People Popping

Back in 1990 or 91 when I was writing concert reviews for the Peterborough Examiner I somehow got assigned to an ill fated stint as art critic as well. That gig was against my objections, and the first and only assignment was reviewing a performance piece by Joe at ArtSpace. I knew Joe from around town, most notably from his amazing illustrated series on being gay and living with AIDS which ran in the Trent paper The Arthur in the late 1980s when I was working there. It was pioneering work, discussing topics that were violently taboo in the late 1980s in small town Ontario.

I didn’t always like all of Joe’s stuff though, and this performance piece rubbed me the wrong way for whatever reason. So I wrote as much in the review.

Later I found myself laughing hysterically when I saw that he had used a whole bunch of quotes from my review, taken wildly out of context, on a series of posters for the piece which went up around town. Taken together, the quotes were a ringing endorsement of his show. I thought his selective surgery was brilliant.

I really like the stuff on his site, and I wish the thumnbnails led to some bigger pics of his work.

Also it’s good to see some of Joanna’s work as well. Neat to see that she’s also become a Gulf Islander. Her stuff is amazing.

Great finds Peter…thanks again for bringing the late 1980s back to my addled memory banks.

Thanks for the updates, Peter.

i have to say when i read the title of your blog i thought it was about actual people popping …like blowing up or something. for the future you may want to consider a better and more accurate tittle … but it was a cute story.