“I want to put these fictional people into this material of power at scales which we associate with monuments, in public places normally designated for the people  we look up to.”  - Thomas J Price

The AGO recently unveiled a newly acquired work by internationally acclaimed artist Thomas J Price. Titled Moments Contained (2022), the 2.7-meter-tall bronze sculpture depicts a contemplative young Black woman dressed casually, with visibly clenched hands in her pockets, projecting a serene and confident demeanour. In a celebration of shared humanity, it is one of Price’s public sculptures that challenges assumptions about the purpose and expectations of monuments.  

In this video, Price delves into the conceptual and technical background of his work, sharing his hopes for how Moments Contained will function as a piece of public art. Combining details from ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian art, with subtleties observed from contemporary life, Price describes his works as “psychological portraits”. His process is also an amalgamation of techniques, combining, as it does, traditional sculpting with the use of 3D scanning technology for body and clothing detail.

Thomas J Price. Moments Contained, 2022. Bronze, height: 9’ (274.4 cm). Art Gallery of Ontario. Purchase, with funds from Anonymous; the David Yuile & Mary Elizabeth Hodgson Fund; David W. Binet; the Haynes-Connell Foundation; an Anonymous Family; the Gordon and Lorraine Gibson Family Foundation; Chandaria Family; Steven & Lynda Latner; Charles Lesaux, Aaron Nugent & Becky LeBlanc, Ella Nugent; Mascoll Family; Dr. Liza & Dr. Frederick Murrell; Sekyi-Otu Family; Kevin Jerome Crouch in honour of Kaliyana John; Tyrone & Life Edwards; Kevin, Nevaeh, Keenan & Cali Johnson in honour of Monica Johnson; Karen Arcuri; Tracy McFerrin & Michael Dickstein; and Jill Homenuk, 2023. © Thomas J Price. 2024/116 

Moments Contained is the first public artwork acquired by the AGO’s Department of Arts of Global Africa and the Diaspora. The acquisition was made possible by the generous contributions of a group of donors, the majority of whom are from Toronto’s Black and Caribbean communities.

To celebrate the sculpture’s official unveiling earlier this summer, members of the public gathered at the corner of Dundas Street West and McCaul Street for an event featuring remarks by Price, a performance by Toronto musician Shakura S’Aida, and a Gospel Chorale led by Kiara Picart.

Witness Moments Contained on your next visit to the AGO. It is located in front of the Gallery at Dundas Street West and McCaul Street and will be installed for the foreseeable future.