MEANING LESS: An Asemics 16 #3 Dialog with Marie Wintzer (Saitama, Japan)

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail-art by IUOMA member Marie Wintzer (Saitama, Japan)

 

August 26, 2011 - Marie Wintzer is one of my best mail-art friends. So I was thrilled when I learned she and I would both have chapters in Edition #3 of the Asemics 16 collaborative mail-art book project. (I took over for Dark wall who had other obligations and left the project ;) Above is the first page of the beautiful chapter I just received from Marie. I could not be more pleased! She chose to create textile asemics. Here are pages two and three:

 

The textures of the fabric and subtle color tones are a wonderful background for the white thread that, of course, is the actual asemic writing. Next is the center spread of pages 4 and 5:

 

The delicate and fluid weaving of the threads, knots, and twists reveal Marie's aesthetic sense and also suggest to me a stream-of-consciousness flow of thought and shifting emotions.

 

While the writing itself is complex, Marie's chapter is ultimately minimalist. I think the economy she uses is incredibly powerful, leading us to focus on every intricate thread, knot, and intertwining. Here is the concluding page:

 

 

I will treasure this textile asemic chapter from Marie always. It suggests to me the stream-of-consciousness passages in James Joyce where we enter the minds of characters and move with them through memories, dreams, hopes, and regrets.

 

Marie and I did not communicate much to each other about what we were doing for our Edition #3 chapters, but it was clear we both saw it as an opportunity to have our work together. I have been working on a series of "Cherry Blossom" asemic poems inspired by Marie's photography, so I decided to include selected poems in my chapter. Here are the pages I sent Marie:

 

 

I used old pin-up photos, continuing an artistic dialog I have had with Cheryl Penn (South Africa). The Cherry blossom poems also use film noir and hard-boiled detective stories, especially Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep, as referential texts.  The next piece is not a Cherry blossom asemic but is a piece I made for Marie, who is clearly an influence and inspiration:

The center section is an asemic writing study that I think would be considered "Asemically Correct" by purists:

 

 

These are more cherry blossom pieces with an emphasis on the darker side of noir:

 

Marie and I have very different styles. My work for Edition #3 is based far more on popcult references and signification (especially the parrots) in the vispo areas. I think at the core, however, we have indeed managed to have a dialog that draws on our previous work and that explores similar things in very different ways. Asemics 16 has provided a wonderful opportunity to put our work together and is yet another aspect of the collaborative process. Make sure to check out Marie's mail-art blog:

 

http://mariesmailbox.blogspot.com/

 

[cheryl penn]

NO WAYS!!! :-)))) - you think thats a WIN??????

[De Villo Sloan]

Hi Cheryl, I had a lengthy debate with you while you weren't here. I won.

[cheryl penn]

Karma has arrived. She SURE is saving this one for a rainy day ;-) X

[De Villo Sloan]

Thanks, Theresa. I am looking for a reaction from our Cherry Blossom. I've had a free ride on this blog because (partially thanks to you) I've been able to have the intention-reception dialog, handily demolishing all Cheryl's points, because she wasn't here. That's the kind of debate I like. I have a feeling karma will catch me before too long though.

[De Villo Sloan]

Marie's chapter holds this personal meaning for me as the recipient: It is indeed the narrative of the "embryonic journey." The images are primarily of the umbilical cord and fetus, sperm and egg. In some cases, the cord and child are separated. It is a narrative of conception and creation. A narrative of primal mother, father and child in their shifting roles across generations, the formation of the bonds and the breaking of those bonds to form others.

[De Villo Sloan]

And as for another point - everything seems to indicate the tension you mention is also inevitable and necessary in the process.

[De Villo Sloan]

Well-said, Theresa, IMHO. I would extend what you have written to a larger issue: theory-driven art. I think that would be art driven by the intellect and methodology rather than instinct and true exploration. I believe this has been the sad fate of postmodernism. I won't go into the role of the universities and cultural institutions in this rationalizing process, but I think there might be a case to make for the most original work taking place outside them these days again, IMHO.

I was trying to think of a sort of universal example: When Andy Warhol painted a big Campbell's soup can, he had not the faintest idea about the complex claims that would be made for that work later. Distilling it down, he probably just thought it would be cool to paint a big soup can and his previous experience was in doing art for advertising. I think things worked fairly well that way.

[De Villo Sloan]

Kat, I'm very excited! My first trash book. And it will be from you.

 

Thanks for jumping in to help Theresa on the thorny intent vs. reception issue. I am perfectly willing to go with the balancing act, a middle ground where the conscious and unconscious are present. Going back to Freud - it can never be pure Id anyway. The Super-ego needs to do the editing.

 

You all understand it's Cheryl who is being unreasonable? ;)))) 

 

Marie, speaking of Freud, you reminded me that he wrote that a big part of dream analysis involves word play and puns. Makes me wonder about all the word play in mail-art? Anyway, your chapter with those ---------- 0 patterns really seems built on "cutting cords," "cutting ties," "ties that bind" - although English isn't your first language, so maybe that really doesn't work.

 

Thanks for the great comments!

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Asemics 16 Gallery...

16 boekies x 5 editions x 8 pages each = 640 scanned images! 

Could ning handle that somewhere? 'Twould be nice to see!

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Agreeing with Marie and Theresa...a balance between conceptual intent and the unconscious. What is great about sending the art out to many, and reading blogs such as this, is that we see the viewers' interpretations, and that enriches the artist's intent, me thinks.

DVS...weather permitting (Irene is still blowing!), you should be getting a Trash Book soonfrom Greece, and yours has special "Rorschach" images to play with and interpret...at least 6 to 8 ways ;-)