Art City and Mr. Peanut, 1972 – 1974 – ChertLüdde

1972

Status

In Gallery Collection

Collect24 Art ID

C24-153215

After going to NSCAD as part of the Halifax/ Vancouver Exchange organized by Roy Kiyooka in March 1972, I continued on to New York with Michael Morris, Glenn Lewis, JJ Baylin and Gathie Falk. I made my first art city appearance as Mr. Peanut. The event was captured by Vancouver film maker David Rimmer, who was living in New York at the time. Highlights of my visit included being invited by Gordon Matta-Clark to help prepare the New York Corres Sponge Dance School of Vancouver feast at “Food” Restaurant, appearing with E.M. Plunkett on the Staten Island ferry, visiting May Wilson at the Chelsea Hotel, meeting with Ray Johnson, John Dowd and Candy Darling at Max’s Kansas Coty and dropping in on New York Fluxus friends Geoffrey Hendricks, Dick Higgins, Alison Knwles and A.M. Fine.” Vincent Trasov. Image Bank was founded in the spring of 1970 by Michael Morris, Gary Lee-Nova and Vincent Trasov, the Bank “emerged out of the experience of exploring art mailed between artists.” Image Bank’s objective to form community was partly motivated by what Morris perceived to be a new economy of creation, one that involved collaboration, groups and the free circulation of concepts. It is clear enough, however, that the perceived need to co-operate and share access to new media was married to the idea that artistic creation should move from the individual studio to shared community situations, and that artists —and non-artists — would work better together than as individuals (by doing so they would be creating new social forms or even social sculpture, to paraphrase Joseph Beuys). From this spirit comes the proposal for Art City, which would involve placing two kiosks presenting automatic slide shows on city streets, and a statement that Image Bank would work with the Granville Grange on the project. (The Grange was a loose association of artists who shared studio space) (from “in the Image Bank”, Scott Watson)