Art and Drinks? Sounds good to me

A little while back, fashion photographer George Whiteside was running the 1-800 Gallery on the corner of Dundas West and Palmerston. When he shut that down -- the fourth gallery, by my count, to expire in that very space, it seemed destined for something a little more commercially viable, cueing the collective anxieties of an ever-in-flux stretch of street that the inevitable arrival of an all-night Falafel King outlet had crept that much closer.

Not so fast.Eminent media artist and general living legend John Oswald has taken over the space for a venture he calls, in suitably direct fashion, Art + Drinks. Inside, a simpel bar doles out cocktails while the walls are lined with film and video art -- Oswald's media of choice -- including works by David Rokeby, Bettina Hoffman, long-time Oswald confrere Michael Snow, and, of course, Oswald himself.

Oswald's on the road at the moment, but once he gets back, I'll stop in for a chat. And a drink. Perfect.