Fonds SC033 - Michael Bidner fonds

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Michael Bidner fonds

General material designation

  • Multiple media

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Title statements of responsibility

Title notes

Level of description

Fonds

Reference code

CA ON00012 SC033

Edition area

Edition statement

Edition statement of responsibility

Class of material specific details area

Statement of scale (cartographic)

Statement of projection (cartographic)

Statement of coordinates (cartographic)

Statement of scale (architectural)

Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

Dates of creation area

Date(s)

  • 1965-1989 (Creation)
    Creator
    Michael Bidner

Physical description area

Physical description

3.71 m of textual records and graphic material
1044 photographs
4 rubber stamps
3 screen prints

Publisher's series area

Title proper of publisher's series

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Archival description area

Name of creator

(1944-1989)

Biographical history

Michael Bidner (1944-1989) was an Ontario artist who worked in print and mixed media, perhaps best known for his works in xerography and mail art. Born in London, Ontario, Bidner graduated from the technical high school H.B. Beal Secondary and briefly attended the Ontario College of Art before dropping out to pursue his art independently. During his career, Bidner worked with various media, including silkscreening, collage, slides, photography, and video. Bidner used the name “Cloud” in some of his projects and often incorporated the shape of an upside down “Y” as a signature symbol. In the 1970s, Bidner produced or co-created a number of alternative art-based publications: Adz magazine (founder), Rag magazine (co-founder), and Rude magazine (co-founder/art director). In the mid-1970s, Xerox Canada Ltd. provided the McIntosh Gallery at the University of Western Ontario with one of their new colour copier machines to help promote its use. In the spring of 1976, Michael Bidner and artist Michael Hayden exhibited their copy art and led a number of public workshops. Later that year, Bidner and Hayden were part of the “Colour Xerography” group show at the Art Gallery of Ontario, which also included the work of
Jaan Poldaas, Flavio Belli, Barbara Astman, and Robert Arn.

Bidner was also interested in philately and mail art, coining the term “artistamp” to refer to his postage art. In 1984, he organized the first international exhibition of mail art, titled “Artistampex,” in London, Ontario. Networking and letter-writing with mail artists in Canada and abroad, Bidner began compiling a groundbreaking database of artists and artwork entitled “Standard Artistamp Catalogue and Handbook.” Unfortunately, his declining health prevented him from finishing the project. Following unsuccessful attempts to place his collection at a Canadian art institution, Bidner’s personal collection of original postage art was given to the Artpool Art Research Center in Budapest, Hungary in 1989. Michael Bidner
passed away of AIDS in 1989.

Custodial history

The materials now constituting the Michael Bidner fonds were donated to the AGO in 1990 through Flavio
Belli, one of the executors of Michael Bidner’s estate. Preparations and physical transfer of the materials
began in 1989, before Michael Bidner’s death.

Scope and content

Fonds consists of personal and professional records of Michael Bidner, primarily created during the mid-
1970s to 1989. Files pertain to various projects during Bidner’s artistic career and include working files,
artwork, the artist’s publications, correspondence, ephemera, photographs and slides.

Notes area

Physical condition

Pages of photocopied art may be slightly adhered to each other from ink. Please handle pages carefully
and consult archivist if needed.

Immediate source of acquisition

AGO Credit Line: Gift of Flavio Belli, 1990.

Arrangement

Language of material

    Script of material

      Location of originals

      Availability of other formats

      Restrictions on access

      Open. Access to Special Collections is by appointment only. Please contact the reference desk for more
      information.

      Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

      Copyright is held by the Estate of Michael Bidner. Copyright belonging to other parties, such as that of
      photographs, may still rest with the creator of these items. It is the researcher’s responsibility to obtain
      permission to publish any part of the fonds.

      Finding aids

      A finding aid is available for this fonds.

      Associated materials

      Michael Bidner fonds, National Gallery of Canada Library and Archives. These materials were donated by
      Michael Bidner in 1972-1984 upon request from the National Gallery and consist of 28.5 cm of textual
      records and 3 photographs.

      Related materials

      Accruals

      No further accruals expected.

      Alternative identifier(s)

      Standard number

      Standard number

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      Control area

      Description record identifier

      Institution identifier

      Art Gallery of Ontario

      Rules or conventions

      Rules for Archival Description

      Status

      Final

      Level of detail

      Partial

      Dates of creation, revision and deletion

      7 July 2015

      Language of description

      • English

      Script of description

        Sources

        Accession area