Billy - Motorcycle Man
X.223.004
The Parkdale neighbourhood is located west of downtown Toronto. Owing to the many affordable rental apartments and its proximity to the downtown core, Parkdale has evolved as a transient working-class neighbourhood. It has one of the most diverse demographics of any Toronto neighbourhood and the area has also seen an influx of artists working in relatively inexpensive spaces.
This selection of images is from a series of 30 portraits that Pimentel completed in 1987 of individuals in their single-room Parkdale accommodations. Pimentel’s images provide us with a unique insight into the many idiosyncratic people that live within the Parkdale community. The viewer can use small visual clues from within the frame to determine the character and interests of the people depicted. Both One Room Dwellings and Dunlands Restaurant comment on the temporality of memory and individuality.