General Idea
Life & Work by Sarah E. K. Smith
white shirt, and his head rests against an array of multicoloured cushions. Bronson notes that Partz was drawn to vibrant clothing during his illness:“ As [ Felix ] got closer and closer to death he started wearing colours that were more alive, brighter and brighter colours. He got totally crazed with colour and pattern.” Partz’ s face, with sunken eye sockets and prominent cheekbones, betrays the trauma of AIDS; he suffered from wasting so extreme that his eyes could not close. Felix is a poignant tribute to Partz: a means of farewell and a testament to Bronson’ s continued art making.
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AA Bronson, Felix, June 5, 1994, 1994( printed in 1999), lacquer on vinyl, 213.4 x 426.5 cm, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
The demand for General Idea’ s work has increased since the group’ s demise. It circulates internationally and continues to receive recognition in the twenty-first century. For instance, in 2011 a travelling retrospective was organized by the Musée d’ art moderne de la Ville de Paris and another retrospective will tour Latin America in 2016 – 17. This latter show is linked to the publication of General Idea’ s catalogue raisonné. The group has also had significant exhibitions in commercial galleries. The Esther Schipper Gallery in Berlin, for example, has been particularly focused on revealing aspects of General Idea’ s work that were previously unknown. Other galleries, including Mai 36 Galerie in Zürich and Maureen Paley in London, are showing General Idea at art fairs internationally as well as in their exhibition programs. The group has also continued to receive accolades. Most prominently, in 2011 AA Bronson accepted on behalf of General Idea the Chevalier de l’ ordre des Arts et des Lettres from Frédéric Mitterand, then Minister of Culture of France.
Bronson maintains a successful solo art practice. He currently lives in Berlin.
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