Excerpts from "Canada's Forgotten Surrealists" by Ray Ellenwood

 

"And what about things Surrealistic/Dadaistic going on in the here and now? Judging by what we could see at the AGO, nothing is happening. And yet, in fact, there is a fascinating website by two young artists from Toronto named Sherri Lyn Higgins and William Davison, who call themselves Recordists and define Recordism as "a mutant strain of Surrealism." It is time well spent to have a look at their website (www.recordism.com), documenting their work in music, film, performance and visual art, with collaborators such as Beatriz Hausner and Steve Venright. What if the AGO had really gone crazy in the surrealist summer heat and set up a computer, inviting their visitors to have a look at this site, as an example of the continuing influence of Surrealism right here, among young artists?"

...and concluding the same article:

"Nevertheless, contemporary Surrealism in Toronto caught up with the AGO on Sunday, September 8, the last day of Surrealist Summer: Recordists Davison and Higgins performed extemporaneously on the steps of the AGO, a three-part tableau inspired by Magritte's The Lovers. It was a little reminder, along with the leaflet they handed out, that "there are active Surrealist groups all over the world" and that the spirit of Surrealism is not contained in the name, nor in museum exhibitions, nor in art history."

 

"Canada's Forgotten Surrealists" by Ray Ellenwood. Published in Artfocus magazine, No. 74, 2002. Read the full article (PDF) on Ray Ellenwood's website

 

"The Lovers" by Songs of the New Erotics (Davison/Higgins) is available on youtube

 

Full text of the I.B.R.I. leaflet mentioned above is here

 

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