Roch Smith continues to conjure up images of his childhood by creating uniquely dynamic and fun sculptures. This piece combines two popular playtime objects—Tinker Toys and a tin can phone line. The Tinker Toy Building kits were designed by an American stone mason in 1914 after he noticed children playing with sticks and spools of thread. Tin can phone lines were first used in the 19th century.

In this floor sculpture, Roch has built two wooden ‘Tinker Toy’ towers. On top of each tower, a bronze figure of a man—one in a suit, the other in jeans and a t-shirt stands, a tin can phone line strung between each tower. One figure is listening and the other is talking.

“I remember trying to do this as a kid - it seemed to only work really well in the movies but there was some communication to be had. Ironically, the poor quality of the vocals seemed to mirror the sometimes equally poor vocal quality we get on our cell phones today begging the question: have things really improved at all?” Roch Smith

He received a BFA (Honours Sculpture) from the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design (ECIAD - 1997) and an MFA from York University (2003). A teacher as well as an artist, he has taught classes at the University of Waterloo, ECIAD and York University. He currently manages and operates the bronze and aluminum foundry at York University. Roch Smith has exhibited throughout Canada and in the US. His work is included in private, corporate and museum collections.