In 1967, General Idea was founded 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.
At the onset of the AIDS crisis in the early 1980s, the illness and the apathy/ignorance toward it became a dominant motif culminating in this work (and its multitude of incarnations).
This iconic print is perhaps their most recognizable artwork. Appropriating Robert Indiana’s “LOVE”, General Idea subverted his iconic work to read "AIDS" while using the same font and bold color arrangement of red/green/blue as the original.
This subversive design appeared in a number of different iterations beginning in 1987. This print is one of the earliest versions. Created as a screenprint in an edition of 1000, it was intended as one of General Ideas first forays into street art or public art. Hundreds of examples from the edition were wheat-pasted on the streets of New York City (in November 1987) and San Francisco (in January 1988)
The San Francisco action coincided with General Idea's exhibition at Artspace which opened on January 12, 1988. This example of the print comes from the private collection of the gallery's founder Anne MacDonald.
This version is distinct from the offset lithograph from 1988 (used on the streets in Toronto and Berlin) as it is of significantly better quality being a screenprint as well as having the General Idea printed signature and copyright date printed vertically in the lower left corner as well as being approximately 5" larger.
Questions about this piece? Contact us or call +1.416.704.1720.
Visit our Toronto gallery on Thursdays or by appointment.
"AIDS"
USA, 1987
Screenprint on paper
Edition of 1000, unnumbered
Printed signature, copyright and date
27"H 27"W
Sold unframed
Overall very good condition. Minor handling marks.
Literature:
"General Idea: Editions 1967-1995", Fischer, pg. 172-173 (2003)
- Where does the inventory ship from?
Our inventory is divided between New York and Toronto.
- Where do you ship to?
We can ship anywhere. Typically when we ship within North America we prefer to use FedEx or DHL. To Europe, Asia and beyond we generally use DHL.
- How much does it cost to ship?
For shipments within North America, we typically charge a flat rate fee. Many items on our site will list the rate. For shipping outside of North America, we can easily provide a quote and will look for the most efficient and economical option.
Most of the items on our site can be easily shipped internationally.
Occasionally we will recommend that an artwork be removed from its frame for shipping. Larger framed works are typically framed with plexiglass. We export over 80% of what we sell, so we are comfortable shipping anywhere.
- Are there additional taxes or fees?
When a work is valued above $2,500 usd there is a possibility of tax of 0.35%, but this is applied sporadically. There can similarly be an additional fee for customs brokerage and this can range from $20 - $65. US Taxes, duties and customs brokerage are not included in our flat rate shipping. However most of our shipments to the US enter without any additional fees.
- Do you provide a certificate of authenticity?
Yes, we guarantee everything we sell. We can provide both a digital and printed version of our certificate of authenticity.
What is your return policy?
- Caviar20 wants you to be 100% satisfied with your purchase. We have a 7 day no-questions full refund return policy for your purchase. Shipping charges are non-refundable. Return shipping is the responsibility of the customer. After 8 days returns are given a credit note. There is no expiration for our credit notes.
- What payment methods do you accept?
Canadian clients are welcomed and encouraged to pay with interac.