Reimagined public payphones, once ubiquitous symbols of connectivity,
morphed into interactive sculptures.
Mike Salisbury
- All
- available
- commission
- conceptual
- activism
It Was All a Dream
Echoing a time when public telephones were bridges to distant conversations, the artwork captivates with its familiar form, yet challenges expectations with six unconnected receivers, sparking curiosity. A cryptic inscription on the phone box blends dreams and reality, challenging viewers to reconsider their perceptions.
The short film, “Cannon Variety: A Bright Yellow Dream” reveals the emotional and physical context of the original installation.
Year – 2022
Materials – found objects, acrylic paint, vinyl
Size – 72x24x24” 180x60x60cm
Location – Hamilton ON
Credit – Pink Floyd, Columbia Records
Peace/War
A glowing phone booth casts a soft light on the sidewalk, a familiar ringing beckons you inside, where a voice engages you into a timeless debate, Immanuel Kant’s 18th-century vision of ‘Perpetual Peace’. Historically, public payphones served primarily for outbound communication, symbolising a connection with the outside world, and metaphorically, a beacon of hope where Superman would emerge, representing a symbol of rescue and salvation. The incoming call, a metaphor for a proactive approach to peace, suggests a shift in perspective might be the hero we need today.
Year – 2022
Materials – found objects, vinyl, stage ringer, mp3 player
Size – 96x36x36” – 244x91x91cm
Credit – Immanuel Kant, Library of public domain audio books.
Unexpected Virtue of Waiting
The iconic shape of a vintage payphone triggers a pang of familiar nostalgia from across the room. Up close, the bright red receiver projects like a pistil from a flower of shattered black glass. The ambient sound emanating from the hand set is inaudible from across the room; only when you lean in close or pick up the receiver can you discern the familiar Muzak interrupted long enough to inform you that your call IS important… but that you must still wait.
Year – 2021
Materials – found objects, metal, plastic, glass, mp3 player
Size – 72x24x24” 180x60x60cm
Credit – Stimulus Progression, Muzak
Credit – Oblique Strategies, Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt
Local Calls
This commissioned piece on private land honors the client’s dedication to conserving extensive natural habitats amid a contentious planning process. “Local Calls” celebrates the grassroots activism that safeguarded the area’s natural heritage from excessive development.
Year – 2021
Materials – found objects, plastic, stone, earth
Size – 96x36x36” – 244x91x91cm
Location – Guelph ON
Listen to Me
In the heart of Toronto’s Graffiti Alley, this sculpture becomes a living canvas for stickering, blending curated art with community contributions. Initially adorned with curated stickers encouraging viewers to partake in its ever-evolving story, its steel hand extends a vintage phone receiver, a silent call to viewers, symbolizing an invitation to add, listen, and evolve the piece’s narrative.
Year – 2022
Materials – found objects, steel, solar lighting
Size – 72x24x24” 180x60x60cm
Location – Graffiti Alley Toronto ON
Photo Credit – @onthestreetart
Truthphone
A reimagined payphone transforms into a canvas of expression, beckoning visitors to share their ‘truths’. Four telephone receivers painted in the bold hues of red, yellow, black, and white, mirror a medicine wheel design that extends ten-meters into its surroundings. Below, a phonebook with blank pages invites contributions, urging “Share anything as long as it is true.” A testament to ‘anonymous collaboration’ evolving through artistic and public interactions into a dynamic mural of poetry and art. “Anonymous Collaboration” a montage of Instagram posts encapsulating the evolving story of public creativity and shared narratives.
Year – 2019
Materials – found objects, solar lighting, plastic, latex paint
72x24x24” 180x60x60cm
Location – McDougall Lane Toronto ON
Credit – Moby, EMI
Out-of-Time
Inspired by the original “hotline” established between Moscow and Washington in the wake of the Cuban Missile Crisis. This phone cannot be answered, echoing the sense of hopelessness felt by many about our state of environmental crisis. The phrase “Out of Time” is written in white around the phone in languages of the countries most affected by climate change, in red for countries contributing the most to the crisis.
Year – 2020
Materials – found objects, metal, plastic, glass, solar lighting
Size – 72x24x24” 180x60x60cm
Location: Queen and Spadina, Toronto
Crisis Phone
Amid a $1.1 billion Ontario lawsuit over deceptive opioid marketing, “Crisis Phone” stands as a stark symbol of addiction’s dual narratives of despair and recovery, reflecting the deep scars left on communities by an epidemic fueled by corporate strategies.
Year – 2020
Materials – found objects, metal, plastic, glass,
Size – 72x24x24” 180x60x60cm
Public Phone
Amidst the whispers of forgotten conversations, a tree stretches its limbs inside an ancient phone booth, a curious alchemy of nature and obsolete tech mocking our transient inventions with silent growth. Is this nature’s cryptic jest or a profound cosmic riddle, urging us to decipher the delicate dance between technological remnants and the resilient whispers of the earth?
Year – 2021
Materials – found objects, metal, glass, earthworks, planting
Location: Oeno Gallery Sculpture Park, Prince Edward County
Call NOW!
In downtown Springfield, a maple tree sprouts from a payphone, adorned with signage reading “ONLY 1.50°¢” and “Call Now!” urging action within this visual paradox. Close inspection reveals Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” lyrics urging environmental awareness. Springfield acquired this thought-provoking piece for its public art collection in 2023.
Year – 2022
Materials – found objects, metal, plastic, glass, earthworks
Size – 96x36x36” – 244x91x91cm
Location: Springfield, Missouri USA
contact (at) mikesalisbury.ca
