Fergus sculptor Tyzo Toccalino leaves behind a 'visionary' legacy

The world lost a true 'visionary' last month with the passing of Fergus sculptor David Toccalino, whom many people knew as Tyzo or Tic. 

“He was a thinker, a 24/7 thinker,” Monica Fischer, Tyzo’s wife of five years, said of her late husband. “He was 10, 20 years ahead of us for sure.

“He viewed simplicity and complexity at the same time.”

Tyzo, who was elected to the Sculptors Society of Canada in 2008, died on Oct. 27 as a result of complications associated with pulmonary fibrosis, a respiratory illness linked to damaged and/or scarred lung tissue. He was 70 years old.

"We miss Tyzo. He was such a gentle soul," said Judi Michelle Young, president of the Sculptors Society of Canada, in an email. 

His artwork has been displayed at Wellington County Museum & Archives, Elora Centre for the Arts, Fergus/Elora Art Tours, Elora Art Festivals, the Canadian Sculpture Centre and the John B. Aird Gallery in Toronto, among others.

In search of a regular source of income, Tyzo trained to become a welder-fitter in 1976 – something that enabled him to hold a variety of positions throughout his 29 years in the industry.

It also provided him access to equipment he could use for his artwork until he managed to buy his own and set up a home studio in 2006.

Tyzo created numerous sculptures through the years, always conscious of not repeating himself.

“As I am fabricating, I am aware that each component that is affixed is an intrusion into the empty space that had been there,” he explains in a statement posted on his website. “This forces me to place each separate piece into an arrangement that is comfortable and pleasing to the eye.

“I like to think of my work as contemporary, as well as a homage to all that has gone before.”

Asked which piece her husband was most proud of, Fischer respond: “He loves every single one.

“That's why it was so difficult for him to put them up for sale,” she added, noting Tyzo often priced his works higher than people wanted to pay. “He wanted to keep everything close to him.”

Perhaps best known for his sculptures, Tyzo often had projects on the go and liked to create cartoons linked to current events in his notebook, Fischer said, who believes he used art to calm his busy mind.

Tyzo’s children – Adam, Alison and Jamie Toccalino – are planning an auction featuring some of his works, with proceeds going to the Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, noted Fischer, adding details have not been finalized at this time.

Rather than sending flowers or making donations, Tyzo’s obituary asked people to follow through with his motto of “be excellent to each other” by “engaging in unexpected and unsolicited acts of kindness.”