Loosen up my buttons... - Shedoesthecity Events & Culture

Loosen up my buttons…

Posted on August 12, 2008

In the high-stakes, fast paced world of one-inch button trading, there is only one law: don’t drop the button. Welcome to One-Inch Punch. In it’s third year of pin-on art and button-bag bartering, this evening dedicated to the art of the one-inch button is better than ever. Chosen from over 100 artist submissions from all over Canada, these mini-masterpieces were on display at the Lennox Contemporary, and also for sale. $5 nabs you a bag of buttons, randomly selected from the 50 on the walls, and you’re encouraged to trade with your fellow button enthusiasts to put together a sterling collection. Carly Gray, creator of this event, says that the first year, they worried no one would trade, but the idea caught on like wildfire, and boundaries crumbled as participants scoured the gallery for the button they liked best. As you look around the space, random groupings of all ages, styles and backgrounds, from art students to senior citizens to babies in slings, were trading and talking and admiring the work. The complete antithesis of a stuffy art show, One-Inch Punch is really an interactive social event, and it’s well on its way to becoming a Toronto institution. The submissions are anonymous until the final 50 are selected, and some artists have participated year after year. The buttons themselves? Pure genius. One of my favourites was Orange Balloons, by Nicola Bendrey (myspace.com/nicolabendrey), but the button that captured my heart, showed up in my button bag, and no one is getting their hands on? Richelle Forsey’s Robo-Harper, a depiction of the evil Prime Minister with screws for ears and lazer-beams shooting out of his eyes. Small packs punch.