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.

General Idea was both prolific and multi-disciplinary (way before it became de rigueur) creating works in a wide range of media including photography, sculpture, painting, mail art, video, performances, installations, and (perhaps most notably) artist multiples.

The poodle is one of the defining icons in General Idea’s oeuvre, signifying a multitude of meanings, alternating between cute and subversive. While General Idea had used the poodle motif since the late 1970s, in this iteration it becomes graphic, stylized, and vaguely robotic.

Condition: very good