"Fishing for the right words" by Amy Irwen (Rosemount, Minnesota, USA)

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail-art by IUOMA member Amy Irwen (Rosemount, Minnesota, USA)

August 12, 2014 - One thing that makes Amy a great correspondent for me is that she is always changing, evolving and trying new things. Her collage work is interesting and a joy to receive.

In a recent turn, very exciting for me, she has been doing some FAB visual-textual work. In particular, she has done some excellent collabs with visual poet Matthew Stolte (Madison, Wisconsin, USA); and in general, she has been networking with visual poets. “Fishing for the right words” is an example of this new direction. Like Cheryl Penn (Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa) and meeah williams (New York, USA), Amy is incorporating sewing and textile concepts in her work. This works wonderfully if one takes fishing as a metaphor. Here is the reverse side:

This is certainly a language-centered composition emphasizing materiality, and the level of fragmentation and disruption is high. In short, Amy Irwen has drawn extensively on the arsenal of avant techniques used in vispo; and I think the results are fantastic! The piece came in a thoughtful, handmade envelope that also emphasizes the textual:

I detect the Trashpo influence here as well.

Perhaps Amy Irwen began this piece by fishing for the right words. In my estimation, she found them and each fits perfectly in its place. Many thanks to Amy Irwen!

[Amy Irwen]

thank you DVS for your wonderful Blog. You have always been supportive and this piece is an acknowledgment of that...Best Always *!*