TRAFFIC: CANADIAN CONCEPTUAL ART 1965-1980
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| General Idea, File Magazine "Mr. Peanut Issue"Vol. 1, No.1, 15, April 1972 edition of 3000 |
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| N.E. Thing Co., You Are Now In The Middle of an N.E. Thing Co. Landscape offset lithograph on cardstock (postcard), 1968-69 |
"Conceptual art is widely considered to be the most transformative art movement of the late 20th century. Marked by political unrest in the 1960s, it challenged the idea of art as a form of individual expression or special technical skill. Rather than adding objects such as paintings or sculptures to a world already full of "things," conceptual art engaged critically with the conditions that have defined art as well as new systems of meaning-making in an age of mass media. Traffic: Conceptual Art in Canada 1965-1980 is the first major exhibition to track the impact of conceptual art as it was taken up across the country. Comprising work by more than 90 Canadian and international artists, it examines the complex, rigorous and diverse forms in which conceptual art appeared and the ways in which its premises were inflected by the specific needs, interests and geographic situations of Canadian artists, collectives and communities. Traffic is organized along regional lines while at the same time emphasizing the effervescent, sometimes contentious, lines of traffic between them." Vancouver Art Gallery
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| Vito Acconci, Trademarks performance + lithograph on german etching paper, 1971 |
The influence of conceptual art on contemporary art practice is an undeniable thing, which is why this exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery is perhaps one of the most important to come to this city. More than anything, this is the stuff that shaped how we view art today. Encompassing performance, video, correspondence, photo-documentation, instruction, sculpture, and all other of cross-disciplinary practices, Traffic turns a nearly encyclopedic eye onto the production of conceptual art in Canada specifically. We're specifically excited about the opportunity to see works by iconic and influential artists such as Michael Snow, General Idea, and Vito Acconci up close and personal.
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| Michael Snow, Venetian Blind 24 ektacolour prints in painted wooden frames, 1970 |
Don't forget that Tuesdays from 5-9pm, admission to the Vancouver Art Gallery is by donation. It gets a little busy, but provides the perfect opportunity to come to a new understanding about conceptual art.
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