AAUC/UAAC (Association des universités d’art du Canada / Universities Art

Association of Canada)

Derision, Nonsense, and Carnival in the Work of Greg Curnoe

Author(s): Katie Cholette
Source: RACAR: revue d'art canadienne / Canadian Art Review, Vol. 37, No. 1, Humour in the
Visual Arts and Visual Culture: Practices, Theories, and Histories / L'humour dans les arts et
la culture visuels : pratiques, théories et histoires (2012), pp. 53-63
Published by: AAUC/UAAC (Association des universités d’art du Canada / Universities Art Association
of Canada)
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/42630857 .
Accessed: 20/06/2014 23:09

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms
of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

AAUC/UAAC (Association des universités d’art du Canada / Universities Art Association of Canada) is
collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to RACAR: revue d'art canadienne /
Canadian Art Review.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.147 on Fri, 20 Jun 2014 23:09:17 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Derision, Nonsense, and Carnival in the Work of Greg Curnoe

Katie Cholette, Independent Scholar

Résumé
Danslesannées1960,l'artiste canadien GregCurnoeétaitle protagoniste dutrèsdynamique milieu de London
artistique enOntario.Ilycréa
uneséried'ateliers indépendants,
y exposa sesœuvres dansdifférents
lieuxet yconçut performances
plusieurs audacieuses.Curnoe étaitune
personnalité extravertie
quiadhéraitde façon aux
inconditionnelle principesdu mouvement Dada : de
rejet normes adhésion
esthétiques, à
« l'anti-art
», du
utilisation de
hasard, et
l'aléatoire de l'absurde.
Cependant, sesœuvres empreintesd'humour toutcomme ses à
activitésparfum
anarchique, nerelevaient passimplement d'unesprit moqueur Curnoeeutrecours
toutau longde sa carrière,
Eneffet, à desstratégieshumo-
ristiques de Dadaetà certains
inspirées aspects ducarnavalesquevisantà contester
le milieu
desarts,maisaussià brouiller
lesfrontières
entre
créerunecommunauté
l'artet lavie.Parlà,ilentendait danslaquelle
d'esprit ilpourrait faire
librement évoluer
sa pratique.Ce textese donne
pourobjectif de mettre enévidence le rôlecentralqu'ontjouélesstratégies dumouvement
inspirées Dadaet le carnavalesquedanslavieet
l'œuvre de cetartiste.

O nil March1970GregCurnoeandJohnBoylepresented humoristic strategies drawnfromDada alongwithaspectsof

theContinental Continental
Refusai/Refus attheAgnesEthering- thecarnivalesque tosystematicallyundermine andchallenge the
tonArtCentreat Queens University in Kingston.Modelled artestablishment, assertthepowerful connection betweenlife
afterPaul-Émile Borduass Refusglobal, theContinental Refusal andart,andcreatean environment withinwhichhe couldpro-
wasa vitriolicrantagainsttheUnitedStates,an indictment of motehiscareer. Whether makingpointedpoliticalstatements,
Canadasinferiority complex, a dolefuleulogy for Canadiancul- championing low-brow art,celebrating the livesof ordinary
ture,and an impassioned callforaction.Boylesreadingofthe or
folk, bringing attention to trivialoccurrences, Curnoe,like
manifesto wasfollowed byCurnoes performance. Curnoefirst theDadaists,revelled in theworld of the absurd: in hislifeand
recitedentries fromhisjournalofa tripto Nova Scotiabefore in hisarthe embraced elements of chance,theaccident,mis-
launching intoa seriesof tenamendments to theContinental takes,and contingency. The Continental Refusalwas a perfect
Refusal.His amendments ranged from the emphatic("thatwe example of his interpretationof Dada: itwas satirical,
political,
thecitizensof thesecond-largest in
country theworldshould ridiculous, facetious, disrespectful,insulting, nonsensical, and
severall connections withthesmallercountry immediately to divisive.Itwasalsogreatfun.Byexamining a selectionofactiv-
of
thesouth us"), and the political("the return of theAlaska ities,exhibitions, and artworks, thisarticlewilldefinethecen-
panhandle" to Canada),to theridiculous ("allCanadianatlases tralrolethatderisive humour(forms ofhumourthattakeaimat
mustshowCanadas southernborderto be withMexico").1 a particular target toactas "a universal corrective fordeviancy in
Fullyexpecting an "eveningofconversation" the
at thegallery, thesocialorder"4) and nonsensical humour(forms ofhumour
smalllocal audiencewas bewildered and outraged.2 Curnoe thatliberatetheparticipant fromordinary constraints)played
wasdelighted. in Curnoes lifeand work,and in thecultural lifeofLondon,
Encouraged bythereception in Kingston, Curnoeadded Ontario,duringthe1960s.
another twenty-seven amendments to the manifesto ata second It is helpfulto considerMikhailBakhtinsconceptof the
- the ritualspectacles(carnivalpageants,comic
readinga weeklaterat theUniversity of Windsor. Againthe carnivalesque
readings causeda stir,particularlyas therewerea numberof shows), comic verbalcompositions (written andoralparodies),
Americans in theaudience.Curnoerecalled, and variousgenresof billingsgate (coarseor abusivelanguage
Itwasfantasticbecause wenthome.The
alltheAmericans
suchas cursesand oaths)thatweremanifest duringthemedi-
evalfestival ofcarnival.5 Taking advantage of therelaxedsocial
Chairman apologized youknowto ourAmerican friends
moresof religious and eventslikethe"feastof fools,"
festivals
I wasfinished.
after It wasreally I wasjustlay-
funny.... carnivalparticipants mimickedseriousrituals,inverted hier-
ingon a littleCanadianchauvinism on thepeoplewho
and in and
archies, engaged bawdy licentious, carnivalesque, or
layAmerican chauvinism on and takeitand
theycouldn't behaviour.6 Firstpublished in Russianin 1965,Bakhtins Rabe-
wenthome.... I gota standing from
ovation thepeoplethat
laisand His World was translatedintoEnglishin 1968.While
Itwasreally
stayed. unbelievable.3
GregCurnoewouldhavebeenunaware ofhisworkduringmost
Thereadings oftheContinental a dec-
encapsulated
Refusal ofthe1960s,therearemanyaspectsofBakhtins theoriesofthe
seditionbyCurnoe.In thetenyearssincehis
ade of satirical carnivalesque that resonatewith Curnoe s work. In Rabelaisand
returnto hishometown of London,Ontario,fromstudiesat His World - whichis botha historical analysis of the work of
theOntarioCollege of ArtinToronto,Curnoehadbeenusing thesixteenth-century authorRabelaisand a commenton the

53

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.147 on Fri, 20 Jun 2014 23:09:17 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 RACAR 1 | 2012
XXXVIII Number

repressive earlytwentieth-century Russiancultureof Bakhtin s hewasin anywayparochial or insular. Curnoewaswellversed

youth - Bakhtin examines therolelaughter andhumourplayin in international arttrends, particularly thosethatallowedhim
forging common bonds amongst "the folk." The central aspect to explore the humorous side of life. While a studentin his
ofhisstudyis theideaofthecarnival as a temporary eventthat finalyearsof highschoolat H.B. Beai TechnicalSchool he
intersected witheveryday lifeand facilitated a senseofcultural was introduced to theworkof a numberof earlytwentieth-
rebirth and renewal.Laughter is centralto thecarnivalesque; century Europeanavant-garde movements includingDada.10
however, unlikeDadas bitinghumour, carnivalesque laughter The ideologicalunderpinnings of Dada especiallyappealedto
is notsatirical.As Bakhtinpointsout,satireplacesthesatirist Curnoe:theDadaistswereanti-war andnihilistic andtheywere
apartfromtheobjectofhismockery, butcarnivalesque laughter cynicalaboutart.In facttheyignoredtheaesthetics ofart,re-
is "directed at thosewho laugh,"becausethepeopleslaugh- jectedthenotionof meaningin art,and rebelledagainstthe
ter"expresses thepointofviewofthewholeworld;he who is artestablishment. Theyespousedthenotionof "anti-art" and
also
laughing belongs to it."7While Bakhtin contends that the their works were influenced by ideas of chance, randomness,
carnivalesque allowsparticipants to challenge orthodoxies and andabsurdity.
officialideologies, an alternative argument can be madethat When Curnoereturned to Londonin I960 aftera few
thosein positions ofpowerpermit carnivalesque behaviour be- yearsofartstraining attheDoon SchoolofArtandtheOntario
causetheyareawarethatit providesa temporary safety valve CollegeofArt,herealized thatthedeeplyconservative natureof
thatreleases socialpressures anddissipates revolutionary energy. the city permeated itscultural milieu, in particularthe London
As TerryEagletonargues,carnivalis "a licensed affair in every ArtGallery. Curnoesetaboutestablishing thesocialconditions
sense,a permissible rupture ofhegemony, a contained popular thatwerefavourable forhisart,first byrenting a studio,a large
blow-off."8 a
However, carnivalesque space does allow partici- loft on the third floor of a building at 432 Richmond Street.It
pants to think differently about the world, even if only for a immediately became the main gathering place fora lively circle
shortmoment, and it is possiblethatseedsof changemaybe ofyoungpeople(an "interpretive community") whosharedhis
plantedin themindsoftheparticipants. senseoftheridiculous and hisdesireto breakwiththepast.11
As Arthur Asa Bergerpointsout,"thecomicinvolves the It alsoservedas thesetting fortheirfraternal anticsand Dada
worldof thesocialand thepolitical."9 Thiswas certainly the buffoonery.12
case withCurnoe,who believedthattheonlyvalidbasisfor Curnoealsosetaboutexploring exhibition opportunities,
relevant artwasdirectexperience anda frank expression of one s and, in November 1961, was featured in his firstsolo exhib-
beliefs.As a sociallyand politically consciousartist, he found itionat theRichardE. CrouchBranchLibrary oftheLondon
derisive and nonsensical humour, mainlyinspired fromDada- PublicLibrary andArtGallery(theresponsibility forCurnoes
ismi,theperfect vehicleforpersonalexpression, and madefull selectionresting mostprobablywith assistantcurator Paddy
use of it. By adoptingstrategies thatcan be likenedto many O'Brian).An Exhibition ofThings showcased a numberofob-
aspectsof thecarnivalesque, theDada movement of theearly jectsthatchallenged thegallery's traditional fareandperplexed
twentieth used as a
century laughter weaponagainstauthority, viewers. The exhibition received mixed reviews: thelocal arts
oftencombining humourwithnonsensical performances and critic Lenore Crawford wrote, "Some of the spoofsarescarcely
worksof art.Theseweredesignedto provokeand antagonize worththeeffort of movingthemintoan exhibit, forCurnoe,
whilealso examining and breaking downthebarriers between theproducer, has notyetlearnedall aboutselection, whicha
artandlife.Unlikecarnival, whichwascelebrated at prescribed goodmodernDadaistshould know."13 Among the items exhib-
moments (suchas beforeLent)andwasexpected to breakcer- itedin theshowwas a ready-made ticketbooth.Whenques-
taincodes of behaviour, Dada happenedwhenand whereit tionedbyone skeptical television reporter aboutwhyhe had
was leastexpected, and
shocking unsettling the audience. The chosen to include this object, Curnoe repliedguilelessly thathe
beginnings of the European Dada movement in 1916 Zurich thought it would be fun.14
arewellknown,forming a seriesof eventsand creations that Curnoeoftenmaskedhistrueintentions behindhumour
includedgatherings, performances, spectacles, artworks, and - a strategy commonly employed by the fool.Unpredictable,
publications. Throughout the 1960s CurnoecombinedDada spontaneous, fullof surprises, and intuitive, thefoolobserves
techniques withaspectsof thecarnivalesque in manyareasof and pokesfunat theworldaroundhim.Believedto possess
hisownlifeandartistic practice. extraordinary insights intotheworld,histaskis to revealthose
Greg Curnoe was born in 1936 in London, Ontario. Sur- insights. During medieval carnivals, whenthe ordinary rules
roundedbyan extended family since his childhood, and with were suspended and hierarchies were reversed, the fool was
a largecircleof friends, Curnoeremained steadfastly loyal to at his finest- shielded from censure by the carnival, the fool
hishometown throughout his life.Thisis notto suggest that couldmockanddeflate highsociety withimpunity.1 5As Helen

54

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.147 on Fri, 20 Jun 2014 23:09:17 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 CHOLETTE | Derision,
nonsense inthework
andcarnival ofGregCurnoe

Molesworth writes,Dada offered artists similaropportunities ingyeartheexpatriate DadaistMarcelDuchampwas featured

"toarticulate botha problemand a potential solution."16 This in thefirstof fourexhibitions at theSidneyJanisGalleryin
ideais transferable to a numberofothercontexts. ForCurnoe New York.Duringthe 1950s theJanisGalleryshowedthe
theproblem wastheconservative natureofCanadiansociety in workof otherDada artists.23 By thelatterpartof the 1950s
general, and theossified culture in London in particular. His Americanartistssuchas RobertRauschenberg, Jasper Johns,
solutionwasto replaceLondonscultural élitewithnewyoung RichardStankiewicz, Jean Follett,JohnChamberlain, and
withhimself
artists, at thevanguard, and he exploited thefull Allan Kaprowwerevariously experimenting withthe tech-
potential ofhumourto accomplish this. niquesofthereadymade, collage,assemblage, andperformance
In late1961,Curnoeparticipated in hisfirst groupexhib- artto createa new,lesspoliticized, and moreaestheticized ver-
itionat theIsaacsGalleryin Toronto.The untitled exhibition sionofDada. TheseAmerican Neo-Dadaistsresponded notto
wasorganized by Richard Gorman and included an assortment thehorrors oftheSecondWorldWarorto thecomplacency of
of worksby Gorman,Curnoe,MichaelSnow,Dennis Bur- bourgeois society,but to such diverse stimulias the throwaway
ton,JoyceWieland,GordonRayner, and Arthur Coughtry.17 cultureofthe1950s,theconstraints ofAbstract Expressionism,
Amongtheworkswas Curnoes DrawerFull ofStuff, which theexperimental musicofJohnCage,and thechanging social
drewon theDuchampiantradition of assembling and exhib- moresofthemid-twentieth century. American Neo-Dadawas
itingfoundobjects.18 ThetitleofCurnoes workwasliteral:in a short-livedmovement - due to thecommercialization ofthe
an olddrawer Curnoeassembled objectssuchas spentfuses, toy movement and theintegration of theartistintobourgeois so-
cars,partofan old bicycle seat,oneofhisgrandmother s table- it
ciety, was over
essentially by 1962. For themost part, it had
spoons,a lengthofhismothers clothesline, a doorhandlefrom beenmerely a bridgebetween Abstract Expressionism andlater
hisparents'garageshed,and a largequantity of bus transfers movements suchas Pop Art,Minimalism, and conceptual art,
fromtripshe had taken.Theworkwasinteractive, andvisitors ratherthana resurrection ofDada.24As BarbaraRosewrotein
to thegallerywereencouraged to rearrange theitemsin the 1963, "whatonce seemedvanguardinvention is now merely
drawer. MichelSanouillet, in an exhibition review in Canadian over-reproduced cliché.Anti-art, anti-war,anti-materialism,
Art, praisedCurnoes work:"GregCurnoedisplays an exciting Dada, theartofthepolitically andsocially engaged, apparently
genius and freshness of approach. From London, Ontario,a haslittlein commonwiththecool detachedartit is supposed
mostimprobably Dadaistictown,he broughta drawerfilled to havespawned."25
withoddsandendssuchasweallconcealinthenon-public cor- AlthoughCurnoeappropriated Dada techniques familiar
nersofourGraciousLivingHomes."19 ArtscriticRobertFul- to manyAmericanartists - collages,the readymade, assem-
ford, whocoveredtheeventfortheToronto Star, notedthatthe blages,performances, and multimedia -
events and whilehe
audiencemembers couldalso "as one distinguished visitordid sharedtheirdistaste forAbstract Expressionism, hisworkwas
on openingnight. . .makea personal contribution to theexhib- muchmorecloselyalignedwiththeanti-bourgeois nihilistic
itionbyleavingsomeobjectof [their] ownamidtheassembled sentiments oftheoriginal Dadaiststhanwiththemostly apolit-
junk."20 Visitorsat the opening were encouraged to singalong icalAmerican Neo-Dadaists.In bothattitudeand content, it
withtheshowsanthem - "Oak and Dada," performed to the was intended to scandalize,satirize,and criticize.26
Part of the
tuneof"O Canada."21Fulford was responsible forchristening reasonforCurnoes greater involvement withEuropeanDada is
theexhibition "Neo-Dadaist."By promoting theartists' non- thatCanadianartists, justliketheFrenchNouveauxRéalistes,
conformity Fulford positioned themfirmly in thevanguard of werenotexposedto theworkoftheDadaistsin artmuseums
Canadiancreativity and in starkcontrast toToronto s staidarts inthe1950sand 1960s.Therefore, artists
hadto educatethem-
scene.Callingtheexhibition "anexercise in theartofanarchy," selvesaboutDada, whichledto a deeperhistorical understand-
Fulford predicted that the show would be a winner on allfronts: ing ofthe movement than the Americans had.27 Even whenhe
"If the wild,anti-everything attitudeof the old-time1920s movedstylistically towardsPop Art,Curnoedid notembrace
Dadaistshasappealedtoyouinthepast.. .thenyoullenjoysee- theAmerican fascination withconsumerism and massculture.
ingits1961version in a Torontosetting. If,on theotherhand, He continuedto use his personal,narratological, sometimes
yoususpectthatcurrent artis essentially insane,thenyou'llbe nostalgic,and often-absurd worksto critiquethestatusquo,
smugly confirmed inyourbelief."22 questionauthority, and challenge theviewer. The mostpower-
WhiletheIsaacsGallery's "Neo-Dada"showcreateda stir, fulof theDada strategies he employed werethosethatcele-
it was by no meansthefirstexhibition of itskindin North bratedthepowerful connections between everyday experiences
America. In fact,postwar NorthAmerican interest inDada had and art,and in particular, thosethatengagedwiththe par-
firstbeenpiquedin 1951 whenRobertMotherwell published ticipatoryaspectsof Dada performance and theinclusivity of
hisimportant workDada Painters andPoets , andin thefollow- thecarnivalesque.

55

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.147 on Fri, 20 Jun 2014 23:09:17 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 XXXVIII Number
RACAR 1 | 2012

FigureI.Greg
Curnoe,Hurdle
forArt 9 April
Lovers, 1962.
Assemblage castiron,
ofwood, oil-based
belt,
plastic silver
ink,
paint, stainless-
knives,
steelknives
withwoodenandplastic aluminum
handles, bamboo
needles,
knitting silver
stick, steelscrewdriver
spoons, andmastic
blade, knife,
99X158.5 X26.5cm.Ottawa,
National © Estate
ofCanada.
Gallery ofGreg
Curnoe /SODRAC(2011).(Photo © National ofCanada).
Gallery

One of CurnoesearlyNeo-Dada works,HurdleforArt mentary on therisksinherentin makingandappreciating con-

Lovers(1962; fig.1), was conceivedwiththistypeof strategy temporary art.
in mind.The menacing-looking construction wasmadeoutof In early1962 Curnoemasterminded Canadas firsthap-
variousknivesandotherutensils, knittingneedles,sharpsticks, pening- The -
Celebration at the London CentralLibrary
anda masticknife.Thesesharpandpointy were
objects mount- and ArtMuseum.Embracing spontaneity chancelikethe
and
ed on scrapsofwoodand supported by Christmas tree
stands, Dadaists,Curnoebeganby arbitrarily selectingFebruary3
and theythreatened to castratethosebraveenough(or fool- forthedateof thehappening. He thensearchedthrough the
hardyenough)to jumpoverit.Ron Martinremembers seeing archivesat theLondonFreePressforan interestingeventthat
fellowartistBrianDibb repeatedly jumpingoverthehurdlein had occurredon thatdate in history.To his delighthe dis-
Curnoes Richmond Streetstudio,an actthatMartinlikenedto coveredthaton 3 February 1922,LaurenceLee, theChinese
playingRussian roulette.28Although Curnoesworkoftenbor- proprietorof theRoyalCafé on RichmondStreet, was fined
deredon theridiculous, therewas neverthelessan underlying twodollarsforsprinkling salton theice in frontof his res-
seriousness
to muchofit.Despiteitshumorous aspect,Hurdle taurant.29
Thisridiculousincidentservedas theinspiration
for
Art
for Lovers, with itswitty was
title, a sharp satirical
and com- TheCelebration.30

56

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.147 on Fri, 20 Jun 2014 23:09:17 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 nonsense
CHOLETTE | Derision, inthework
andcarnival ofGregCurnoe

A contingent ofCurnoes friends camedownfrom Toronto

fortheevent.MichelSanouillet, thephotographer MichelLam-
beth,whoseportrait ofCurnoewearing a GermanWorldWarI
army helmet was used on a poster theevent(fig.2), and
for
up-and-coming artistsMichael SnowandJoyceWielandtook
thetrainto London.Theyweregreeted at thestation withcon-
siderable fanfare bya delegation ofkazoo-playing, flag-waving
revellerswholedthemto thegallery whereTheCelebration was
to takeplace.The happening was chaotic.HermanGoodden
relates,"The partybecamespectacularly rowdyand messy -
woodwasnailedto thefloor, enormous, instant sculptures were
createdand destroyed, one witnesssmelledsmoke - and gal-
lerycurator ClareBicewasfurious aboutthewholething."31 As
thegathering wounddown,a number partiers of paraded down
Londonsmainstreetdressedin "dadaistic,"32 GermanWorld
War I uniforms. The participants held alofta hugeplywood
panelpainted white with a black border, and localpolicemis-
tookthemfora unionprotest march.At theend oftheeven-
ingan inebriated WielandthankedCurnoefor"inviting us to
wreckthegallery."33
AlthoughTheCelebration was thefirst happening in Can-
ada it was notthefirst in NorthAmerica;bytheearly1960s
happenings wereoccurring withincreasing frequency in the
UnitedStates,particularly in New YorksGreenwich Village.
However,despiteTheCelebrations clearaffinity withAmer-
ican prototypes (forexample,happenings organizedbyAllan
Kaprow, Claes and
Oldenburg, JimDine), Curnoe believedthat
itsrealsignificance wasthatitaltered thewayinwhichLondon- 2.Posterior atLondon Public andArtGallery.
Figure "Happening" Library
ersresponded to thetraditional gallery space.He wrote,"The February 1962.Offset
photolithograph onwovepaper, 38.3x25.8cm.
thingwe didthatpeoplestilltalkaboutis thatwe changedthe Ottawa, National ofCanada
Gallery (Photo© National
GalleryofCanada).
waytheyperceived theartgallery. . . . Theyusedto go in there
andwhisper, butafter thatpeopledidn'twhisper anymore."34
Liketheintoxicating effect thattheCabaretVoltairehad
had in Zurich,theexhilaration of TheCelebration sooncarried
mockrituals andprotests, organized sporting events,and
overintootherareasofLondonlife.35 In 1962Curnoefounded staged
wentonvacation together. Theirvariedactivities fostereda sense
Region , a locallyproduced, limited-edition magazinethatwas of collective theirmembers whileantagoniz-
ninetimesduringthe 1960sand distributed freeof solidarityamong
published Londons"old guard."The NihilistPartywas opposedto
charge.Themagazine, whichbecametheliterary manifestation ing
remotely "establishment," including thewayinwhich
ofLondonNeo-Dada,consisted ofsatirical andhumorous arti- anything
the1963 provincial was
government being run. In a city-wide
cles,nonsensical poetry, andothersubmissions byyoungLondon blitz banners
artistsandacademics. ThesameyearCurnoeco-founded thefirst
the
during campaigntheyplastered urgingvot-
ersto "VoteNihilist - DestroyYourBallot"acrosspostersof
artist-run galleryin thecity.RegionGallery s aimwastoserveas
theOntarioPremier JohnRobarts.Curnoelikedtheimageso
a meeting placefor the s and
city stylistically ideologically diverse
muchhe incorporated it intoa pairof Dadaisticartworks the
youngartists, topromote theirwork,to reflect localculture,and
year(figs.3 and 4). He recalledtheevent:
to actas a forum forhome-grown ideas.Sucha gallery wasne- following
cessary because,as Curnoeclaimed,thecityspublicgallery was We werein theprocess ofputting a posterovera John
"completely smothered by out-of-date sophistication."36 Robarts when
poster a policeman appearedand ripped it
In September 1963 Curnoeand hisfriends attractedeven down,saying thatitwasn't a fairwaytodo things. Hisac-
moreattention whentheyco-founded theNihilist PartyofLon- wasequally
tion,ofcourse, unfair, sincetheother
especially
don, Ontario.37 The Nihilists held and
gatherings banquets, had
parties
political been doing thesame butsincehe
thing,

57

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.147 on Fri, 20 Jun 2014 23:09:17 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 RACAR 1 | 2012
XXXVIII Number

3.Greg
Figure DADA!!
Curnoe, Late1964.
Oilpastel
onnewsprint, 4.Greg
Figure MOTHER!
Curnoe, Late1964.
Oilpastel
onnewsprint,
X89.3cm.London,
134.6 Collection
Ontario, ofMcintosh
Gallery, 134.6
X89.3cm.London, Collection
Ontario, ofMcintosh
Gallery,
TheUniversity
ofWesternOntario.
Gift
ofSheila 2009
Curnoe, TheUniversity
ofWesternOntario.
Gift
ofSheila 2009
Curnoe,
© Estate
(Photo: ofGreg
Curnoe/SODRAC(2011)). © Estate
(Photo: ofGreg
Curnoe/SODRAC(2011)).

hadallthearguments
wewerehelpless
todo muchexcept The NihilistParty, Gereinreported,was planning"to runfor
back.
argue It me
rankled for
weeks
until
wegotbackatthe modelparliament - withouta platform
thisyear and notas a
copina minorway, him
letting knowthathisauthority
was member ofa party."39
questioned.38 Performance was one of thefundamental activities
of the
Dada movement, and,as wasthecasewiththeearlierCelebra-
WhiletheNihilistPartyhadseriousconceptual underpin- tion, performance wouldbe keyto thesummergatherings of
nings,it oftenappearedas a light-heartedsocialorganization theLondonNeo-Dadaiststhattookplacefrom1965 to 1967
witha looseconstituency.Becauseoftheanarchistic styleofor- atNo Haven,a cottageinPortStanley, a smallvacationtownon
ganizationitwas to
difficult establish who
exactly the members LakeErie.On 1 August1965,thefirst ofmanyNihilist Picnics
orsympathizers were.In 1964theNihilistPartymadethelocal washeldin PortStanley at Invererie
HeightsPark.Thepicnics
newswhenitorganized a banquetandballat "a secretmeeting featured mockspeeches,sporting events,and generalrevelry.
place."CharlesGereinoftheLondonFreePress calleditan "anti- To markthe occasionof the firstpicnicProfessor Kenneth
organization"with no leader, centralphilosophy,or doctrine. Hilbournof theUniversity ofWestern Ontariogavea speech

58

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.147 on Fri, 20 Jun 2014 23:09:17 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 CHOLETTE | Derision,
nonsense inthework
andcarnival ofGregCurnoe

entitled "TheStill-Present Dangersof theInternational Com- instigatoroftheincident - increased instature intheeyesofhis

munistConspiracy."40 At anotherpicnicCurnoememorably peers."The mantle of power," Nancy Poolewrote, "hadslipped
calledforthebombingof thefrontyardof theWhiteHouse fromClareBice to GregCurnoe."Now,she continued, "the
with"bagsof shitmadein Canada byCanadians."41 In 1967 young artists
flocked to the new 'Mr.Art London,'hopingto
Curnoeincorporated thistextintothe interior of a painted gain hisfavour."50
woodenconstruction - Kamikaze(plywoodand acrylic,un- Havingeffectively dethroned ClareBice,Curnoeset his
dated,ArtGallery ofOntario). sightson thenationalartsscene.He wouldsoon findthathe
In October1965 GregCurnoe co-foundedthe Nihil- had a powerful allyin his quest.In thefallof 1966 Curnoe
istSpasmBand,together withJohnBoyle,BillExley,Murray madeoneofthemostimportant connections ofhiscareer when
Favro,HughMclntyre, and ArtPratten. In 1966 JohnClem- he approached theNationalGalleryofCanadaaboutthepos-
entand ArchieLeitchjoinedtheband.ApingDadas bruitisi ofthegallery
sibility acquiring hiswork.Jean-René Ostiguy, the
performances, theNihilistSpasmBand playedatonalexperi- curator ofCanadianartatthetime,delegated therequest to his
mentalmusicon homemadeinstruments manufactured from PierreThéberge.
assistant,
suchitemsas plumbing components, cookingpots,andkazoos. Thanksto Théberge, Curnoegothis firstopportunity to
JohnBoylecaughtthesignificance oftheband:"Although some playthefoolon thenationalstagein May 1967 whenhe was
wouldhesitateto call it music,theNihilistSpasmBand was invitedto participate in theopeningceremonies forThree Hun-
perhapsthesupremeexperiment in collectiveNihilistculture dredYearsofCanadianArtat theNationalGalleryofCanada.
making."42 Artcritic and editorBarry Lord calledtheband"the The exhibition wasplannedas partofthemassivecelebrations
squawking mouthpiece of the Nihilistparty of Canada (Vote marking Canada's centennial, andwasintended to demonstrate
No!), whichhas its non-headquarters (and,of course,denies thecountry's cultural of
coming age.Although theexhibition
itsexistence) in London."43 The NihilistSpasmBand rapidly was well attendedit was not a criticalsuccessoverall.Con-
gainedfamearoundLondon,and,beginning in 1966,had a tendingthatit reflected Canada'sculturalinferiority complex,
regular MondaynightgigattheYorkHotel,a localpublichouse J.RussellHarperclaimedthattheexhibition held"fewsurpris-
acrossfromtheCN railway station.
TheYorkHotelwasa blue- es forthosefamiliar withtheCanadianscene."51 He believed
collarestablishment witha loyalgroupofregulars. On Monday thecombination of overworked gallerycurators and a lackof
nights, however, the hotel was filledwith students, professors, criticalscholarship led to an over-reliance on "keycanvases"
and artists,alongwith"theoccasionalCanada Councilmem- fromtheNationalGallery.52 Iftheshowfellflat,thesamecould
ber,socialworkers - thejadedandhipofLondon."44 TheYork notbe saidoftheopeningcelebrations, whichwereexuberantly
Hotel rapidlybecametheLondonNeo-Dadaistequivalent of carnivalesque.After theofficial openingoftheexhibition, art-
theCabaretVoltaire - outrageous and provoking, entertaining ists,theirguests,anda selectgroupofdignitaries descended to
and confounding theaudienceat thesametime.Atone ofthe thebasement ofthegallery wheretheywereentertained during
MondaynightgigsCurnoewas askedwhattheBands goals dinnerbyThe KineticImprovisation UnitfromTorontoand
were.He replied,"Dont askme that,Christ!You cantbe ser- a psychedeliclightshow.The mainattraction of theevening
ious."45JohnBoylewouldhavebeena betterone to ask:"We wasan enormous cake,specially designed and decorated forthe
haveno themes, we throweverything in...butits notprotest," occasionbyCurnoe.It consisted oftextoutlinedwithbrightly
Boyleclaimed,"itsa portable happening."46 coloured, bacon-flavoured icing.The textparodiedthecurrent
Bythemid-1960sCurnoehad beenchallenging Londons hitrecord"WildThing"bytheBritish rockband TheTroggs :
statusquo fora numberof years.Thingscameto a head in
1966 whenClare Bice censoredtwoworksfromthe exhib-
300YRSOF CANA
itionArtists ofOur RegionNo. 16: JohnBoyley JohnChambers
and GregCurnoe .47BicedeemedthatJohnBoylesworkSeated DIANARTI THINK
Nude(a construction thatincludedtheimprint of theartists
I LOVEYOU!
behindand genitalson a chair)was "unsuitable fora public
gallery,"48and,againstthewishesof thejury,refused to hang BUTI WANTTO KN
it. He alsoexcludedan unidentified workbyCurnoewhoim-
OW FORSURE!
mediately wrotea letterto thelocalpapercallingattention to
theeventand claimingthatBices decisioncompromised the 300YRSOF CANA
overallcalibreof theexhibition.49 Bices decisionto floutthe
DIANART,HOLD ME
jurysjudgment discredited him amongstthecity'syoungart-
ists.He becamethetarget ofderision whileCurnoe - themain TIGHT!I NEED YOU

59

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.147 on Fri, 20 Jun 2014 23:09:17 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 RACAR
XXXVIII Number
1 | 2012

5.GregCurnoe,
Figure Sutherland
Jean Boggs,
Judy andPierre
LaMarsh, atthe11May1967
Théberge ofthe
opening
Three
HundredYears
ofCanadian
Artexhibit
attheNational ofCanada.
Gallery Gelatin
silver
print.
Photographed
Ottawa.
Evans,
byJohn © Library
andArchivesCanada.
John
HenryEvans
Studio
fonds/Accession
1994-435/ltem
2331-29. with
Reproduced thepermission
ofLibrary
andArchives
Canada. © National
(Photo ofCanada.)
Gallery

Inwhatwascalleda "Dadaistperformance," a luridlyattired same,afterthatwholeday,and I findmyself wondering howit

Curnoehelpeda pastry chefapplythelettering. Timemagazine willallsitwiththestuffedshirts
andtheswingers."56 Despitethe
wrote,"Hoveringovera 21-sq.-ft. orangecake,PainterGreg unconventional festivities
and Curnoespublicdig at Canada's
Curnoe,who was himself gussiedup in a canaryyellowsuit, ongoing itwasuniversally
crisis,
identity acknowledged bythose
chartreuseshirtand bluetie,deftly appliedtheicing."53 With inattendance thattheeventhadbeena success.In fact,theout-
Curnoestanding gleefullyat herside,andPierre Théberge hov- rageousanticsand carnivalesque spiritofthegathering wenta
eringin thebackground, SecretaryofStateJudyLaMarshcut longwaytoward mitigatingtheexhibitionslukewarm reception.
thecakewitha hugeceremonial sword(fig.5). Throwing herself Buoyedbythissuccess,Pierre Théberge selectedtheNihil-
intothespiritoftheevent,LaMarshforsook herusualconserva- istSpasmBandas Canada'smusicalrepresentative at the1969
tiveattire
infavour ofa "blueprintchiffon dress,bluestockings ParisBiennaledesJeunes, an exhibitionforartists
undertheage
anda coonskincap."54Thenextdayimagesofthecake-cutting ofthirty-five.57
The selectionofthebandwas thejointideaof
ceremony appearedin newspapers acrossthecountry. JoannaWoodsMarsden(coordinator oftravelling exhibitions)
It wasobviousthattheopeningwasmuchmore"hip"and and Théberge, who agreedthattheband was "veryspecially
outrageous thananything theNationalGallery hadseenbefore. tailoredto theCarnivalatmosphere oftheParisBiennale...."58
RobertAyreof theMontreal Starnoted,"Suchhighjinksare After expressingsome reservations,
Jean SutherlandBoggs,the
seldomseenin theNationalGalleryandcouldonlyhavetaken director of thegallery,
wentalongwiththechoice.59 The gal-
placein thebasement."55 In a letter
to thegallery's director,the lery'sdecision was controversialwith the public;complaints
artist
JackBush wrote,"Itwas an
quite Opening! I'll neverbe the appearedin thenewspaper overthegovernment's decisionto

60

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.147 on Fri, 20 Jun 2014 23:09:17 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 nonsense
CHOLETTE | Derision, inthework
andcarnival ofGregCurnoe

spendtaxpayers' moneyto senda "bandthatdoes not play AftertheopeningoftheBiennaletheSpasmBandattendeda

music,butonlymakesnoise."60 The reviewer fortheSt. Cath- reception at theCanadianEmbassy. Theirunkempt appearance
arinesStandard contended thatithadbeen"a caseof pull'and and loutishbehaviour causedsomeconsternation, and,in or-
knowing therightpeople"thathad led to theselection ofthe derto safeguard theeighteenth-century embassy'sfinefurnish-
He
group. wrote, "Some dimwit - or a committee of dimwits - ings and crystal chandeliers, the ambassadors wife prohibited
holdingpublicpursestrings at theNationalGalleryin Ottawa, dancingat theevent.70 At one point,one member oftheband
hasdecidedthebandwillrepresent Canadain themusicalcat- wasaskedbytheambassador's wifeto remove hisriver-walking
egory at the Parisshow."61 A London radio stations phone-in boots from the antique coffee table,and Art Prattenandhiswife
listenersexpressed the belief that the band was nothing more Barbara spent some time kissing under a chandelierforphotog-
thana "put-on" anda "sinful" wasteofmoney.62 A
raphers.71reporter noted, "Champagne flowedfreely, and as
The ironyof Canadas nationalgalleryand the Depart- subtlesignsthatthereception was overmeantnothingto the
mentofExternal Affairs selecting a nihilist groupwas notlost uncouthNihilists, theyhadto be nudgedtowardthedoor."72
on thebandmembers and theirfriends. In the five cent review, The band subsequently travelled to Englandwherethey
a limited-editionmagazine billedas "themonthly review ofthe playedtwogigsin Londonat theInstitute of Contemporary
artsin Canada,"bandmembers wereaskediftheirselection by Art.Unfortunately, theirgigswerepoorlyattended due to bad
thegallery meantthattheyhadbeen"co-opted" andwerenow planningand a lackofpublicity bythehostinstitution. They
"official
culture."63HughMclntyre responded facetiously,'five also received a muted reception from the audience.73 Théberge
centsquestionhasforcedme to thinkdeeplyaboutthewhole recalled howtheaudiencedwindled overthecourseoftheeven-
situation.Slowly,andreluctantly, I havebeenforced tothecon- ing,leaving"slowly onebyoneortwobytwo,"untilonlyhewas
clusionthattheNihilistSpasmBandhasco-optedtheGovern- left.74 Théberge putthelessthanenthusiastic reception ofthe
mentofCanada.Butwedidn'tmeanto.Honest."64 in
JohnBoyle, band Londondown "English to It
reserve."75 mayjusthave
who had becomedisenchanted withtheband becauseit had beenthattheshowdid notstrike a chordwiththeaudiencein
ceasedtobe "fun," replied,"Ifthereisan opportunity toembar- London,England(whichwas,afterall,theoriginal"swinging
rassCanadain Paris,I willtakeadvantage ofit."65Curnoetook London").Itmayalsohavebeenthat,bythelate1960s,Curnoe
thequestionmoreseriously, and saw thebands participation andhiscronies werebecoming absorbed intothemainstream of
in thebiennialin a positive light: "At last Canada is startingto the art world. As art criticBarbara Rose noted,the "bourgeoi-
export,undera culturallabel,indigenous or rootedthings... sie,thatformerly worthy adversary, [became]theshock-proof
likeTheSpasmBand."66 patronofthenewart."76
In additionto thesevenband members and thecurator, The band'slukewarm reception in Englanddid notdeter
fivewivesaccompanied thegroupon theirtrip.The bandwas Curnoefromcontinuing to courtcontroversy whenhe and
scheduledto playfourconcertsin Paris,followedby two in JohnBoylepresented theirContinental Refusalin Kingston
London,and Thébergewas dispatched to act as the groups andWindsora fewmonthslater.His innatedesireto playthe
chaperone forthe The
trip. band gleefully playedup theirselec- fool,a character who revealedinfinite to society,
possibilities
tionas "CanadasOfficial MusicTeam1969,"andevensported meantthathewouldforever be pushing theboundaries ofwhat
crestson theirjacketsidentifying themselves as such.Theteam wasacceptable.
wassuperimposed
affiliation overa Canadianflag,in thecentre WereLondon,Ontario,Neo-Dadaists,like the original
ofwhichappearedthewords"No Captain." EuropeanDadaists,expressing theirdisillusionment withthe
TheopeningvenuefortheSpasmBands Parisengagement bourgeoisand conservative postwarsocietythattheyhad in-
wasthebasinofa drained fountain infront oftheMuséenation- herited? Weretheytrying to achievea stateof "illuminism" -
al ďart modeme,a largeneoclassical structure on thebankof a moremeaningful existence-through theexploration ofun-
theSeine.Therewereabouttwohundred people at the opening, reason?77 Did theyhope,byadoptingstrategies of a historical
"including artists, curators
critics, in ParisfortheBiennale,"67 avant-garde movement, to add cachetto theirownartistic pro-
wholookedattheexhibitions andlistened to the Nihilist Spasm duction? Or were Dada andthecarnivalesque simply toolsthat
Band.Amongtheguestsat theopeningwereMichelSanouillet allowedLondon'sartists toexpress theirindividuality?As Helen
andTeenyDuchamp,wifeoftheartist MarcelDuchamp.Gen- Molesworth pointsout,one of Dadas maingoalswas to dis-
eralmembers of theaudience,who wereattracted awayfrom solvethebourgeoiscategories of artby merging artand life.
Faubourg St-Honoré by the noise, did not know quite what We must acknowledge the rolethat Dada and the carnivalesque
to makeof theband.68Curnoenotedtheaudiencesbemuse- playedin Curnoe'slifeand art.Dada strategies providedhim
ment:"Theaudiencewas madeup of youngFrenchintellec- with"a setofmanagement techniques... forhowto live,as an
tuals,and theyjustdidn'tknowhow placeus,to somehow."69 in
artist, a critical way, amid the endless permutations, twists

61

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.147 on Fri, 20 Jun 2014 23:09:17 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 RACAR
XXXVIII Number
1 | 2012

andturns, andbaffling contradictions ofcapitalism."78 Thecar- 13 LenoreCrawford, "Spoofs RevealArtist: Odd ObjectsExhibit
nivalesqueprovided similar techniques, belonging, as Bakhtin Startles
Art Lovers," The London FreePress, 4 November 1961.
states,"totheborderline between artandlife It is lifeitself." 14GregCurnoe, Souwesto (16mm,colour, silent,30 min)1969.
Carnivalesque humour, withitsritualsbasedon laughter, of- *5 BeatriceK. Otto,Fools areEverywhere: TheCourt Jester Around the
fered"a completely different, nonofficial, extraecclesiastical and World (Chicago, IL,2001), 38.
extrapolitical aspectoftheworld,ofman,and ofhumanrela- 16 HelenMolesworth, "From Dada toNeo-DadaandBackAgain,"
tions...[allowing themto] builda secondworldand a second October 105,Dada(Summer 2003),180.
lifeoutsideofficialdom."79 Duringthe1960sCurnoeusedde- 17 Theexhibition ranfrom 21 December 1961to 9 January 1962.
risiveand nonsensical humoristic devices,in particular a com- DonnaluWigmore, ed.,IsaacsSeen:50 Years on theArtFront
binationof elements fromDada and thecarnivalesque, in all (Toronto, 2005),158.
aspects of hislife and art as a form of social criticism intended 18 Curnoes work mayreference JasperJohns's Drawer , anassemblage
to express hispoliticalbeliefs, shakeup thestatusquo, collapse on canvas from1957.ThetitleofJohns's workreferred to both
theboundaries betweenartand life,and createan interpretive and to
undergarments draughtsmanship, appearance while in it
community withinwhichhe couldpromote hisart. reproduced a non-functioning dresserdrawer. SusanHapgood,
Neo-Dada: Redefining Art1958-62(Scottsdale, AZ, 1994),18.
Acknowledegments 19 MichelSanouillet, "TheSignof Dada at theIsaacsGallery,
Toronto," Canadian Art19,2 (March-April 1962),111.
I wouldliketothankSSHRC s DoctoralFellowship programme 20 Robert Fulford, "World of Art:Anarchy," TorontoDailyStar , 23
and theNationalGalleryof Canadas Fellowship in Canadian December 1961.
Artprogramme forfinancial assistance withthisproject. 21 Fulford,"World ofArt:Anarchy."
22 Fulford,"World ofArt:Anarchy."
Notes 23 Barbara Rose,"Dada,Thenand Now,"ArtInternational 7, 1
(January 1963),24.
1 Amendments 1,3,and6. GregCurnoe, "Amendments toContin- 24 Hapgood, "Neo-Dada," 56.
entalRefusal/Refus Continental," reprinted in 20 Cents Magazine 25 Rose,"Dada, Then and Now," 24.
4,4 (April 1970),unpaginated. 26 Rose,"Dada, Then and Now," 24.
2 IreneMcKim, a Kingston artist, reported that most of the small 27 Hapgood, "Neo-Dada," 44.
localaudience responded withdisfavour to Boyle's andCurnoe's 28 RonMartin, "ARemembrance," Carnet 1,2 (1993),28.
readings.Shenoted, however, thatalthough theyshocked people, 29 Herman Goodden, "Arts Section,"London FreePress, 26 Novem-
"noonewillforget thenight Curnoe andBoyle cametoKingston." ber1988.
IreneMcKim,"Curnoe andBoyleSpeakin Kingston," 20 Cents 30 Curnoe s choice ofthisincident wasundoubtedly anhomage tothe
4, 4
Magazine (April 1970), unpaginated. French Dadaist Marcel Duchamp, whose nickname was theMar-
3 GregCurnoequotedin"GregCurnoe: A FileInterview," File2, chand duSelorsaltseller. In fact,
a fewyears earlier,in 1958,his
1-2(April-May 1973),46. goodfriend, therenowned Dada scholar MichelSanouillet, had
4 HenriBergson, An
Laughter: Essay on the Meaning ofthe Comic editeda volume of writings byDuchamp entitledMarchand du Sel.
(originallypublished intheRevue deParisin1900),trans. Cloud- PierreThéberge, Greg Curnoe: Retrospective(Ottawa, 1982),14.
esley Brereton andFredRothwell (Rockville,MD, 2008),12. 31 Goodden, "Arts Section."
5 Mikhail Bakhtin, Rabelais andHisWorld , trans.HélèneIswolsky 32 MichelSanouillet, e-mailcorrespondence withJudith Rodger, 4
(Bloomington, IN, 1984), 5. February 2000, quoted in JudithRodger, "Chronology," in Reid
6 Bakhtin, Rabelais andHisWorld , 5. andTeitelbaum, eds.,Greg Curnoe:LifeandStuff, 147.
7 Bakhtin, Rabelais andHisWorld , 14. 33 KatieCholette, interview with 6
TonyUrquhart,February 2005.
8 Terry Eagleton, Walter Benjamin: Or, Towards a Revolutionary 34 Curnoe quoted in Sarah Milroy, "Time Machines," in Reid and
Criticism (London, UK,1981),148. Teitelbaum, eds.,Greg Curnoe: LifeandStuff, 35.
9 Arthur AsaBerger, AnAnatomy ofHumour (NewBrunswick, NJ, $5 OliverC. Speck, "TheJoyofAnti-Art: Subversion through Hu-
andLondon, UK,1993),10. mourinDada,"inGabyPailer, Andreas Böhn,Stefan Horlacher,
10 RossWoodman, "Greg Curnoe," essayfortheexhibition Greg Cur- andUlrich Scheck, eds.,Gender andLaughter: Comic Affirmation
noe's Series
(London, Canada, 1967, 3. and Subversion in Traditional andModern Media (Amsterdam and
11 Stanley Fish, "IsThere a Text in This Class?" TheStanley Fish Read- New York, NY, 2009), 378.
er, ed.H. Aram Veeser (Maiden, MA,1999). 36 GregCurnoe, "Region=Regionalism," TheGazette (University of
12 LisaAppignanesi, TheCabaret {London, UK,1975),83. Western Ontario), 15March1963.

62

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.147 on Fri, 20 Jun 2014 23:09:17 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 CHOLETTE | Derision,
nonsense
andcarnival
inthework
ofGregCurnoe

37 lhe otherfounding members were JohnBoyle, GaryBryant, Toby Exhibition EX1280File12-5-40,Canada:

Files, artd'aujourd'hui,
Chapman, Brian Dibb,BillExley, MargMcCullough, Hugh Mac- Volume 4, NGC Fonds, NGC Archives.
ArtPratten,
Intyre, andLizSandler. Thereweretwoother non- 59 Memorandum from JeanSutherland BoggstoGuyViau,11 July
identified
co-founders. Rodger, "Chronology," 148. 1969, Exhibition files,B-34. ParisBiennale,6e Biennale deParis,
38 GregCurnoe, "lheRelation ofArttoPolitics,"Unpublished writ- Untitledfolder,NGC Fonds, NGC Archives.
ing,GregCurnoeFonds,E.P.Taylor Research Library andAr- 60 AndyNeimers, "CanadaRepresented byGarbage," St.Catharines
AGO,1963Writing,
chives, 8. 26
Standard,September 1969.
39 TheFirstNihilist Banquet wasin factheldat theMelody Tea 61 Neimers, "CanadaRepresented byGarbage."
Roomat 646 DundasStreet in London.Charles Gerein, "Anti- 62 Transcript ofJohn Dickins s OpenLineradiocall-in show,CFPL,
Organization GroupOrganizes Banquet," London Free Press
, London, Ontario, 8 October 1969, publishedin 20 Cents
Maga-
7 December 1964. zine3,9 (November 1969).
40 Rodger, 151. 63 Barry Lordwastheeditor ofthefivecentreview in 1969.Four
"Chronology,"
41 GregCurnoe,unpublished writing. GregCurnoeFonds,E.P. issues
of the fivecent review were producedby Unicorn Publishers
TaylorResearch Library andArchives, AGO,1965Writing. in Montreal between December 1968 and October 1969.
42 John a NihilistUniverse," 6 (1999),7. 64 HughMclntyre, fivecent review (October 1969),21.
Boyle, "Building Paradigm
43 BarryLord,"Swinging London(Ontario)," StarWeekly 65 Boyleclaimed thathisgoalwas"thedestruction oftheR.C.M.P.,
Magazine,
13January 1968,19.InSeptember 1966Barry Lordbecame editor theNational Gallery, theGovernment ofCanada.Myheroes are
ofCanadian Artmagazine, which hetransformed intoartscanada. PaulJoseph Chartier, John Diefenbaker andJehovah's Witnesses."
lhe first
issueofartscanada cameoutinJanuary 1967witha cover John Boylt,fivecent review(October 1969),21.
Curnoe. lhe includeda 45 RPM 6<SGreg Curnoe, "Written byGreg Curnoe onAug.12,13,14,15,
designed by magazine recording
oftheNihilist Spasm Bandplaying "CanadaI think I loveyou,but 16,17,and 18/19 1'fivecent review(October 1969),21.
I wanttoknow forsure...."KatieCholette,e-mail 67 for telexfrom Joanna Woods Marsden toJeanSutherland
correspondence Copy
withBarry Lord,21 March 2006. Boggs andGuyViau,7 October 1969.ParisBiennale, 6eBiennale
44 Grant Fair,"NihilistNoiseNumbs YorkHotel,"TheGazette (Uni- de Paris,Volume II, ParisOct.-Nov.1969.NGC Fonds,NGC
ofWestern
versity Ontario), 7 October 1966,20. Archives.
45 Fair,
"Nihilist NoiseNumbs York Hotel,"20. 68 Copyfortelexfrom WoodsMarsden to Sutherland Boggsand
46 John in
Boylequoted Marjorie Harris,"You Should See itWhen Viau,7 October 1969.
itsWorking its Really Great," artscanada25, 2, issue118-119 69 Barrie Hale,"Home-made MusicisPure," Toronto Star,25 Octo-
(June1968),7. ber 1969.
47 Theexhibition washeldat theLondonPublicLibrary andArt 70 "Parmi lesinvités, desgarçons en blouson,
hirsutes, colsroulés
Museum on4-29January 1966. et chaussures de sport: les musiciens de l'orchestre 'bruitiste'
48 NancyPoole,TheArtofLondon, 1830-1980(London,Ont., quirépresentera le Canadaà la Biennale de Paris.Détail: ilsont
1984),133. fabriqué eux-mêmes leursinstruments, dontun cigaresiffleur."
49 In hisletter Curnoealsoclaimed thatBiceexcluded oneofhis "L'ambassade duCanadacraint lamusique 'bruitiste',"
France-Soir,
works from theexhibition aswell,although hedidnotmention 3 October 1969.
which one.GregCurnoe, "Not'Leftover'Art," London FreePress
, 71 Robert C. McKenzie, "CanadasOfficiai MusicTeam," 20 Cents
12January 1966. Magazine 9
3, (November 1969),unpaginated.
50 Poole,TheArtofLondon, 136. 72 McKenzie, "Canadas OfficiaiMusicTeam."
51 J.Russell Harper, "Three Hundred YearsofCanadian Art,"The 73 Memofrom Joanna Marsden WoodstoJeanSutherland Boggs,
BurlingtonMagazine 109, 773 (August 1967), 465. 29 October 1969. Exhibition Files.
B-34, NGC Fonds, NGC Ar-
52 Harper, "Three Hundred YearsofCanadian Art,"465. chives.
53 "TheArts: lhe First & Last,"Time 19May1967,16. 74 PierreThéberge, "Confessions ofa NihilistSpasmBandAddict,"
Magazine,
54 "TheArts: lhe First & Last,"16. artscanada 26,6,issue138-139(December 1969),68.
55 Robert Ayre, "300Years ofArt," MontrealStar, 20 May1967. 75 Ihéberge, "Confessions," 68.
56 Letterfrom JackBushtoJeanSutherland Boggs, 22 May1967. 76 Rose,"Dada,ThenandNow," 4.
NGC Box478,Vol.7,NGC Fonds, NGCArchives. 77 Appignanesi, Cabaret, 76.
57 Thesevenbandmembers whowenttoEurope were: John 78 Molesworth, "From DadatoNeo-Dada," 178.
Boyle,
Curnoe, Bill Archie
Favro, Leitch, Mc- 79 Bakhtin, Rabelais,6, 7.
Greg Exley, Murray Hugh
Intyre,andArtPratten.
58 Letterfrom Joanna WoodsMarsden toGuyViau,16April1968,

63

This content downloaded from 195.78.108.147 on Fri, 20 Jun 2014 23:09:17 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions