Issues of Censorship
September 5–27, 1986

The initial spark for the Issues of Censorship project was provided by an occurrence on May 31, 1984. On that evening, two government officials, acting for the Ontario Censor board, seized equipment and video tapes from A Space, a collectively operated artists’ space in Toronto. The seizure of tapes and equipment was not an isolated incident of censorship, but one aspect of the larger phenomenon of cultural control operating in our society. Over the past few years in Canada, and particularily in Ontario, the subject of censorship has been at the centre of a growing debate… there has been a tendency for the numerous complex issues– among them: the rising concern over violence and sexist imagery; state harassment of the gay and lesbian communities; the introduction of the charter of rights and freedoms; the expansion of censorhip powers in Ontario throught the enactment of Bill 82; the development and expansion of new communication technologies; etc.– to be reduced into one crude argument pitting “freedom of speech” against “pornographic” practices. Such a polarized situation misrepresents the complexities of the issues. Issues of Censorship  attempts to expand the censorship debate by examining its history and politics.

National Touring exhibition organized by Jim Miller and circulated by A Space.

Participating Artists:

Dionne Brand
Krisantha Sri Bhaggiyadatta
Stan Denniston
Lynne Fernie
Vera Frenkel
John Greyson
Peter Greyson
Gary Kibbons
Kerri Kwinter
Cyndra McDowell
Lisa Steele and Kym Tomzcak
Robert Wiens