Cryptic Trashpo, Post-Pop & More! by Julie VanBortel Matevish (Rochester, New York, USA)

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail art by Julie VanBortel Matevish (Rochester, New York, USA)

 

 

February 12, 2020 - We are thrilled to introduce you to Julie VanBortel Matevish for this, her Glam Faction debut.

 

Julie VanBortel Matevish has participated in mail art previously and has even done some homework in Trashpo and apparently MinXus as well, although we have only encountered her work very recently and do not recognize her from the "long, dusty trail" that emerges from yesteryears. That's okay.

 

We do know she is an excellent visual artist and graphic designer. The material she sent is not what we expected, but mail art should be a surprise! And let us make the point now lest Glamsters think us "mean" or "grumpy" that we very much admire what the Julie VanBortel so kindly sent.

 

In our memoirs of how we "broke in" to the Eternal Network we have on other occasions and on other venues described how in youth we began receiving bags (not envelopes but bags!) of mail art from New York City. Via Dick Higgins' Something Else Press, our name had been added to some mailing lists connected to classic Fluxus circles.

 

We have also described how in our youthful innocence we were not so much intrigued as shocked and fearful that somehow the inhabitants of a very populous lunatic asylum had obtained our personal address. We began to accept and understand mail art quickly. Yet that initial shock is etched in memory. We have only experienced  that feeling - upon opening thousands of envelopes and packages thereafter - a very few times (mostly during the nascence of Neoism).

 

We take this circuitous trail of explication in order to help inform you, dearest Glamsters, that we cannot offer you much help in understanding what Julie VanBortel Matevish is trying to communicate, although we deeply support her in her artistic pursuits and assure her she mailed this work to exactly the right place. We have found a new Kryptic Kween?

 

Eternal Networkers tell us we are experts at decoding cryptic mail art. Alas, please tell us if you have any idea what JVBM is saying. Perhaps over time all will become clear as an azure sky in summer. Until then, deepest thanks to Julie! 

 

 

 

 

By Julie VanBortel Matevish

 

 

 

 

By Julie VanBortel Matevish

 

 

 

 

 

By Julie VanBortel Matevish

 

 

 

 

 

By Julie VanBortel Matevish

 

 

Personal fave:

 

 

 

By Julie VanBortel Matevish

 

 

 

 

By Julie VanBortel Matevish

 

 

 

 

Precious inspects suspicious packages that arrive at Glam Faction offices

 

 

 

Oh no, not the feet thing again!