First known reference to art strike is in Alain Jouffroy's essay "What's To Be Done About Art?" (included in "Art and Confrontation," New York Graphic Society 1968):
"It is essential that the minority advocate the necessity of going on an 'active art strike' using the machines of the culture industry to set it in total contradiction to itself. The intention is not to end the rule of production, but to change the most adventurous part of 'artistic' production into the production of revolutionary ideas, forms and techniques."
- May 22, 1970 - New York Art Strike against War, Repression, Racism and Sexism by Art Workers Coalition
- 1977-1980 - Gustav Metzger's call for artists to withdraw their labour for a minimum of 3 years. "Art Into Society/Society Into Art" (ICA, London 1974)
- Art Strike 1990-1993 Campaign launched in 1986 by Stewart Home which called upon all artists to cease their artistic work between January 1, 1990 and January 1, 1993
- Art Strike Biennial in Alytus from August 18-24th, 2009 was called by Redas Diržys and the Second Temporary Art Strike Action Committee – Alytus Chapter (STASAC-Alytus) in response to Vilnius becoming European Capital of Culture for 2009.
- Spart Strike 2009 - 2012 following the Art Strike Biennial.
Famous quotes containing the words art and/or strike:
“... in the fierce competition of modern society the only class left in the country possessing leisure is that of women supported in easy circumstances by husband or father, and it is to this class we must look for the maintenance of cultivated and refined tastes, for that value and pursuit of knowledge and of art for their own sakes which can alone save society from degenerating into a huge machine for making money, and gratifying the love of sensual luxury.”
—Mrs. H. O. Ward (1824–1899)
“It is given to few to add the store of knowledge, to strike new springs of thought, or to shape new forms of beauty. But so sure as it is that men live not by bread, but by ideas, so sure is it that the future of the world lies in the hands of those who are able to carry the interpretation of nature a step further than their predecessors.”
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95)