Reception: Friday, October 10, 2018 — 7:00pm
The New Gallery is pleased to present a major retrospective of the work of David Zack. Curated by the artist’s longtime colleague and collaborator Istvan Kantor, this exhibition reveals the wide spectrum of artistic activity that comprises Zack’s lifework. Focusing on his contribution to the development of correspondence art while a resident of Calgary in the 1970s, the exhibition also explores two of his most famous ongoing projects: the Monty Cantsin open pop star concept and the Correspondence Novels. Through this unique exhibition, viewers will re-enter the world of early mail art, time traveling through a vital creative period characterized by DIY publications, photocopy art, the cut-up, handwritten poetical sketches, and other “open source” artistic activity. A catalogue will be produced to accompany the exhibition, which is scheduled to tour nationally through 2010.
Istvan Kantor, recipient of the 2004 Governor General’s Award for Visual and Media Arts, also known as Monty Cantsin, the founder of Neoism, is an action-based media artist/subvertainer/producer, active in many fields, performance, robotics, mixed-media, installation, painting, sound, music, video and new media. His main subjects are the decay of technology and the struggle of the individual in technological society. His radically changing creative ambitions are always related to his living environment and social situation.
Co-presenters
