Post-Itpo by Moan Lisa (Iowa City, Iowa, USA)

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail-art by IUOMA member Moan Lisa (Iowa City, Iowa, USA)

November 7, 2014 - Especially given rumors of a birthday, I thought it would be a great time to share some recent work received from the brilliant and enigmatic Moan Lisa. Moan dropped off the digital grid for a time, but I do not see that the prolific output of snail mail ever lessened. (I was gone from the grid myself in September, and Chris Reynolds (Arizona) is staying true to his vow to return to the underground.)

As you can see, Moan Lisa sent me a series of Post-It Notes in October (among other things). There are probably some more at the bottom of the in-box, but these are representative.

This could be Trashpo; but I am also thinking they are meant to be performance scores, although that doesn’t work entirely.  They are indeterminate to a high degree. The fact that they were mailed in a series makes them even more intriguing; it’s possible there is a missing puzzle piece somewhere.

Many thanks, as ever, to Moan Lisa!

[De Villo Sloan]

Thanks, as ever, for the thoughtful comment, Richard. The name is Moan Lisa, not Mona Lisa, which speaks volumes. Without giving too much away, you might recall that at the IUOMA there was once a member known as Superhero, very active in the asemic writing group. There is another mail-artist currently working called Maria Marisot. That's all I will write. I'm the last to blow anyone's cover but many of us have known Moan in other incarnations.

Moan Lisa is incredibly prolific. I cannot post a fraction of what I receive. What Moan is should be familiar to you, if I have any handle on it at all. I am usually stymied by the indeterminate nature of the individual pieces I receive, although I like them very much and am always intrigued. But Moan is a DaDaist/Fluxus purist, just of a newer generation than you and I are familiar with and thus some things are done differently. That's a positive thing, I think. I don't, for instance, like Fluxus much when it's just a regurgitation of old performance scores, etc, kind of a nostalgia act. I think Moan is doing new things and is definitely a force.

So I'm an "appreciative admirer" as well when it comes to Moan. I do my best to be supportive because I know how challenging that sort of high wire act can be. I see more of Moan on Google+ and FB where s/he is constantly being censored and removed from the sites. It looks like a tough battle.

[Richard Canard]

07.11.14 Dare DeVillo S.,..that's "Favorite" with a question mark. It is somewhat difficult for me to understand or "to get a handle" so to speak on exactly what Mona Lisa is doing. It's partly the speed, diverse change of direction, & the abundance of it all... In short , I can't seem to keep up ...I haven't even figured out whether she is a guy (for some reason...[now lost in my silly head]-- that's what I initially thought) or not... (& not that it really matters of course...it's just one of those fundamentals when one addresses an envelope)...but I do wanna state that I am always curious as to her/his interests & efforts within this arena labeled "mail art " & I am an appreciative admirer.. For instance, I received an envelope yesterday from Mona Lisa that contained a poetic single spearhead shaped brown leave that crumbled into pieces as I pulled it from the envelope.Mona L. seems to be always pushing the perimeters ...i.e. "pushing at the edge of the envelope". Best to you. Richard C.