Campus Life

Lasting Images - Iain Baxter&

Iain Baxter& is known as one of Canada's foremost conceptual artists. Born in England in 1936, Baxter&'s family moved to Canada a year later, and he spent most of his early career in Vancouver. From 1966-78, Baxter& and artist Ingrid Baxter formed the art collective N.E. Thing Co., which explored the boundaries between corporate advertising, mechanized production and fine art.

Baxter& went on to produce work in a wide variety of media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography and film. He is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Windsor, Ontario while continuing his artistic practice, and in 2003 was designated an Officer of the Order of Canada.

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Iain Baxter&, Selections from Reflected Paris Beauty Spots, 1980 | From the University of Lethbridge Art Collection; Purchased from the artist, 1985.

In 1980, Baxter& travelled to France to create work for an exhibition held at the Canadian Cultural Centre Paris, entitled Reflets sur polaroid de grains de beauté parisiens (Reflected Paris Beauty Spots).

Baxter& carried a small mirror through Paris and took Polaroid photographs of it, angled to reflect key landmarks and architecture around the city. Baxter& then photographed the original Polaroids against the body of a model, highlighting the contrast between the historical buildings and human flesh.

For the 30th anniversary of Baxter&'s premier Parisian exhibition, the Canadian Culture Centre Paris mounted a retrospective of Baxter&'s work entitled Canadian Perspective, displaying the original Reflected Paris Beauty Spots series (now held in the University of Lethbridge Art Collection) and other

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works spanning five decades of Baxter&'s prolific career.

For a look at the March issue of the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.