General Idea
Life & Work by Sarah E.K. Smith
The cards feature handwritten text together with photographs by the artists,
including ones that they had taken of popular magazines. General Idea considered these
photographs works in themselves, rather than reproductions. There are also images of
reviews of General Idea’s work, as well as a few photos by other artists, which had been
created for mail art networks—a means of engaging artists in a conversation about
General Idea’s projects. In this way, the cards are comprised of an intentional and styled
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selection of images chosen by General Idea. On each card handwritten text offers
information about the group. For instance, one explains how they appropriated the role of
the artist: “General Idea is basically this: a framing device within which we inhabit the
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