Loco

1982, 9 min, color, sound

Loco is a reflection on the role of General Idea's formative creation and muse "Miss General Idea." An anonymous female narrator structures an objective view of this role, referring to clips salvaged from a purported 1968 film showing glimpses of the mythical Miss General Idea. These clips are interspersed with video montages of General Idea artists Bronson, Zontal and Partz, dressed as poodles (an iconic General Idea motif) and meditating in a wilderness.

In Loco, General Idea treats itself as a manifestation of the narrator's generalizing description: "The rapture of the artist's muse, which we call 'inspiration,' unfolds in response to the act of searching...thus it falls upon the artist and, like all artists, the three artists of General Idea, to play the part of the lunatic dreamer, dreaming the inward dream, that she might materialize."

Written & directed by General Idea: AA Bronson, Felix Partz, Jorge Zontal. Miss General Idea: Mimi Paige, Dini Baker. With: Evan Agnew, Ken Copeland, Danny Freedman, Mary Gardner, Honey Novick. Narration: Ara Rose Parker. Music: Hank Bull, Van Dyke Parkes. Audio: Gerry Bowers, Keen. Millinery: David Buchan. Curator: Peter Lynch. Technical Director: Elizabeth Chitty. Production Managers: Peter Lynch, Elizabeth Chitty. Post Production: Mobile Image. With the assistance of Canada Council; Sony of Canada Ltd.; CBC, Saskatoon; CP Air; Bessborough Hotel. This production is part of "Prime Time Video." Produced by The Mendel Art Gallery in association with Peter Lynch, Renya Onasick. (c) General Idea 1982