Margaret Dragu (born 1953) is a celebrated Canadian artist recognized for innovation in many disciplines including performance art, contemporary dance, social practice art, video art, publishing, radio, and through the use of interactive platforms like social media. Her work has been performed, screened, exhibited, and published in many countries. In 2012 Margaret Dragu was the recipient of the Governor General’s Award for Visual and Media Arts. In the same year Dragu was designated Éminence Grise by 7A*11D International Festival of Performance Art[1].
Margaret Dragu performing NEW NORMAL an embodied novel: dusk 2 dark. Photograph by Henry Chan.
Early Life and Career
Dragu was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, in 1953.[2][3] She began her career as a dancer. From 1969 she studied under Yone Kvietys Young, a Calgary-based instructor of contemporary dance who introduced her to avant-garde methods from German Expressionism and Dada.[4][5] From Calgary, Dragu moved to New York in 1971, where she began working with Alwin Nikolais, Murray Louis, and the Laura Foreman dance company, and was acquainted with the Judson Church.[4] Her work with movement evolved to include elements of burlesque, tap dancing, flamenco, and theatre."[4] In 1973 Dragu moved to Montreal where she worked as a striptease artist.
In 1975 Dragu moved to Toronto and became affiliated with artist-run collectives including A Space and 15 Dance Lab. She taught classes in aerobics and burlesque at the A Space gallery. In Toronto Dragu attempted to organize around strippers' rights with the help of the Canadian Labour Congress and the Association of Canadian Radio and Television Artists. The short lived strippers' union was called the Canadian Association for Burlesque Entertainers.
Dragu has stated that she has a "multi-personnae" disorder, creating and performing the personas of Lady Justice, Verb Woman, Art Cinderella, Nuestra Señora del Pan, and more.[4] As Lady Justice, she honored the women killed in the massacre at Montreal's École Polytechnique.[4]
Collaboration is a key method in her artistic practice. Dragu has worked with artists such as Tom Dean, Colin Campbell, members of General Idea, Rodney Werden, and Kate Craig, and other members of the communities in which she performs.[6]
Conserving Kingdom (choreographer) Breakthrough Films/TV Ontario/Ontario Hydro production (half-hour pilot Dudley the Dragon TV series), 1987.
I Vant to be Alone (co-director, co-writer, choreographer & performer) also starring Jackie Burroughs, Robert des Rosiers, & Claudia Moore Breakthrough Films/TV Ontario/Telefilm/OFDC production, half-hour, 1988.
Margaret Dragu has produced broadcasts and recordings in series as parallel or alternative to more mainstream media. These include (incomplete list),
Momz Radio, Vancouver Coop Radio (and other independent University and community radio stations in Canada and the US).
Verb Woman TV/Verb Frau Television, VIVO Media Arts, at LIVE! Biennale Repair & Care Online (Vancouver), grunthaler 9 (Berlin), 7A*11D Performance Art Festival, MPA-Berlin, Latitude 53 Contemporary Visual Culture (Edomonton), 2011-2021.1
Typical Day, a series of short, edited videos about how individual artists spend a typical day, that are posted on Margaret Dragu's Instagram feed (@ladragu), from 2024.
Writing
Margaret Dragu and A. S. A. Harrison, Revelations: Essays on Striptease and Sexuality, London, ON: Nightwood Editions, 1988 (second printing, 1989).
Margaret Dragu, Sarah Sheard, and Susan Swan (editors), Mothers Talk Back: Momz Radio, Toronto: Coach House Press, 1991.
Margaret Dragu, Electric Storm Tale, (play) Herotica II Feminist Erotic Theatre Festival, Ruby Slippers Production, Vancouver: Station Streets Arts Centre, 1995.[7]
Margaret Dragu, "Confessions," in Brenda Lea Brown (editor), Bringing It Home, Vancouver: Arsenal Pulp Press, 1996, 89-105.
Margaret Dragu, "The Passion List," in Carol Anderson (editor), This Passion: for the love of dance, Toronto: Dance Collection Danse Press/es, 1998, 9-15.
Margaret Dragu, "Eye Yam, Eye Yam Not," in Brice Canyon (editor), Live at the End of the Century, Vancouver: Visible Arts Society grunt gallery, 2000, 56-69.
Paul Couillard (editor), la Dragu, Toronto: Fado Performance Inc., 2002.
Pam Hall and Margaret Dragu (exhibition catalogue), Marginalia: Getting Out of the House, Richmond, BC: Richmond Art Gallery, 2008.
Margaret Dragu, "Divining Ms. Irene: The Performance Work of Irene Loughlin," in Johanna Householder and Tanya Mars (editors), More Caught in the Act: an anthology of performance art by Canadian women, Toronto: YYZ Books, 2016, 303-336.
Margaret Dragu (artist chapbook),Tweed Curtain Passport / Visa, edited by Lois Klassen, Reading the Migration Library series, Vancouver: Light Factory Publications, 2017.
Independent Publishing
Margaret Dragu has issued independent publications (artist books and zines) under the publishing moniker, Same Day Edit[7] including:
A New Way of Walking: Dragu Worker International, 1987.
1 2 3 4 5 Ireland, Ann (2013). "Margaret Dragu and the Drama of Performance". Canadian Art. 30 (1): 104–107. ProQuest1371811272.
↑ Forkert, Kirsten (2004). "Margaret Dragu: The Joy of Local". In Householder, Johanna; Mars, Tanya (eds.). Caught in the act: an anthology of performance art by Canadian women. Toronto: YYZ Books. pp.206–215. ISBN9780920397848.
1 2 "Nouvelles Brèves: Prix du Gouverneur général en arts visuels et en arts médiatiques 2012". Vie des Arts (226): 21. Spring 2012.
1 2 Canyon, Brice (2002). "Yo Soy Eine Kleine Performance Artist [That's Entertainment]". In Couillard, Paul (ed.). la Dragu (Couillarded.). Toronto: Fado Performance Inc. pp.59–78.
↑ Dragu, Margaret, ASA Harrison. Revelations: Essays on Striptease and Sexuality. London Nightwood Editions. 1989
↑ Dragu, Margaret and Susan Swan and Sarah Sheard. Mothers Talk Back: Momz Radio. Toronto: Coach House Press, 1991
↑ Brown, Brenda Lee. Ed. Bringing it Home: Women Talk about Feminism in their Lives. Vancouver Arsenal Pulp Press, 1996
↑ Anderson, Carol. Ed. This Passion: For the Love of Dance. Toronto: Dance Collection Danse Press. 1998
↑ Mars, Tanja. Caught in the Act: An Anthology of Performance Art by Canadian Women. "The Joy of Local: Margaret Dragu." By Kristen Forkert. YYZ Books. Toronto Ontario. 2004
↑ Anderson, Carol. This Passion: For the Love of Dance. "Heart, Soul and Thighs." By Elizabeth Chitty. Dance Collection Danse Press/es. 1998
↑ Anderson, Carol. This Passion: For the Love of Dance. "The Passion List" By Margaret Dragu. Dance Collection Danse Press/es. 1998
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