Figuring Redemption: Resighting My Self in the Art of Michael Snow

Acknowledgements

This book has been published with the help of a grant from the Humanities and Social Sciences Federation of Canada, using funds provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program for our publishing activities. National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication Data Kellman, Tila Landon, 1943Figuring redemption : resighting my self in the art of Michael Snow Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-88920-399-7 1. Snow, Michael, 1929- —Criticism and interpretation. 2. Self-perception in art. I. Snow, Michael, 1929 - II. Title. N6549.S64K44 2002 709’.2 C2002-900017-3© 2002 Wilfrid Laurier University Press Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3C5 www.wlupress.wlu.ca Cover design by Leslie Macredie. Cover image: iris-Iris 1979 by Michael Snow. Colour photograph, acrylic paint, postcard, masonite, 121.9 x 119.4 cm each panel (2). Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto. Photo courtesy Michael Snow. Every reasonable effort has been made to acquire permission for copyright material used in this text, and to acknowledge all such indebtedness accurately. Any errors and omissions called to the publisher’s attention will be corrected in future printings. Printed in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted , in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher or a licence from The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). For an Access Copyright licence, visit www.accesscopyright.ca or call toll free to 1-800-893-5777. List of Illustrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi Chapter 1 Figuring Redemption A Theoretical Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Chapter 2 The WALKING WOMAN Field Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Chapter 3 Framed The Return of Sight, Squared . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Chapter 4 Returns on Self-Effacement The Self-Portrait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 v Contents ...