Bertha Greschak

[Hgfh]

So this morning I recieved an envelope from Bertha containing two google search image result print outs. One of Elvis images and one of 50's housewives.

I'm really confused. I can't find her on here but when I search her name she comes up as having sent mail art to others too. However is a print out mail art?

I'm new to all this so would appreciate help & advice as I can't find a way to contact her and don't want to ignore that she made the effort to send something.

Thank you :)

[FinnBadger]

I think you have lots of options about what to do in response to Bertha's mail.

1. Do not respond.

2. Respond with your own random print out.

3. Respond with a piece of mail art - letting Bertha know the kind of thing you like to make.

4. Respond with a polite note saying you are not interested in receiving this sort of mail from Bertha.

5. None of the above.

I too have a piece of Bertha-mail (maybe I should start a group with that title!), a commercial postcard, and initially thought I would choose option 1, but now I'm thinking more along the lines of option 3.

[pascal]

Bertha Greschak....( Adèle , je vous envoie l'adresse en message )...

Je pense que c'est cela que vous voulez...

[Hgfh]

Thank you for the reply De Villo Sloan,

I was just confused as I have only signed up on here so far but I guess maybe she looks on here or is a member under a different name.

I really appreciate your explanation - it certainly helps clear things up for me. Maybe I should use the images in my response then. It's all so new to me but it is fun all the same.

x

[De Villo Sloan]

Hi Adele,

1) Not all mail artists are members of the IUOMA. In fact, the majority are not, if you go by estimates of how many mail artists there are in the world.

2) I know nothing about Bertha, but mail artists frequently use different identities. For instance, Moan Lisa, Mars Tokyo, Mudhead etc. etc are all mail art "monikers."

3) "Is a print out mail art?" I believe you should consider that anything a mail artist mails you in the postal context is "art." When you get into things like Fluxus and Trashpo you're likely to receive found, unaltered, unexplained material. Sometimes there is the expectation that you will collaborate using the material. Sometimes the sender just thought you'd be interested in what they sent you for some reason. There is often meant to be a blurring of the distinction between art and life. The important thing is that there are no rules.