In 1967 Michael Snow’s (b. 1928) groundbreaking experimental films catapulted him out of the painter’s studio and into the international avant-garde. Snow is a leading figure in new media and Conceptual art; his work spans more than fifty years of production and includes paintings, sculptures, photographs, films, books, holograms, projections, installations, musical recordings, performances, and essays.
Ever-conscious of the particular nature of each medium he uses, Snow has sought to intensify the spectator’s involvement with art and to challenge conventional applications of sensory media. The human factor is, and has always been, explicit in the making of his work and, regardless of the medium, what matters is the mark, the handprint, or the physical energy of the artist. Snow also asserts that viewing art is an ephemeral experience. The work continuously changes in the perception of a living, breathing spectator.
“In drawing, painting, carving, moulding, folding, panning, and performing to make visual art or music, what matters [to Snow] is the mark, the handprint, or the physical energy of the artist.”
– Martha Langford
Michael Snow: Life & Work reveals that, in concert with the development of a unique culture and a national identity, Snow enabled the creative impetus among Canadians to rethink art in relation to process, technology, and everyday experience. This book explores this iconic artist, whose work has stood for freedom of expression, recognition of intellectual property, public education, and the importance of state and private investment in the support of culture. Snow continues to create works that embrace new technologies, securing his legacy as one of the most celebrated figures in contemporary art.
Copyright Information
© 2014 Art Canada Institute.
All rights reserved.
ISBN 978-1-4871-0003-2
Published in Canada
Art Canada Institute
Massey College, University of Toronto
4 Devonshire Place
Toronto, ON M5S 2E1
Image banner: Michael Snow, Venus Simultaneous, 1962. Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto.
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