Thanks to the Toronto Centre for the Arts for hosting this installation.


ABOUT OTINO CORSANO

Otino Corsano is a new genre artist conceptually linked to the Los Angeles art scene. Three thirty-second ‘commercial’ style films will highlight timeless suburban tranquility without the familiar and expected ‘call to action’ product focus of predictable and traditional advertising tropes. In his recent work, Corsano also employs the format of the artist interview as an extension of his neo-conceptual practice. His art writings and interviews are published in artUS magazine (LA), ARTPOST, Akimblog and his own blog. He has taught at the University of Toronto and OCAD University.