INVESTIGATIVE REPORT: Is Trashpo Destined for the Dumpster of History? Erni Baer (Germany), Diane Keys (USA), Stewart Charlebois (Canada), Thom Courcelle (USA)

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail-art by IUOMA member Erni Baer (Hamburg, Germany)

 

October 14, 2011 - Recent challenges to the very foundation of Trashpo have raised serious questions about whether this practice will endure in the eternal network. Issues include claims of defective items, authenticity, and challenges to Trashpo concepts by mail-artists. Perhaps most disturbing, Jim Leftwich (Virginia, USA), who coined the term Trashpo, has never made a public comment on the current movement. Others view Trashpo as a fad, repackaged readymades. So what is the current state of Trashpo today and can it endure?

 

A Can-Do Attitude...

 

Erni Baer of Hamburg, Germany, whose influences include Da Da and the Beat Generation, is an ideal can-didate (see above) for Trashpo laurels. This flattened aluminum can, glued to cardboard and mailed to me recently, is a shining example of his work that shows the influence of Pop Art in a very direct way. Here is the reverse side:

 

 

Erni Baer also maintains a strong identity in the haptic poetry community. Could this be a life insurance policy? A golden parachute to respectability if the Trashpo enterprise goes belly up? He is one of the first recipients of the Trash Po-litzer Prize for his seminal "Llingdo" (2010) sausage can art. This more recent work seems to be another addition to the aluminum can-on. Perhaps this suggests the future direction of Trashpo is in metals.

 

"God save the Queen. I really mean it, man..."

 

No discussion of contemporary Trashpo would be complete without a big nod (and a wink) to Diane Keys aka DK. I have never been very good at second-guessing her conceptual brilliance. The most recent mail-art she sent me resulted from my numerous complaints concerning the alleged defective D-Koder ring she sent me. I want to express my deepest thanks to DK for sending me a new, fully functioning ring that is the pride and joy of DKULTNY, the New York branch of her fan club. The ring does not appear in this blog because I could not scan it. However, here is the Trashpo that accompanied it:

 

Mail-art by IUOMA member Diane Keys (Elgin, Illinois, USA)

She seems to be taking a new direction in micro-Trashpo. Some of the bits of metal are so small you can barely see them, a DK take on minimalism. Clearly, some are meant to help, along with the D-Koder ring, in predicting future events or making decisions. I think some of them are pieces of earrings. I ask myself, "Do I now have pieces of DK's earrings?" Then I wonder: Has Trashpo become a D-Kult of personality? After all, Dark wall has been begging her for months to send him one of her shoes.

 

DK is now including a Certification of Authenticity with at least some of her mail-art. With all the authentic fakes circulating, I suppose this is logical. But people will just start making fake authenticity certificates, if they have not begun already. This leads to a huge issue: DK is clearly emerging into an industry with product lines and fan clubs. She has D-Kmart. Elgin no longer can provide all the trash she needs, so she is importing it from Maine. A fine-art franchise is included. Can Trashpo survive this level of market exploitation? DK's blog, new and growing in popularity, is a epicenter of Trashpo. The Golden Buddha is a source of cosmic wisdom. I now consult Golden Boo Dee concerning all important decisions:

 

http://dianekeys.blogspot.com/

 

Canadian Trashpo - A new frontier

 

Even as Trashpo debates escalate, more and more artists are entering the field. Remarkable work is being produced. Below is exciting and groundbreaking Trashpo I just received from Stewart Charlebois of Langley, British Columbia, Canada. We are familiar with Euro-trash and U.S. trash, yet Canadian trash remain largely untapped. Charlebois' work connects directly with junk food Trashpo through this very large and colorful flattened potato chip bag. In my estimation, an instant classic:

 

Mail-art by IUOMA member Stewart Charlebois (Langley, British Columbia, Canada)

 

Stewart Charlebois' work is definitely authentic Trashpo. The folds and creases formed through the flattening process have produced asemic symbols. Whether by chance or design, this is a clever example of asemic Trashpo. Here is the reverse side:

 

 

Many thanks to Stewart Charlebois for sending me this wonderful Trashpo. Stewart has a link on his IUOMA profile to a flickr photostream of mail-art:

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/66810744@N08/

 

This overview of Trashpo strongly suggests the artform is alive and well, if not thriving. Debates and questions are likely the result of its explosive growth and evolution. Yet if Trashpo were to fade away I would want to make sure I had documented this well-known classic by Thom Courcelle (Seattle, Washington, USA) that has become a symbol for the Age of Trash:

 

[Nancy Bell Scott]

Actually a map of the trash routes would be fascinating, but of course that's another project for another day or year. Is D-Kmart becoming too big, the Wal-mart of trashpo? That's a good question (and I do appreciate your questions). Personally I doubt it. She is spreading the amount, quality, and interest, and is actually producing more than anyone else, but when asked, she insists that, for example, the more trashbooks the better, no matter who is making them. Sort of like a beneficent dictatorial enterprise that fails to dictate but guides by example and then tells everyone else to let their own trashpo freak flag fly. Can you post a photo of the defective D-Koder ring? I'd just like to see this thing that has been mentioned so often; also, it's possible I could authenticate its origin, but not certain.

Cheryl has tried to hijack this blog. She has a lot of guts! I have some exceptional Erni material that arrived here this week, but I'm going to blog it separately and would like a metal medal for doing so. Thank you.

[cheryl penn]

I know this is not trashpo - infact its DEFNOT!  But it is pure Erni :-) I was about to blog - and of course you beat me to it DVS -  So I'm hi-jacking - its my new favorite thing.

Its off scene Akademie

Its hip its hop, its eaten and in its wake we did a street performance for you Erni - an alternate art reality.  AND it really was during an Urban Exploration.  Its called We all Live around a Yellow Pole :-) X

 

[De Villo Sloan]

D-Kmart: Too Big to Fail?

 

Nancy, I do appreciate the commentary about trash routes. As I dug into the issue for the report, I didn't find the trash exchange was unusual or even a topic of debate among most mail-artists. I've tried to be objective here; I don't have an axe to grind. The danger appears to be with large Trashpo conglomerates, and right now there is one: DK and her enterprises. Will D-Kmart become the Wal-Mart of Trashpo? Yes, I do have documents indicating DK is importing a large amount of trash from Maine now. That doesn't pose any huge political, economic, or social problems. However, the defective D-Koder ring I received probably came from Maine. Is it authentic? Are the DK earrings really authentic? They come with an authenticity certificate. I don't want to be a watchdog here. But I set out to honestly explore the current situation of Trashpo. And I do wonder if D-Kmart is too big too fast.

[Nancy Bell Scott]

Importation/exportation of garbage is already more widespread than some may realize. Large amounts of it have been sent from Germany to Maine, and no doubt elsewhere, such as New York. Envelopes packed with it have also been sent to Maine from Illinois, Wisconsin, and South Africa. Some, it is documented, has been sent from Wisconsin to Illinois. Some has been sent to Germany and South Africa too from Maine, though it may already have become trashpo, officially, when it left. It's out of control, and these are only a few examples. It's very possible that an Underground Trashpo route is already thriving that no one here knows about.

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

"Trashpo...like plastic bottles, styrofoam...will last FOREVER"

So says Ben-the-Bin, and he should know ;-)

[DKeys]

[De Villo Sloan]

Thank you, Marie. I felt I needed to apply what journalistic skills I have to an objective exploration of this controversial topic. Of course, I am the recipient of a defective D-Koder ring; yet I have been as impartial as is possible. The situation of Trashpo appears to be positive, yes. However there are disturbing revelations in the report - especially concerning the importation and exportation of garbage. Again, many thanks.

[Marie Wintzer]

A great and fun blog DVS, which so obviously answers the question you are asking in the title. It's a clear NO, I am afraid.