A Blog Post for Lesley Magwood-Fraser. Ceramic Asemic.

[cheryl penn]

Unmailed Art received Second Week of March 2011

I received this very interesting asemic  piece from Lesley which includes fragments of ceramics, frottage and pictograms.

Les said the ceramic pieces were part of a broken plate she had made, so although not strictly asemic in origin, they have  now been ascribed that meaning by the artist. This adds an interesting dimension to the asemic debate – do  asemics begin at point of origin, thus combining purpose and intent as part of its formation, or can a work  gain asemic meanings? I don’t know?

I mentioned the  Phaisitos Disk on the Asemic Group.  Is it asemic? This artifact, dating from around 1700BC still has experts baffled as to its meaning and purpose – never mind where the disk was actually made.   It was discovered in 1908 on the south coast of Crete and measures about 15cm in diameter.   As with Lesley’s piece, it was formed by impressing  hieroglyphic-type images into wet clay which was then fired.  The disk also shows what could be corrections by its scribe.

The tool of the scribe in this instance was lace. Lesley called this a "soft asemic".

Thank you my friend – an interesting work! You KNOW I love a puzzle :-). A FAB indeed.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mail Art Received Third week of January 2011

Lesley always answers my mail art calls - whether it be for Diary books, Red Book Calls, The World is A Town Project - yes, Lesley answers :-).

The World was a Town

Twelve days have passed from the 14th January. The world was swamped with water and floods and mud slides, tsunami's and cyclones and gale force winds.

The World was a Town.

The World is a Disaster.

The sad part, for those who were unaffected, its only 12 days, never mind 10 years and the 14th Jan 2011 seems like nothing.

In another envelope: - The Spanakopitas Book

"I am thinking three sides at the moment as I am finishing my sandwich book that I never finished with you (Lesley did my book course) Spanakopitas are Greek phyllo pastry spinach pies and are delicious! As they folded the pastry I thought Hmmm I could make a boekie like that...So here it is...It could also be a samoosa book!  I think Katerina would like this so I'm going to make her one too" :-)

And in the Rouge is Red Hot - a red hot drawing by Lesley.

Les - you're a FAB friend - mail art and otherwise :-) Thank you.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mail Art Received 22nd November 2010

You know I had that thing going with paper tigers, paper chases, paper trails - HOW could I have forgotten Paper
Dolls??? Thank goodness Les reminded me. Does SHE qualify for Paper Thin???

A double mounted technically perfect (how can we expect less???) mixed media work - drawing, painting and collage. MAN LESLEY!! You're good!

Mail Art Received 16th November 2010.

Lesley ALWAYS comes with great generosity to my Mail Art Parties. Her contribution to The World is a Town Project is ABFAB! Watch how this letter opens up.

The growing world of Lesley's Town.

Lesley writes that "She was born in a green and wet land but grew up in a crispy dry land, in the colonies". Les grew up in Zimbabwe, moving to South Africa as a young adult. On going back to visit she writes in her personally evocative style "she sees things now she had forgotten - the postmen on red bicycles, the milkman pushing his wonky cart...men walking strumming tuneless tunes on homemade oil can guitars.. the donkey cart selling manure door to door.

Thank you, Les my friend - this is a STUNNING contribution to Volume 2 of The World is a Town.

AND Les attends life drawing classes on a Friday morning. I have been the lucky recipient of quite a number of cards which were a result of this class. This week it was Sipho:

Sipho (Sbonelo) is the library car guard, but he far prefers moonlighting as the drawing class model!

Thanks again Les - I am aware that I owe you!! Three in the mail tomorrow x

Mail art received during the missing week. 1 - 6 October 2010.
I have been swopping mail art with Lesley for years it seems. Her work just gets better and better! I dont know if she read my monkey story, but, Nevermind monkeys in the kitchen, they are now seeping though the mail box.

Lesley's drawing skills are coveted by most people who know her...

I think the African mask element combined with the monkey GREAT Lesley - thanks! Sorry about the French exhibition but YAY for me!! Sorry M.Purgists, some animals will NEVER leave - this is Africa after all...

Another abfab piece also awaited me:

I think this is a fortaste of some stuff Les is working on an exhibition for the new year. Part of Mrs Beatons Cook Book?? Thanks my friend - I know I have been remiss, BUT I am working hard on stuff for you now!! Dont leave me without your bi-weekly post PLEEEZE! I will catch up!

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

AREMIC = CERAMIC= ASEMIC! Great ceramic, frotage mail art, Lesley!

And so like the Phaistos Disc of Crete...and a few other AREMIC artifacts ;-)

Also from Crete is this written tablet...they are great asemic writers, those Cretans!

 

[De Villo Sloan]

CEREMIC. that's one for potserity. i sure can dish it out, can't I?

[Lesley Magwood Fraser]

Just had a thought - ASEMIC CERAMIC = AREMIC

[Lesley Magwood Fraser]

Oh Cheryl you are so good at interpreting my work, seeing things that I dont and relating them to things I have never heard of! But I am pleased with my asemic piece too, I shall have to do more but mailing the ceramic pieces could be a problem..... I am off to Google Phaisitos Disk! Bye.

[Marie Wintzer]

That's an interesting topic for the world is town. January 14 means very different things for everyone in the world, and what will we remember of it 10 years from now? Nice work!

[Jen Staggs]

Those life drawings are really stunning. And the architectural fold-out piece is really dynamic. Plus you got text! It is so rare that we see an actual letter with mail art that it must be a major bonus when we do.

[De Villo Sloan]

Cool monkeys.