Condé & Beveridge: The Social Conscience of Canadian Art

You might call Carole Condé and Karl Beveridge the social conscience of the Canadian art world. For more than 30 years, the Toronto art duo has immersed themselves in the everyday issues and conditions of organized labour and community movements across the country. From health care to free trade to anti-globalization protests, each project is rooted in long-term research and active collaboration with individuals at the ground level. The resulting photomontages are condensed narratives built on these real-life experiences. It’s also important to note that the works are carefully constructed with the language of mass communication in mind. As Condé and Beveridge write, “it is not only important to articulate the concerns and experience of working and community life … [the work] should also be able to stand up to the sophistication of corporate culture and take into account the complexities of cultural representation.” That’s a key consideration, and by adapting the visual strategies of marketing and advertising to their work, Condé and Beveridge deliver an engaged social message with undeniably deft precision. (Queen’s University, Kingston ON)

 

Carole Condé and Karl Beveridge  Ill Wind 2001