Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
General material designation
- Multiple media
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
Level of description
Reference code
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
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
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.
Accruals
No further accruals expected.
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
- North America » Canada » Ontario » Middlesex, County of » London
- North America » Canada » Ontario » Toronto
Name access points
Genre access points
Control area
Description record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules or conventions
Rules for Archival Description
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
7 July 2015
Language of description
- English