Mondo Cane Kama Sutra, a coded depiction of General Idea’s queer identity, showcases the trio’s ability to mix humour and sexuality. Each of the 10 large paintings in the work depicts a trio of stylized orange, yellow, and pink fluorescent poodle silhouettes in various sexual positions. The piece also provides a symbolic portrait of General Idea, in line with the group’s ongoing interest in self-representation. Created in a period in which sexuality was off-limits in the art world, the works explicitly reference homosexuality. In Mondo Cane Kama Sutra, the ménage a trois is an apt representation of the three artists, whose art making was enmeshed with their daily lives.
General Idea: 13 Works That Changed Our Definition of Art
-
General Idea, Mondo Cane Kama Sutra, 1984
Fluorescent acrylic on canvas, ten paintings, each 243.8 x 304.8 x 10 cm, collection of the General Idea Estate