MONTREAL -- A Montreal artist is sprucing up a Mile-End walking path, hoping his installation will bring some joy to those suffering from a difficult year.
Glen Le Mesurier is the sculptor behind the dozens of ephemeral metal art pieces that have been popping up to the delight of passersby. Each is made by welding and grinding recycled steel.
His guerilla art exhibit couldn't have come at a better time, as many Montrealers have poured into the city's parks and green spaces, seeking solace at a time of so much disease and death.
Le Mesurier said he hopes his art is helping them to heal some of the stress they feel.
“When the pandemic hit, I felt that way I could help and heal psychologically is through art. That was my main goal here,” he said.
However, there is a catch: Le Mesurier hasn't asked permission to install his creations. In the past, he has battled with the city over his other efforts to show off his work, but he has persisted; an unauthorized sculpture park on Van Horn near St. Urbain became a Mile-End staple.
Le Mesurier said he has no plans to stop his work.
“If I could get their permission, I would love to continue right down to Masson and have this beautiful threat of sculptural images and forms that will take away some of the pain we're going through right now,” he said.
A city spokesperson said there are no plans to remove the sculptures at this time.
