General IdeaLife & Work

“As a collective, General Idea had an enormous impact—within Canada and internationally—through their work and their efforts to shape the Canadian art scene.”

– Sarah E.K. Smith

Sarah E.K. Smith reveals how General Idea’s projects treat key social issues, including celebrity, media, commerce and consumption, and significantly the AIDS crisis. Equally groundbreaking was General Idea’s multi-platform approach to making art. They utilized recognizable media, such as photography, sculpture, and painting, and less conventional media, such as mail art, video, performance, installation, and artist multiples. This book discusses General Idea’s central involvement in the creation of artist-run culture in Canada and shows how, over the course of their twenty-five-year career, they redefined what it meant to be an artist.

Copyright Information

Banner Image: General Idea, One Year of AZT, 1991, with One Day of AZT, 1991. Installation view from General Idea’s Fin de siècle, The Power Plant, Toronto, 1992. Collection of the National Gallery of Canada, One Day of AZT gift of Patsy and Jamie Anderson, Toronto, 2001 (no. 41032.1-5); One Year of AZT purchased 1995 (no. 37688.1-1825). Courtesy of General Idea. © General Idea. Photo credit: Cheryl O’Brien.