General Idea
Life & Work by Sarah E.K. Smith
Masciuch, John (Canadian, b.1944)
An active member of the 1960s Vancouver art scene who creates light-and-sound
sculptures. These are sometimes interactive, activated by the viewer’s body. Also known
as John Neon, Masciuch began collecting neon tubes to use in his work beginning in the
late 1960s, eventually amassing five thousand of them.
McLuhan, Marshall (Canadian, 1911–1980)
A media theorist and public intellectual who became an international star with his 1964
book Understanding Media and who garnered a committed following within the 1960s
counterculture. His phrase “the medium is the message” has reached the status of
popular aphorism. He developed and directed the Centre for Culture and Technology
(now the McLuhan Program in Culture and Technology) at the University of Toronto.
Minimalism
A branch of abstract art characterized by extreme restraint in form, most popular among
American artists from the 1950s to 1970s. Although Minimalism can be expressed in
any medium, it is most commonly associated with sculpture; principal Minimalists
include Carl Andre, Donald Judd, and Tony Smith. Among the Minimalist painters were
Agnes Martin, Barnett Newman, Kenneth Noland, and Frank Stella.
Mondrian, Piet (Dutch, 1872–1944)
A leading figure in abstract art, known for his geometric “grid” paintings of straight black
lines and brightly coloured squares, whose influence on contemporary visual culture has
been called the most far-reaching of any artist. Mondrian saw his highly restrictive and
rigorous style, dubbed Neo-Plasticism, as expressive of universal truths.
Morris, Michael (British/Canadian, b.1942)
A versatile artist who has worked under multiple pseudonyms (including Marcel Dot and
Marcel Idea) and in media from paint to video. Morris often works collaboratively and has
emphasized the importance of artists’ networks throughout his career. Exemplifying this
tendency is the Image Bank, a system for the exchange of information and ideas
between artists, which he co-founded with Vincent Trasov in 1969. He (as Marcel Dot)
was crowned Miss General Idea in 1971 in The 1971 Miss General Idea Pageant,
1971, an elaborate performance General Idea staged at the Art Gallery of Ontario in
Toronto.
New York Correspondance School [sic]
The first mail art network, initiated by Ray Johnson in the mid-1950s. Members
exchanged objects and messages through the post. By the 1970s mail art had grown
into an international movement, with artists corresponding through similar networks
around the world.
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