Traffic: Conceptual Art in Canada 1965-1980

The most transformative art movement of the late 20th century, conceptual art became a global phenomenon long before it was taken up by a new generation of artists and institutions in the early 21st century. Its various manifestations in Canada, however, have remained a limited concern—a whispered art history circulated among artists and writers primarily in alternative publications and artist-run centres. Traffic: Conceptual Art in Canada 1965–1980 is the first publication to track the complex, rigorous and diverse manifestations of conceptual art in Canada. Presenting work by more than 90 artists, Traffic examines the particular local and geographic needs and interests enacted by individual artists, collectives and art communities across the country. Traffic was published on the occasion of an internationally touring exhibition curated by Grant Arnold, Catherine Crowston, Barbara Fischer, Michèle Thériault with Vincent Bonin, and Jayne Wark, and presented at the Vancouver Art Gallery from September 29, 2012 to January 20, 2013.

Vancouver Art Gallery