Asemic Writing for Mail-Artists

Comment

Comment by cheryl penn on July 18, 2011 at 5:54pm

Bifidus also nods to language skeletons/part components thereof with the bones, the inherent, though unrecognizable structures of asemic text and by implication language. True DVS - amazing emerging things :-)

Comment by De Villo Sloan on July 18, 2011 at 5:22pm

Hi Mim, the wonders are unfolding!

 

Nancy, I am noticing a pattern as these chapters are coming in and being posted.

 

Some people are creating symbols coming out of purely unknown languages. I'm also seeing some interesting ideas in terms of syntax and how these languages might be represented on the pages: clusters of symbols, circles of symbols, snaking sentences - really amazing - and non-linear. And why should we assume asemic languages would be represented in a linear way on the page? Even Japanese suggests possibilities.

 

Some of the languages seem to be hieroglyphic or glyphs. The main emphasis is on the individual glyph, but then you get into how they are arranged and their relationship to each other - matters of repetition.

There is another approach, that you can see in the work by Bifidus, you can see it is based on the existing alphabet but then it fades into something unknown or simply unintelligible, which is the point. The editing symbols are a great place to enter and find a point of departure. In fact, Mim seems to be working with the existing alphabet and fractured pieces of writing.

 

Just amazing things emerging, I think.

Comment by Mim Golub Scalin on July 18, 2011 at 3:50pm

I returned from NYC to find that I'd received the pages of Bifidus Jones and Imelda Wubben. Sweet! Thanks. The book is getting there. How fun this is.

Comment by Nancy Bell Scott on July 18, 2011 at 3:19pm

Being new to asemic-writing-on-purpose, I have markings that used to appeal to me coming back to me now as memory.  For example, I worked for 20 years as a book editor and proofreader, and loved the editing and proofreading symbols.  They are not asemic, of course, because they stand clearly for something and have an obvious meaning, but I loved those marks, and each worker-on-books that I knew had a unique style of applying them.

At the point of burning out on that work, I literally had tears sliding down my face one day, slumped over a manuscript on my desk and too tired, I thought, to go on.  My husband came along, and said "Just try to enjoy the shapes of the letters."  Flash!  I did, and it helped.

 

Comment by Nancy Bell Scott on July 18, 2011 at 3:04pm

That's exactly it:  writing that wants to "congeal into something readable, but then it elusively fades away just when you think you can grasp it."  So far, exactly what I love most about asemic writing.  Very nice work, Bifidus Jones.

 

Comment by De Villo Sloan on July 18, 2011 at 2:55pm

The pages by Bifidus are a great example to post in the group. Thanks, Cheryl. I suddenly realize, Bifidus has been using this really interesting handwriting for a long time. In this case, I see words and letters wanting to congeal into something readable, but then it elusively fades away just when you think you can grasp it. Very wonderful. Shows the magic of asemic writing.

Comment by De Villo Sloan on July 18, 2011 at 2:24pm

Jifidus Bones - the writing is fantastic. Gold star for sure, IMHO.

Comment by cheryl penn on July 18, 2011 at 2:21pm

FAB - yes :-)

Comment by De Villo Sloan on July 18, 2011 at 2:18pm

That's asemic writing by Bifidus?

Comment by cheryl penn on July 18, 2011 at 2:17pm

The REAL Bifidus Jones:

 

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