Ronald Gabe (1945 in Winnipeg, Manitoba – 1994) publicly known as Felix Partz, was a Canadian artist and cofounder of the artistic collective General Idea with Jorge Zontal and AA Bronson.[1][2]
Partz studied at the University of Manitoba School of Art in Winnipeg, experimenting with conceptual art. During his studies, Partz created Some Art That I Like (1967), a series of copies of more famous works and an example of appropriation.[3] The artist traveled in Europe and North Africa before settling in Toronto by 1969, where he ultimately became a member of the collective General Idea.[3]
He died on June 5, 1994, of AIDS-related causes.[4] Partz was photographed by collaborator AA Bronson in the final three weeks of his life, laying in bed alongside many of his favorite clothes and objects, including a photograph taken a few hours after his death, now held by the Whitney Museum.[3] Though graphic, the image is considered one of General Idea's most significant works, documenting the devastation of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and 1990s.[3]
At the time of his death he had just finished work on a series of AIDS-related General Idea projects that incorporated mutated simulations of works by Piet Mondrian and Marcel Duchamp.[5]
Canadian musician Peaches recorded a song entitled "Felix Partz" on her album The Teaches of Peaches.
Further reading
edit- General Idea: Life & Work by Sarah E.K. Smith published by the Art Canada Institute.
References
edit- ^ General Idea biography ~ Electronic Arts Intermix Archived 2007-11-08 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Filice, Eugenio (August 30, 2006) [2002]. "Canadian art". In Summers, Claude J. (ed.). glbtq: An encyclopedia of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer culture. Chicago: glbtq, Inc. Archived from the original on 2007-04-16.
- ^ a b c d Smith, Sarah E.K. (2016). General Idea: Life & Work. Art Canada Institute. ISBN 978-1-4871-0092-6.
- ^ 2002 Laureates ~ Canada Council for the Arts Archived 2012-04-06 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Felix Partz, 49, Conceptual Artist". The New York Times. 17 June 1994.
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