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34covet gardeninspiration grows here

morgan &christopher

your guide to the collections

covetgarden.com 32 issue 34

welcomeA friend first told us about Morgan and Christopher’s amazing apartment. When we heard that the place also houses a museum, of course our curiosity was piqued. But what really made us need to show you this space is that the couple embrace curatorship and storytelling, and they basically live with and in their art. And as you’ll discover as you flip through this month’s issue, they are so genuine about life that their passion is infectious. Pass it on!

contributors

Cover photo by Ashley Capp. This page right: photo by Maya Visnyei

MAYA VISNYEIphotographer

Maya discovered her passion for photography at age 13, when she stole her sister’s Nikon. She currently works as a freelance food and travel photographer and is a favourite Covet Garden collaborator.

mayavisnyei.com

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Peruse our back issues to tour more great spaces!Check out our blog for more ideas and inspiration!

ASHLEY CAPPphotographer

Ashley’s interest in photo-graphy started in high school, where she had access to a full darkroom and an early version of Photoshop. Ashley has contributed to such publica-tions as Canadian House & Home, and Clean Eating. ashleycapp.com

contents4 the space A life at the museum

24 Q & A

26 the style Pretty and punk

28 the project Basket full of goodness

30 the drink Not vanilla vanilla

36 inspiration Study group


The magical home of artists Morgan and Christopher, and life as an art installation photography by Maya Visnyei

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE


Housed in a turn-of-the-20th-century apartment complex in Dufferin Grove, the Contemporary Zoo-logical Conservatory had its seed in a 17th-birthday present from Morgan’s parents. “I asked for three things,” she says. “A deer head, a live poodle or a miniature goat.” She got the deer head. And that was it for a while.

As a curator and installation artist, Morgan focus-es her practice on the representation of animal bodies in museums, in private collections and in contemporary artwork. “I also like the uncanny,” she says. “Things like a wooden station wagon or a vintage tin that looks like fabric.”

the space

When the couple moved in, they

decided that everything that

came into the space had to

have a purpose.

THIS IS A STORY ABOUT A PASSION FOR ARTMorgan and Christopher are so committed to collecting, curating and creating that they have turned their apartment into a home museum and art installation of antique and contemporary taxi-dermy mounts. The Covet Garden team, who as children each dreamed of living (or at least sleep-ing over) in one of the Royal Ontario Museum’s dioramas, couldn’t have been happier to spend a day touring this fabulous couple’s abode.


“The CZC is not a natural- history museum,” says Christopher. “It’s about portrait-ure and elevating the memory of the animal.”

the space


As they travelled through the North, they saw so much taxidermy. Morgan’s interest in it changed. “The more I researched taxidermy, the more I became interested in the individual animal’s cultural afterlife and its provenance.”

When they returned to Toronto, the friend’s sis-ter’s big, bright apartment became available. Except for the things they had in storage, they were starting from scratch. When they began to explore the potential of the space, they decided to use an oversize room just off the kitchen as a place to exhibit taxidermy.

the space

opposite: Christopher, in

fencing gear, stands in front of

The Look and Feel of a Real Wood

Stove, a sculpture by David Harper.

Morgan lived in an all-pink Victorian house in Toronto with a 60-year-old barbershop on the main floor. Then she met Christopher, who was studying new media at Ryerson. They moved in together the first night they started dating, acquired a second deer head (from Christopher)and then decided to hitchhike to Dawson City, Yukon. Before they left, they went to a friend’s sister’s birthday party in what would one day become their apartment.

They got rid of everything except the finest belong-ings they could move in a minivan (these they stowed in Christopher’s mother’s basement) and hit the road. After Dawson City they drove east to Halifax. Morgan calls this time “a hitchhiking installation. We were collecting stories, not things.”

AFTER COMPLETING HER BFA AT OCADU


the space

opposite: The Map Room showcases Morgan’s needlepoint and paint-by-num-bers collections.

Her interest in taxidermy has stoked Morgan’s passion for science and anatomy. “I’ve always wanted anatomical models,” she says. And on a recent trip to an abandoned school in Detroit, they found a treasure trove of papier-mâché and plastic medical education products “scattered all over a science room.”

Says Christopher, “We don’t like to do conventional vacations. We like to explore ruins.” Specifically, they like to explore abandoned industrial and institutional buildings. What appeals to the pair, says Morgan, is “discarded sentiment. We’ve seen pianos and organs just left behind.”

NOT ALL THE APARTMENT IS DEDICATED TO THE CZC but that idea of everything having meaning to them applies throughout. There are multiple col-lections everywhere. Morgan has always been a passionate collector. Christopher has only recently started collecting to claim space, amassing vintage cameras and board games. When you enter the apartment, the first chamber you see is one the partners call “the Map Room,” named for a small collection of colourful schoolroom charts and globes but more impressive for treasures like prosthetics and anatomical models.


THE MAP ROOM IS THE MAIN HANGOUT SPACE IN THE APARTMENTWhen last we visited, their dog, Colonel Sanders, was perched on a royal blue chair, surveying the goings-on. The room is made super cozy with Morgan’s collection of needlepoint pictures. Her favourite commemorates Prince Charles’s wed-ding to Lady Diana Spencer and was an exceptional gift from her mom. Morgan loves that her mom scours thrift shops and yard sales to aid and abet her daughter’s love of collections. “You know your mom is the best when she gets you a needlepoint of Charles and Di at a Goodwill auction.”

“I was born in Port Hardy, BC,” says Morgan. “My dad owned the local newspaper, and my mom was a teacher who specialized in helping children with neurological disorders.” The family moved back and forth a few times, she says, but essentially “I’m a Toronto kid.”

Morgan comes from a tradition of great treasure hunters. A Coast Salish mallet and an Interior Sal-ish basket were finds by her grandparents. The Bald Eagle in the CZC “flew into my dad’s truck. Dad was the first non–First Nations person to get a permit to have a Bald Eagle mounted because it was on the endangered species list at the time,” she says.

A more modern discovery—and one of our favou-rite furnishings in the Map Room—is a blond wood card-catalogue cabinet that was salvaged from OCADU but originated in the Art Gallery of Ontario.

opposite: The couple have

criss-crossed Canada together.

This library catalogue

cabinet now houses treasured

souvenirs of their trips.

the space


One of the curious things about the layout of the apartment is an abundance of antechambers and other small rooms. There’s a wee pantry in the kitchen that provides extra storage, leaving open shelving available to display bright red to-mato ceramics and salt and pepper sets. Campy matador needlepoints that her grandfather made adorn the walls. “I have horror vacui, which means the fear of empty spaces,” says Morgan.

Colour contrasts with the graphic black and white floor tiles and white cabinetry to make the kitch-en a happy space. Even though the pair are not dedicated to recreating a specific era with their design, touches such as a working 1940s-era oven and other eclectic elements come together to create something new.

the space

SPENDING TIME WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE SO GENUINELY ENGAGED IN ART AND CURATION IS FUNBut more amazing is that they love to share their space with others.

The partners entertain and hold frequent dinner parties and games nights. Their kitchen, in which they restored all the light fixtures themselves, is very adaptable. “We have two vibes,” says Mor-gan. “We have a big banquet table that extends so we can dine with guests in the CZC, but usually we eat in the kitchen for more family-style parties.”


the space


AS ARTISTS, MORGAN AND CHRISTOPHER ARE INTERESTED IN STARTING NEW CONVER-SATIONS“With the exception of the David Harper bear sculpture in the big room, all of our art is in our bedroom,” says Morgan. This contemporary col-lection is more wide-ranging than groupings in other parts of the apartment. “Tastes change over the years,” says Morgan, “but I have no regrets.”

Because the bedroom is a personal space, it is probably the best way to illustrate what makes the couple click so well. They decided that they would try wallpaper on the walls. Initially they wanted original Victorian flocked paper but went with mint green embossed as a cost saver (it is a

rental, after all). Christopher has done a lot of the installation work—hanging animal heads, plaster-ing and creating built-in shelving—in the apart-ment, but even he wasn’t ready for the trials of wallpapering. It took a while, they persevered and the job was executed flawlessly. At no point was it a cause for drama, says Morgan, because “we work really well together. We’re a good balance. I’m emotional and he’s sensible.”

Maybe this is a better story to illustrate their bond: Christopher recently was away for a 10-day residency on Toronto Island. It was the longest they’d been apart in their relationship.

the space


the space

‘INTERESTING PLACES DRAW INTERESTING PEOPLE,’ says Christopher. “Artists and witches and gob-lins live in this building.”

We asked Morgan and Christopher if they could be any animal, what animal would they be? Morgan said that she originally thought she’d be a bear, and if they had kids they’d be cubs. “But hands down I’m a raccoon,” she says. “I’m dexterous and I like bright shiny objects.” And Christopher would be “some kind of forest creature—a fox or wolverine,” he says, adding, “Not to toot my own horn.”

Morgan and Christopher also have a strong connection to lakes and the sea. The grand old clawfoot bathtub allows Morgan to indulge her inner mermaid.

It dawns on us that the apartment embraces the spirit of both the urban and the pastoral. We are reminded of an image from a story Christopher told us about finding a forest filled with birds and moss and ferns growing in the middle of an aban-doned school. Like Morgan and Christopher’s space, it was magical.

The apartment has a unique floorplan, includ-ing a bathroom that’s amazingly spacious by Toronto standards.


What’s your greatest strength? MORGAN: My genuineness and sense of humour

Morgan Mavis is the director and curator of the Contemporary Zoological Conservatory—Toronto’s only taxidermy parlour. It showcases antique and vin-tage taxidermy and the stories that go along with each animal. Morgan has a master’s in museum studies from the University of Toronto and a BFA with honours in sculpture installation from the Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCADU).

She also wants everybody to know that generous donors help keep the collection going, and the CZC accepts donations of taxidermy and bones.

links• The Contemporary Zoological Conservatory

Christopher Bennell was born in Edmonton, raised in Perth, Ontario, and has lived in Toronto since he came to do his BFA at Ryerson. He is currently a web developer and instructor in web design at OCADU. He is also a photographer and a fencer.

What’s your greatest weakness?CHRISTOPHER: I suppose I’m lazy. I love the idea of waking up early, but when my alarm goes off I’m incapable of doing anything other than pressing Snooze. I procrastinate and I’m easily distracted. MORGAN: I’m a worrier. I need to be more like Christopher, or a duck. Just let it roll off my back.

If you could travel in time, what era would you most like to visit?CHRISTOPHER: The future, to see what happens. MORGAN: It’s silly, but I might go to Brooklyn 1999. I missed the Sensation

morgan’s top three docs

show at the Brooklyn Museum and I would have loved to go on opening day.

What’s your favourite place on earth? CHRISTOPHER: There’s a train bridge that runs over a marsh near my hometown. Think Stand by Me, but bigger. It arcs across the valley and it’s really beautiful. MORGAN: It’s a tie between Gibraltar Point on the Toronto Islands or Detroit. Two magical places.

What’s your favourite place in Toronto?CHRISTOPHER: The beaches and woods around Hanlan’s Point. MORGAN: Hands down the Islands, the Wet Meadow and Gibraltar Point. MAGIC.

the profile

who?

christopher’s top board games

1. Can’t Stop

2. Citadels

3. Forbidden Island

4. Modern Art

5. Katrina


Morgan’s collection of minty-fresh nail polishes moved us to assemble these pastel looks with an edge photograph by Maya VIsnyei

LIGHT FORCEthe style

SCARF: Red Brick North Laboratory Chemistry Mice Science Silk Scarf, $100 TIGHTS: Virivee Hand-dyed ombre tights in Salmon, $35 DRESS: Glamour Power to You Dress in Spearmint Stripe, $75 SUNGLASSES: Hibou Claudia Sunglasses in Light Green, $14 CLUTCH: Mienkintosh Fairie Mint Bow Clutch in Retro Phone Print, $32 EARRINGS: Silver for My Magpie California Dream Button Studs, $25 SHOES: Suede Sorbet Sandals in Mint, $150 BANGLES: Jackie & Lauren Azealia Skinny Bangle Set, $22


the project

Spring is here, and we’ll be riding around the city carrying our finds in a lovingly lined bike basket photograph by Jessica Reid

materials• fabric (yardage is determined by basket size—create your custom-size pattern before purchasing)• paper for pattern (we recommend large paper, newspaper or paper bags)• snaps• straight pins• thread• iron• measuring tape• pencil

instructions 1. Measure the height and width of the sides and basket bottom and the perimeter of the top edge.

2. Use a pencil to draw the measurements on paper to make a pattern. Before you cut out the pieces, add ½” to each edge for seam allowance and ½” to the depth of each side for your overhang.

3. Measure the area around the handlebars that needs to be removed. Sketch this area on your pattern and cut it out so that your liner sits nicely in the basket and will clear the handlebars.

4. Use the pattern to determine the amount of fabric you will need, keeping in mind that you will need to cut out two versions (one will be the liner).

5. With right sides facing in, pin and sew three sides together. Then turn inside out (so right sides are now facing out) and hand-stitch remaining side closed.

6. Measure the size of pocket you want, cut, and attach to preferred side.

7. One side at a time, fold sides up and together and pin. Then sew from the bottom of the liner up, leaving a 3” opening to form the lip that will fold over the top of the basket.

8. Place your liner into your basket. Fold edge over and mark the placement of the snaps. Attach following instructions on snap package.

2. 3.

5. 6.

special deliveryS

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ROOT NUMBERMorgan and Christopher introduced us to a sophisticated adult cocktail made with vanilla-infused vodka that reinvents the sweet, sweet soda of our youth photograph by Ashley Capp

the drink

ROOT BEER COCKTAIL1 can root beer1 oz vanilla vodka*1 oz bourbonice

1. Fill a glass with ice. 2. Add vanilla vodka and bourbon. 3. Pour root beer on the top and give it a little stir. Enjoy!

TIP: Try a scoop of vanilla ice cream instead of ice for a grownup float version.

*Vanilla Vodka5 vanilla beans per cup of vodka

1. Slice the beans lengthwise and combine with vodka. Shake well and store in a cool, dark place for 10 to 12 weeks, giving the jar a little shake once a week.

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HOMEhow your space can tell your story

winter 2013

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win

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COMING SOON!

Readers have asked for a version of Covet Garden printed on glorious paper and we want to oblige with an inspiration resource you can keep on hand for years! We need help from the Covet Garden community to make this happen.

We want to bring you new house tours, DIY projects and revisits to some of your favourite spaces, but this costs money, so we‘re launching an IndieGoGo campaign in May to help us raise funds. Watch our blog (covetgarden.com/blog), like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for details and help us spread the word!

Covet Garden in print!


Finding great specimens for your home is an art as well as a science

1. Laboratory Test Tube Rack, $70 2. Mimi Moomin Stag Beetle painted side plate, $23 3. Laboratory Test Tube Vase, $50 4. Assembly of Text Address Box, $28 5. Deyrolle Les Papillons poster, €18 6. Kiva Ford Anatomical Heart in a Jar Necklace, $115 7. Elysium Woodworks Periodic Elements Engraved Wood Cutting Board, $45 8.Vintage Molecular Model Kit, $25 9. Swim Locker Basket, $40 10. 3B Scientific Chemistry Cocktail Set, $420 11. Elte Sedgwick Cabinet, $1795 12. The Museum of Useful Things File Bands (box of 25), $6 13. Tattly Nodes temporary tattoo by Frank Chimero, $5 for 2 14. Set of 3 Vintage Map Notebooks, $15

study group

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38 issue 34

A visit to puppet makers Caitlin and Todd and son Emmet’s playful but grownup home.

Can’t wait until next month for the new issue of Covet Garden? Check out our blog for more ideas and inspiration!

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