York University
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Joyce Wieland (1931-1998) was a Canadian artist known for her contributions to the feminist art movement and her exploration of Canadian identity and nationalism in her work. Born in Toronto, Wieland studied at Central Technical School and the Ontario College of Art. In the 1960s, she began experimenting with film and mixed media, producing works that challenged conventional notions of gender and sexuality.

Wieland’s work often explored themes related to Canadian identity, history, and culture. She was deeply influenced by her experiences growing up in Ontario and her interest in Canadian history, especially the history of the Canadian landscape and the people who inhabit it. As a result, her work often integrated images of the Canadian flag, the landscape and symbols of Canadian culture and history.

Throughout her career, Wieland was an outspoken advocate for feminist issues and the role of women in the arts. She was a founding member of the Artists’ Union of Canada. In addition, she was involved in many feminist art collectives, including the Feminist Art Gallery and Women’s Art Resource Centre. Feminism plays itself out in various ways in Wieland’s art practice: in Confedspread (1967), the work stitched squares of colorful plastic fillers to convey the complexity of Canada; Reason Over Passion (1968), her quilt-like work spells out a quote from the Prime Minister Pierre Eliot Trudeau, bringing together political language and feminized craft and folk-art traditions. In her piece O’Canada (1971), she sang the national anthem while pressing her lips to a lithographic stone with each syllable.

Wieland’s work was featured at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, and at various international film festivals in France, Belgium, Germany, and elsewhere. Wieland received many awards.