Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1936-1999 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
3.8 m of textual records and other material
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Iain Baxter, Canadian conceptual artist, was born in 1936 in Middlesbrough, England, and moved to Calgary, Alberta with his family one year later. While studying biology at the University of Idaho, Baxter met Elaine Hieber, whom he married in 1959. Following studies in the U.S. and Japan, the Baxters moved to Vancouver in 1964, when Iain accepted a teaching position at the University of British Columbia. In subsequent years, he also taught at Simon Fraser University and the Emily Carr College of Art. Early collaborative art ventures culminated in the development of the N.E. Thing Company in 1967. The company functioned as an “aesthetic umbrella,” allowing Iain and his wife to work collaboratively and anonymously to produce a wide range of art forms and projects. The N.E. Thing Co. was formally incorporated in 1969, with Iain Baxter as President and Elaine as Vice President; the two later became co-presidents. Elaine Baxter adopted Ingrid as her preferred name in 1971. Among the company’s projects was the Eye Scream Restaurant, in operation from 1977 to 1978. Following the Baxters’ divorce, the company dissolved in 1978. Iain Baxter returned to Calgary in 1981, where he taught at the Alberta College of Art. For a brief period (1983-84), he was employed as Creative Consultant to the Labatt Brewing Company. Since 1988, Baxter has lived in Windsor, Ontario, where he teaches at the University of Windsor. He married Louise Martin in 1984. Baxter’s work is particularly informed by the ideas of Marshall McLuhan and communications theory. He also cites the art of Giorgio Morandi, Zen Buddhism, and his early studies in biology and ecology as conceptual influences. Baxter has explored a broad range of media and genres, including vacuum-formed plastic, inflated vinyl, telex, polaroid prints, environmental art and multimedia installation. His work is included in the collections of numerous major Canadian and international galleries.
Name of creator
Administrative history
The N.E. Thing Company was founded in 1967 by Ian and Elaine Baxter (nee Hieber), and formally incorporated in 1969, with Iain Baxter as President and Elaine as Vice President; the two later became co-presidents. Following the Baxters’ divorce, the company dissolved in 1978
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Fonds acquired from Iain Baxter in 2000.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Fonds consists of correspondence, sketches, exhibition notices and posters, press clippings, photographs, financial records, and artefacts relating to Iain Baxter’s career as an artist and university instructor. It includes records of the N.E. Thing Company, the Eye Scream Restaurant, and later solo work by Baxter. Also included are records of Baxter’s employment by Labatt’s Canada as Creative Consultant, and of his collaborations with Louise Chance Baxter.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
Further accruals are expected.
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
A file listing and index of correspondents are available for this fonds.