Lisa Steele facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lisa Steele
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Birthday Suit – with scars and defects, 1974, b/w videotape, 12 minutes on betacam Sp cassette
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| Born | 1947 (age 77–78) |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Known for | video art |
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Notable work
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Birthday Suit – with scars and defects, 1974 The Blood Records, written and annotated, 1997 (with Kim Tomczak) |
| Awards | 2005 Governor General's Award for Visual and Media art (with Kim Tomczak)
1993 Bell Canada Award for Video Art (with Kim Tomczak) 1993 Peter Herrndorf Media Arts Award (with Kim Tomczak) |
Lisa Steele (born in 1947) is a well-known Canadian artist. She is a leader in video art, a teacher, a curator (someone who organizes art shows), and helped start Vtape in Toronto. Lisa Steele was born in the United States but moved to Canada in 1968. She is now a Canadian citizen. Since the early 1980s, she has worked closely with her partner, Kim Tomczak.
Contents
Discovering Video Art
Lisa Steele was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1947. She moved to Canada in 1968. Her brother, James B. Steele, is a journalist who has won a Pulitzer Prize.
Lisa Steele's Artistic Journey
Lisa Steele is a key figure in Canadian video art since the early 1970s. Her work has been shown all over the world. This includes major art events like the Venice Biennale and famous museums such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York. She also helped create Vtape in Toronto. Vtape is a service that helps share independent video art across Canada. She also helped start and edit FUSE Magazine.
Early Video Artworks
Lisa Steele's early video art often used simple techniques. For example, in her 1974 video Birthday Suit – with scars and defects, she used a static (still) camera shot. In this video, she shows different scars on her body. This artwork explores how the camera looks at the human body. It also offers a different view of the female body compared to what was often seen in movies at the time.
Birthday Suit – with scars and defects was part of a special art show. This show, called Rebel Girls: A Survey of Canadian Feminist Videotapes 1974-1988, toured from 1989 to 1990.
Another video from 1974 is A Very Personal Story. This video uses a story to explore themes of loss and memory from Lisa Steele's childhood. The Globe and Mail newspaper called it a "deeply personal work."
In The Ballad of Dan Peoples (1976), Lisa Steele tells stories about her grandfather's childhood. She holds his photograph and speaks in his voice. This video shows how family memories can shape who we are. It also touches on how her grandfather's move to a care home inspired the work.
In 1976, Steele worked with artist Colin Campbell on a four-part video series. This series, called The Scientist Tapes, explores ideas about scientific change. It also shows the characters' long-distance connection. The series ends with them floating off into space together.
From 1974 to 1986, Lisa Steele created short video dramas. These videos were inspired by her experiences working at Interval House, a shelter for women and children in Toronto. In works like The Damages (1977), Makin' Strange (1978), Talking Tongues (1982), and The Gloria Tapes, she plays different characters.
Working with Kim Tomczak
Since the early 1980s, Lisa Steele has worked only with Kim Tomczak. Their art, both individual and together, was featured in a big show at the Art Gallery of Ontario in 1989–90.
In 1993, Steele and Tomczak received two important awards. They won the Bell Canada Award for their excellent video art. They also received a Toronto Arts Award. In 1996, their artwork The Blood Records: written and annotated was shown for the first time at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Their art installation We're Getting Younger All the Time has been shown in many places. These include England, Venice, and France. In 2005, Steele and Tomczak won the Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts. This is a very high honor for artists in Canada. In 2009, they were given honorary degrees from the University of British Columbia (Okanagan). Lisa Steele is now a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto.
Awards and Recognition
Lisa Steele has received many awards for her art. In February 2005, she won the Long Haul Award for her lifetime achievements in art. Later that year, she and Kim Tomczak together won a Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts.
Where to Find Her Art
Lisa Steele's videos are part of art collections around the world. You can find her work at places like The National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Ontario. Her art is also in collections in Houston, England, Italy, Japan, and Germany.
Personal Life
Lisa Steele is a breast cancer survivor.
Selected Artworks
Videos by Lisa Steele
- Birthday Suit – with scars and defects (1974)
- A Very Personal Story (1974)
- The Ballad Of Dan Peoples (1976)
- The Damages (1977)
- Makin' Strange (1978)
- Talking Tongues(1982)
- The Gloria Tapes (1980)
Videos with Kim Tomczak
- Working The Double Shift (1984)
- Legal Memory (1992)
- The Blood Records: written and annotated (1997)
- We're Getting Younger All The Time (2001)
- Practicing Death (2003)
- Free Speech (2006)
- Speak City (2009)
