Garry Neill Kennedy: Printed Matter / Imprimés 1971-2009, by Peter Trepanier. National
Gallery of Canada, dist. By ABC Art Books Canada, March 2012. (Library and Archives, occasional
paper). 200 p. ill. ISBN 9780888849021 (cl.), $59.95.
Garry Neill Kennedy: Printed Matter / Imprimés 1971-2009 is the
eighth title in the award winning series Occasional Papers, published
by the Library and Archives of the National Gallery of Canada. Author
Peter Trepanier, Reference Librarian at the National Gallery and
former student of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD)
during Kennedy’s transformative twenty-three-year term as president,
has assembled an impressive catalog of over 100 pieces of printed
matter created by or in collaboration with Kennedy, including
previously unrecorded works. Trepanier consulted with the artist
himself during every step of the publishing process, which comes
through in the meticulous attention to detail.
Inspired by an exhibition at the National Gallery Library and Archives
entitled Garry Neill Kennedy: Superstar Shadow (1984-2005), this
volume celebrates Kennedy’s continuing contributions to the Canadian
conceptual and contemporary art movement. The book offers a
perfect supplement to Kennedy’s work, indexing the evolution of his artistic practice, as well as
notable moments in his professional and personal life. Each piece of printed matter featured stands
independent as a work of art, and when paired with the insightful explanations, creates a series of
fascinating stories.
Kennedy has been producing printed matter for over forty years, some of it being exhibited as art,
and some providing information about a painting, exhibition, or installation that isn’t apparent
when viewing the work. As a conceptual artist, documentation is an integral part of Kennedy’s
practice. Included in this volume are examples of documentation and printed matter from many of
his exhibitions.
Fully bilingual in French and English, and arranged chronologically, each full-colour entry includes a
thorough physical description with the title, date, format, binding (where applicable), printing
method, pagination, dimensions, publisher, and place of publication. Descriptive notes follow the
entries, providing valuable new information supplied by Kennedy. The formats of the items
included range from books, pamphlets, leaflets, sheets, cards, page work, posters, and wallpaper.
The volume includes an extensive bibliography of critical works on Garry Neill Kennedy, articles
relating to his role as president of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, and a format and title
index of printed matter featured. Recommended for libraries collecting art history material, in
particular material about North American contemporary art.
Hillary Webb, Visual Resources Librarian, NSCAD University Library, hwebb@nscad.ca

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