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:
“Men, my dear, are very queer animals, a mixture of horse- nervousness, ass-stubbornness, and camel-malice—with an angel bobbing about unexpectedly like the apple in the posset, and when they can do exactly as they please, they are very hard to drive.
Oh, England. Sick in head and sick in heart,
Sick in whole and every part,
And yet sicker thou art still
For thinking that thou art not ill.”
—Thomas Henry Anonymous (1825–95)
“Submission is the only good;
Let me become an instrument sharply stringed
For all things to strike music as they please.”
—Philip Larkin (1922–1986)