This project gave me the opportunity to connect with AA Bronson and Fern Bayer, who kindly provided pivotal insights into the development of General Idea, filling gaps in my archival research and contributing to my understanding of the group and its history. I am extremely grateful to both AA and Fern for their willingness to share.
I would also like to express my sincere thanks to Philip Dombowsky, who facilitated my research into the General Idea fonds, the Art Metropole fonds and the Fern Bayer fonds at the National Gallery of Canada Library and Archives. I thank him for his time and patience during my extended research visit in 2014. While at the Library and Archives, I also benefited from the help of Cyndie Campbell, who gave me keen insights into the General Idea materials. As well, Peter Trepanier provided assistance, facilitating my access to original issues of FILE Megazine. Coinciding with my visit, Trepanier’s exhibition Then Again: A Celebration of Art Metropole’s 40th Anniversary was on display. This served as a perfect backdrop to the research I was conducting.
It has been a pleasure to work with the fantastic team at the Art Canada Institute during the production of the online book—including Sara Angel, Anna Hudson, Kendra Ward, Cliodna Cussen, Dominique Denis, Eve Renaud, Meg Taylor, John Geoghegan, and Emily Lawrence. The text also benefitted immensely from the guidance of Shannon Anderson and Sholem Krishtalka during the editing process.
Finally, I would like to thank Dr. Lynda Jessup at Queen’s University who initially brought the work of the ACI to my attention and encouraged me to connect with the initiative.
From the Art Canada Institute
This online art book was made possible thanks to its Title Sponsor: the Hal Jackman Foundation. Much gratitude goes to the Lead Sponsor for the Canadian Online Art Book Project, Title Sponsor for this publication: BMO Financial Group.
The Art Canada Institute gratefully acknowledges the other sponsors for the 2015–16 Season: Aimia, Consignor Canadian Fine Art, Gluskin Sheff + Associates Inc., K. James Harrison, and Sandra L. Simpson, and TD Bank.
Thanks also to the Art Canada Institute Founding Patrons: Sara and Michael Angel, Jalynn H. Bennett, the Butterfield Family Foundation, David and Vivian Campbell, Albert E. Cummings, Kiki and Ian Delaney, the Fleck Family, Roger and Kevin Garland, the Gershon Iskowitz Foundation, The Scott Griffin Foundation, Michelle Koerner and Kevin Doyle, Phil Lind, Sarah and Tom Milroy, Nancy McCain and Bill Morneau, Gerald Sheff and Shanitha Kachan, Sandra L. Simpson, Pam and Mike Stein, and Robin and David Young; as well as its Founding Partner Patrons: The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and Partners in Art.
The ACI gratefully acknowledges the support and assistance of the Art Gallery of Ontario (Tracy Mallon-Jensen, Donald Rance, and Jim Shedden); Art Gallery of York University (Michael Maranda); Art Museum at the University of Toronto (Heather Pigat); Art Resource; Bijutsu Shuppan-Sha (Noriko Takahashi); Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives (Colin Deinhardt); Carmen Lamanna Estate; Electronic Arts Intermix (Karl McCool and Anny Oberlink); Esther Schipper GMBH (Anna Mándoki and Isabelle Moffat); Florence Loewy (Camille Azaïs); Getty Research Institute (Sarah Sherman); McCarthy Tétrault LLP; National Gallery of Canada (Raven Amiro and Philip Dombowsky); Sammlung Falckenberg/Deichtorhallen Hamburg (Goesta Diercks); Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (Hetty Wessels); The Gas Company; Tohru Kogure (Naomi Yamada); University of Lethbridge Art Gallery (Juliet Graham); Vancouver Art Gallery (Danielle Currie); De Vleeshal Zusterstraat (Julia Mullié); Württembergischer Kunstverein Stuttgart (Silke Albrecht); and Pierre Antoine, Nick Ash, Cathy Bushby, Jeremiah S. Chechik, Barr Gilmore, Peter MacCallum, Cheryl O’Brien, Michael Snow, and Vincent Trasov.
We also would like to acknowledge the image research assistance of Fern Bayer, AA Bronson, and Sholem Krishtalka.
Image Sources
Every effort has been made to secure permissions for all copyrighted material. The Art Canada Institute will gladly correct any errors or omissions.
Credit for Cover Image
One Year of AZT, 1991, with One Day of AZT, 1991. (See below for details.)
Credit for Banner Images
Biography: General Idea, XXX (bleu), 1984. (See below for details.)
Key Works: General Idea, Nazi Milk, 1979. (See below for details.)
General Idea Studio/Art Metropole, 241 Yonge Street, Toronto, 1974. Photograph by General Idea. Collection General Idea, General Idea fonds, National Gallery of Canada Library and Archives, Ottawa.
Performance documentation of Match My Strike, directed by Jorge Zontal, produced by John Neon, Poor Alex Theatre, Toronto, August 30, 1969. Photographer unknown. Collection General Idea. Photograph of original documentation courtesy of Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto.
General Idea in front of an installation of Test Pattern: T.V. Dinner Plates from the Miss General Idea Pavillion (detail), 1988. Installation view, SPIRAL (Wacoal Art Centre), Tokyo, 1988. Photograph by Tohru Kogure. Courtesy of Bijutsu Techo, Bijutsu Shuppan Sha. Collection General Idea, General Idea fonds, National Gallery of Canada Library and Archives, Ottawa.
General Idea relaxing in Reconstructing Futures, 1977. Photograph by Jeremiah S. Chechik. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, purchased 1983 (no.28286.1-31). Courtesy of General Idea.
Glamour is Theft: A User’s Guide to General Idea by Philip Monk. (Toronto: Art Gallery of York University, 2012). Courtesy of the Art Gallery of York University.
Jorge Zontal, c. 1972. Photographer unknown. Collection General Idea, General Idea fonds, National Gallery of Canada Library and Archives, Ottawa.
Jorge Zontal, January 29, 1994. Photograph by Barr Gilmore. Courtesy of General Idea.
Life, vol. 61, no. 12 (September 16, 1966).
LOVE, 1966, by Robert Indiana. Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana, James E. Roberts Fund (67.8).
LOVE, 1966–99, by Robert Indiana. Installed in New York, New York. Photograph by Hu Totya.
Art Canada Institute
Massey College, University of Toronto
4 Devonshire Place
Toronto, ON M5S 2E1
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Smith, Sarah E.K., 1983-, author
General Idea : life & work / Sarah E.K. Smith.
Includes bibliographical references.
Contents: Biography — Key works — Significance & critical issues — Style &
technique — Sources & resources — Where to see.
Electronic monograph.
ISBN 978-1-4871-0093-3 (pdf).— ISBN 978-1-4871-0094-0 (mobile).
1. General Idea (Artists’ collective)—History 2. Art, Canadian—20th century I. Art Canada Institute, issuing body II. General Idea (Artists’ collective). Works. Selections. III. Title.
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