Karen Arp-Sandel's Posts - International Union of Mail-Artists2024-03-29T11:11:39Zkaren Arp-Sandelhttp://iuoma-network.ning.com/profile/karenArpSandelhttp://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/64520910?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://iuoma-network.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=2q2nbp6hqbgxz&xn_auth=noHow to Draw a BUNNY October 9, 2012tag:iuoma-network.ning.com,2012-10-09:2496677:BlogPost:10975132012-10-09T20:14:08.000Zkaren Arp-Sandelhttp://iuoma-network.ning.com/profile/karenArpSandel
<p>I recently jumped into the world of Ray Johnson by watching the fascinating account of his enigmatic persona in the documentary film " How to Draw a Bunny". I 've always known that Ray was the Founding Father of mail art. But I never knew about the details of his life-as-art, as-collage, as-mail-art approach to seamlessly melding himself with his art!</p>
<p>The film is composed of interviews with the many, many art world luminaries and others who sorta knew Ray.Each story they tell, adds a…</p>
<p>I recently jumped into the world of Ray Johnson by watching the fascinating account of his enigmatic persona in the documentary film " How to Draw a Bunny". I 've always known that Ray was the Founding Father of mail art. But I never knew about the details of his life-as-art, as-collage, as-mail-art approach to seamlessly melding himself with his art!</p>
<p>The film is composed of interviews with the many, many art world luminaries and others who sorta knew Ray.Each story they tell, adds a piece to the puzzle of Ray Johnson's life story. We learn about his studies at Black Mountain College, his Correspondence Art, his activities with Fluxus staging Nothings and in the world of POP art/artsts like Andy Warhol.</p>
<p>Wow. And then there is the story about his death by suicide which reveals a lot of synchronicity- planned or unplanned? We will wonder.</p>
<p>I also never really knew how prolific an artist he was. He definitely subscribed to the collage-a-day protocol, or even more than a collage a day! He was so prolific that his art cross references himself & appropriates imagery from other artists and carefully memorializes artists with his numerous profile collages. We learn that his videographer, Nick Maravell, filmed Ray for three entire years. I imagine Ray saw everything he did for Nick, as performance art.</p>
<p>I especially loved learning about Ray's idea of mail art as a " message in a bottle" condensed to fit into an envelope allowing the flow of his imagination to enter other people's lives through the mail. Through Mail Art he created what he called "rapport" with a great number of people, connecting the dots in his life through these strange mailed collages and visual mail messages.</p>
<p>I recommend " How to Draw a Bunny", even if learning about Ray Johnson leads to knowing about his sad demise.</p>
<p>It gave me a lot to reflect upon, about the process of being a mail artist in a world where sending mail through USPS is really so unnecessary. What is this impulse to correspond? </p>My first IUOMA Blog post, Sept 29,2012 "FeMail News"tag:iuoma-network.ning.com,2012-09-29:2496677:BlogPost:10906702012-09-29T18:00:00.000Zkaren Arp-Sandelhttp://iuoma-network.ning.com/profile/karenArpSandel
<p>The response to my mail art exhibit at Gallery51, North Adams in MA, which opened Thursday evening at Down Street Art this week, was remarkable. Viewers were curiously examining my work "up close and personal". It seemed they were reading my collage /mixed media visual iconography as if deciphering poetry. They examined post marks and any verbal messages they could read in my handwriting or through my choice of collage words. I received so much feedback and so many questions about this…</p>
<p>The response to my mail art exhibit at Gallery51, North Adams in MA, which opened Thursday evening at Down Street Art this week, was remarkable. Viewers were curiously examining my work "up close and personal". It seemed they were reading my collage /mixed media visual iconography as if deciphering poetry. They examined post marks and any verbal messages they could read in my handwriting or through my choice of collage words. I received so much feedback and so many questions about this practice of mailing off my artwork through the USPS to my collaborator, (Suzi in this case) who generously loaned out the 30 post cards from her personal collection, representing my side of our 5 year correspondence from our FeMail archive. FeMail is mail art by females.</p>
<p>Mail art is such a private practice in one way. Once I release the mailed art into the world, generally I never see it again.Of course countless people will see it and handle it along its postal route to the destination- and yet I will never know them or see their reactions to it. Being seen as a mail artist and receiving feed back from viewers was very enlightening. </p>
<p>This date marks the moment for me of reaching out through IUOMA, to expand my horizons in the world of mail art. I can't wait to hear from all of you.I anticipate the sending and receiving of mail beyond familiar borders & in new collaborative efforts.</p>
<p>Stay posted for news from me about all things postal and check us out at <a href="http://www.femailart.com">www.femailart.com</a> and keep current if you like on FB at Fe-Mail art community.</p>
<p>To view all the other artwork that influences my constant flow of mail art check out: <a href="http://www.karenarpsandel.com">www.karenarpsandel.com</a></p>
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<p>See you here for my next blog post!</p>
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