Description & Finding Aid: Michael Snow Fonds CA OTAG SC052
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Art Gallery of Ontario E. P. Taylor Research Library and Archives Description & Finding Aid: Michael Snow Fonds CA OTAG SC052 Prepared by Alain Giroux, 1992 and Kathleen McLean, 1996 Modified by Amy Marshall with assistance from Gary Fitzgibbon, 2005 and 2018 317 Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 1G4 Reference Desk: 416-979-6642 www.ago.net/ago/library Michael Snow fonds Michael Snow fonds Dates of creation: 1933-1996 Extent: 7.7 m of textual records and other material Biographical sketch: Michael James Aleck Snow (1928- ) is a Canadian painter, sculptor, filmmaker, photographer and musician. He was born in Toronto and educated at Upper Canada College and subsequently at the Ontario College of Art (1948-1952). After travels in Europe (1953-54) he worked for Graphic Films in Toronto (1955-56), producing his first independent film A-Z. His first solo exhibition as a painter was at the Greenwich Gallery in Toronto in 1956. Between 1961 and 1967, mostly while living in New York, Snow produced work in the Pop-art mode based on the silhouette of a young woman, entitled Walking Woman, probably his most widely recognized creation. A series of 11 stainless steel sculptures of the image was created for the Ontario pavilion at Expo 67 and is now in the collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario. After moving to New York in 1964, he made films regarded as Minimalist, such as New York Ear and Eye Control (1964) and Wavelength (1966-67). Returning to Toronto in 1972, Snow worked mainly on cinematic and photographic projects including ‘Rameau’s Nephew’ by Diderot (Thanx to Dennis Young) by Wilma Schoen . His work is concerned with the nature of media themselves, with perception and with the interrelation of language, sound and meaning. Snow has been the subject of exhibitions and retrospectives in Toronto, Vancouver and Paris. Scope and content: Fonds consists of Michael Snow’s correspondence with family, other artists, musicians, filmmakers, dealers and curators; sketchbooks, art portfolios and sound recordings of the artist’s work; photo- documentation and other materials related to his artworks, publications, music and films; financial and legal records; reviews and other writings about the artist; posters and promotional material from exhibitions. Contains series: 1. Correspondence 2. Walking Woman projects 3. Film projects 4. Other artistic projects 5. Public commissions 6. Financial records 7. Legal records 8. Reviews 9. Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre records 10. Publications 11. Sketchbooks 12. Early portfolios 13. Music projects 14. Book and writing projects 15. Secondary writings / writings on Snow 16. Posters 17. Mailers Custodial history: Fonds was transferred directly to the E.P. Taylor Research Library & Archives, Art Gallery of Ontario by Michael Snow in two donations, 1992 and 1996. Page 2 of 95 Michael Snow fonds Notes: Physical description: Includes 40 posters, 10 portfolios, 21 sketchbooks, 8 sound recordings Immediate source of acquisition: The Michael Snow fonds was donated by the artist in 1992 and 1996. Arrangement: Arrangement in series follows the artist’s own arrangement of his records. In the 1992 donation, maps, blueprints, photographs, and artifacts have been separated from the textual records for conservation reasons. Series in the 1996 donation were initially numbered in a discrete sequence despite the fact that several of them could be considered accruals to existing series. In 2005, the arrangement of the 1992 and 1996 donations was reconciled to create a single finding aid, and the series were re-numbered. In case of any confusion, the original finding aids are available from the archivist. Language: Series 1 (Correspondence), 3 (Film Projects), 4 (Other artistic projects), 5 (Public commissions), 13 (Music projects), 14 (Book and writing projects), 15 (Secondary writings / writings on Snow), and 16 (Posters) contain writings in French; series 15 (Secondary writings / writings on Snow) and 16 (Posters) contain writings in Hungarian, German, Polish, and Dutch; series 14 (Book and writing projects) contains writings in Japanese. Restrictions on access: Open. Access to Special Collections is by appointment only. Please contact the reference desk for more information. Terms governing use and reproduction / publication: As set out in the terms of the deed of gift, no material in the fonds may be published or exhibited in such a way as to suggest that it is a completed work of art. It may be used in a didactic context but must be identified as forming part of the Michael Snow fonds. Copyright is held by the creator. Copyright belonging to other parties, such as that of photographs, may still rest with the creator(s) of these items. It is the researcher’s responsibility to obtain permission to publish any part of the fonds. Accruals: Further accruals are expected. General note: The 1992 donation consists of boxes 1 through 38 and additional material in map cabinets, in series 1 through 12. The 1996 donation consists of boxes 39 through 98, with additions to the series Correspondence, Film projects, Other artistic projects, Public commissions, Financial records, and Legal records; and new series Music projects, Book and writing projects, Secondary writings / writings on Snow, and Posters. General note: Abbreviations Used: AGO - Art Gallery of Ontario; AJB - Artists' Jazz Band; CBC - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; CCMC - Canadian Creative Music Collective; NGC - National Gallery of Canada; NSCAD - Nova Scotia College of Art and Design; SOCAN - Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada; UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Provenance access point: Snow, Michael, 1928- Page 3 of 95 Michael Snow fonds SERIES 1: CORRESPONDENCE Dates of creation: 1941-1994 Extent: 124 cm of textual records Scope and content: Passive correspondence, and some drafts of active correspondence related mainly to the professional activities of Michael Snow; participation in exhibitions; condition, rental or sales of his art works or films; invitations to teach, lecture or perform; letter of recommendation requests; correspondence with his Toronto dealer Av Isaacs; rental or sales of his films or other works of art; and invitations to lecture. Related materials include address books, phone numbers, appointment lists and wall calendars. Notes: File titles are based on contents of the file. Files are listed chronologically. Arrangement: Material received in 1996 is located in box 39 and later. There are date overlaps between the 1992 and 1996 donations; researchers should check the entire listing for this series to locate material from a particular date. Location: FOLDER/UNIT START END CONTENTS BOX - TITLE DATE DATE FILE # Correspondence 1941 1945 Several newsletters from Camp Calumet (near Montreal); typescript 16-2 and draft of short plays written by Michael Snow; newspaper clippings; correspondence with his family. See also Series XI, #9, #15, #16 for drafts of other early correspondence. Correspondence 1955 1963 Draft letters for a rebuttal to negative criticism of some of the artist's 13-2 work, participation in annual exhibitions (Canadian National Exhibition, Toronto; Winnipeg Art Museum; Montreal Museum of Fine Arts), and other subjects; application for an immigration visa to the United States; invitations to exhibition openings, holograph notes and sketches. See copies of the Annual Exhibitions shows catalogues in Series IX. See also Series XI, #9, #15, #16 for drafts of other early correspondence. Correspondence 1963 1968 Correspondence related to Snow's exhibition at the Poindexter Gallery 13-5 in New York; invitations to exhibition openings; drawings. Correspondence 1963 1968 Correspondence with Joyce Wieland; invitations to exhibition 13-6 openings; holographic notes and drawings; financial statements. Correspondence 1968 1969 Correspondence related to Michael Snow's early films; especially 11-6 Wavelength ; request to use his film in film programs; invitation list to the Millenium party; copy of the European television license arrangement for New York Eye and Ear Control and Wavelength . Correspondence 1975 1977 Correspondence related to a participation in the Visiting Artist 12-2 Program at the Ontario College of Art and other subjects. Page 4 of 95 Michael Snow fonds FOLDER/UNIT START END CONTENTS BOX - TITLE DATE DATE FILE # Correspondence 1975 1977 Requests for letters of reference; membership cards to various 12-4 organizations; financial statements. Passive correspondence. Correspondence 1976 1978 Correspondence related to a participation in the Documenta 6 6-3 exhibition in Kassel, Germany, and other subjects. Passive correspondence. Correspondence 1976 1978 Some holographic notes; donation form for the Canadian Waterfowl 12-3 Association; invitations to participate in exhibitions; postcards; financial statements. Passive correspondence. Correspondence 1976 1979 Correspondence related to the awarding of the Molson Prize, to a 2-9 legal action against Byhert Galy, and other subjects; invitation to participate as a guest lecturer; postcards; photocopy of agreement to co-publish his book, Cover to Cover . Passive correspondence. Correspondence 1977 1978 Invitations to forums; correspondence relating to the cancellation of 6-1 Another Dimension II at the London Regional Gallery of Art; financial statements; invoices. Passive correspondence. Correspondence 1977 1978 Correspondence related to participation in the exhibition Another 6-4 Dimension