General Idea
Life & Work by Sarah E.K. Smith
Snow, Michael (Canadian, b.1928)
An artist whose paintings, films, photographs, sculptures, installations, and musical
performances have kept him in the spotlight for over sixty years. Snow’s Walking
Woman series of the 1960s holds a prominent place in Canadian art history. His
contributions to visual art, experimental film, and music have been recognized
internationally. (See Michael Snow: Life & Work by Martha Langford.)
Sontag, Susan (American, 1933–2004)
A New York intellectual and activist who first gained notoriety in the 1960s with her
essay “Notes on Camp,” Sontag was a theatre artist, wrote and directed films, and wrote
short stories, novels, and critical essays that challenged traditional notions of art
interpretation and consumption. Her stories and critical essays were published widely,
including in the The New Yorker, The New York Times, Granta, The Times Literary
Supplement, and Art in America.
Stein, Gertrude (American, 1874–1946)
An important figure in literary modernism, through landmark works of fiction, poetry, and
drama. She was also known for her early support of modernist artists, including Juan
Gris and Pablo Picasso. Born in Pennsylvania, Stein lived in Paris her entire adult life,
with her partner, Alice B. Toklas.
Stella, Frank (American, b.1936)
An Abstract Expressionist painter and sculptor and a major figure in American art. Stella
often works in series, developing a formal theme over an extended period. Primarily a
painter and printmaker, he began taking on decorative commissions in the 1990s; the
Princess of Wales theatre in Toronto features decorations and vast murals by Stella.
Theatre Passe Muraille Company, Toronto
A Toronto theatre founded in 1968 out of Rochdale College with a mandate to develop
new Canadian plays. Passe Muraille remains an integral part of the city’s theatre scene,
producing experimental and eclectic work by a wide range of artists from diverse
communities and disciplinary backgrounds.
Trasov, Vincent (Canadian, b.1947)
A painter, video artist, and performance artist interested in networks of artistic exchange.
Trasov’s work is often collaborative and media-based; he co-founded the Image Bank
with Michael Morris in 1969 and also collaborated with several artists (including Morris)
to found the Western Front Society, a Vancouver artist-run centre, in 1973. The
following year he ran for mayor of Vancouver as his alter ego, Mr. Peanut.
Viennese Actionism (Wiener Aktionismus)
Founded in the 1960s, this Viennese group of performance artists deliberately attempted
to shock its audiences in order to highlight the violence of society. Performances are
known for including blood and feces. Artists principally associated with the group are
Günter Brus, Hermann Nitsch, and Rudolf Schwarzkogler.
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