General Idea was founded in 1967 in Toronto by AA Bronson (b. 1946), Felix Partz (1945-1994), and Jorge Zontal (1944-1994). Over the course of 25 years, they made a significant contribution to postmodern and conceptual art in Canada and beyond.
With their subversive approach and interest in parody and appropriation, General Idea addressed a broad range of social and art-world issues including consumerism, media consumption, the cult of the artist, and AIDS.
While many of General Idea's works do not reveal "the artist's hand" nor their process, this wonderful drawing reveals how their editions are made. This is a design or preparatory drawing for their Middelburg Tile.
Here, General Idea renders their version of the Dutch Province of Zeeland’s shield with a signature dose of mischief, adding whimsical details like a fire-breathing poodle with three tails and an impish wave gone awry. The poodle, a recurring motif in their work, would eventually evolve into a mermaid-hybrid in the final piece, highlighting the group's playful subversion of traditional iconography.
In 1985, General Idea created the Middelburg Tile to coincide with the General Idea installation "Khroma Key Klub: the Blue Ruins from the 1984 Miss General Idea Pavillion" and also for the exhibition "Remnants of the Miss General Idea Pavillion" in De Vleeshal, Middelburg, 1985.
General Idea's dedication to creating multiples was linked to their interest in consumerism and art collecting/shopping. AA Bronson explained, “General Idea was at once complicit in and critical of the mechanisms and strategies that join art and commerce, a sort of mole in the art world.”
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"Untitled" aka "Middelburg Tile Drawing"
Canada, circa 1985
Pencil on manila paper
12"H 10.25"W (visible)
17.5"H 16"W (framed)
Newly framed with museum glass.
Detailed condition report by request.
Note: this item includes some correspondence related to the design and fabrication of the Middelburg Tile. Additional images coming soon.
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