RECEIVED: 4 the X-Files from Alicia Starr (USA), Angie Cope (USA), Mystery Mail-Artist (Germany), Austin Wills James (USA)

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail-art by IUOMA member Alicia Starr (Iowa City, Iowa, USA)

 

February 11, 2012 - I notice when mail-artists write to each other they frequently refer to being in the process of "organizing my archives." For myself and others, I have come to realize this is a polite way of saying: "I am hopelessly engulfed and overwhelmed by a glacial mass of amazing art that I am powerless to organize or categorize." Anyway that is the situation here at the Overlook Hotel Studio.

 

 The Grady Twins as depicted in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining.

 

Against incredible odds and challenges, I have been able to identify four new contributions for my Mail-Art X-Files.  Why do they deserve this honor? (1) I have no idea what they mean and/or (2) I do not know who made them and/or (3) they appear to be holiday cards, and it is about time they be filed.

 

I think the piece Alicia Starr sent me (above, top) is spectacular mail-art. I am not sure if it is a found image or collage. I cannot determine who the man is. At first sight, I thought it was some Artaudian thing with blood gushing from the mouth and eyes. Of course, it is connected to the globe image and very Sandpo: seeing the world in a grain of sand and all that. Yet somehow I feel like I am missing an obvious key that will help me understand what it means on a rational level rather than having to rely on my instinct to just like it a lot. And the reverse side of Alicia Starr's mail-art: 

 

 

Many thanks, Alicia! I hope we can exchange mail-art more frequently and on a less frantic basis!

 

 

On the subjective nature of Trashpo from Angie Cope & Snooker the Amazing Mail-Art Dog, or the lost Jim Leftwich X variable 

 

Mail-art by IUOMA member Angie Cope and Snooky the Amazing Mail-Art Dog (Port Washington, Wisconisn, USA)

 

For me, Angie and the Snooks will always be a team. They definitely worked together to produce this very nice but (deceptively) conventional holiday card using the famous Corgi stamp. When I came to the ornament (above, bottom) that was inside the card, I realized right away it was a Trashpo ornament, Trashpo Object Poetry, a really great idea that is definitely a new frontier. Angie's (always) great message confirmed our minds were on the same track:

 

 

Angie amazes me with things exactly like this card. From Fluxus to asemic writing and all points in between, she has been uncertain about her ability to master a concept or her talent as an artist. What happens? She presents me and many other IUOMA friends with masterpiece after masterpiece. I am always grateful to have Angie and Snooks as friends and look forward to trading more work and working on new projects. Recently, Angie was awarded a second TrashPo Litzer Prize for "Puking Pig":

 

http://iuoma-network.ning.com/group/all-things-trashpo/forum/topics...

 

When you consider the TrashPo Litzer puts you in the rarified company of international heavy-hitters such as Erni Baer (Hamburg, Germany) and Diane Keys (Illinois, USA), this is no small honor. Angie's card to me asks a question that is, at root, deeply philosophical and that ultimately holds the key to Trashpo's significance: What is trash? Was it ever defined? By not doing so originally, did Jim Leftwich cleverly leave all of us with cosmic super glue binding our fingers together? I, for one, shall ponder this.

 

And now for the Mystery Mail-Art....

 

 Mail-artist unknown; point of origin appears to be Germany

 

I cannot guess with certainty who sent me this mail-art. What appear to be initials are written on the reverse side, but I cannot decipher them. I like this postcard-size work. I think I know what it is, although I could be completely inaccurate.

 

I believe this card is a protest against the disturbing trends in the D-Kult that suggest a tendency toward authoritarian mind control. The greenish statue very likely represents Diane Keys. Juxtaposed against an image of milataristic obedience and discipline, the message seems unmistakable. But I have been wrong before. Here is the reverse side of the mystery mail:

 

 

Despite the fact that my correspondent has chosen to address me as "Sloan de Pillow," I believe she or he knows I am a watch dog when it comes to activities of the D-KULT. Who blew the whistle on the defective D-Koder ring scandal and obtained satsifaction for all those physically and mentally injured? Yet I am an active and enthusiastic member of DKULTNY because I believe good can triumph. The D-KULT has made a huge impact in Germany with the rise of D-KUNST! I believe we see a lone voice expressing concern.

 

Listen my mail-art friend: I know you are out there alone, afraid to reveal your identity, unable to trust anyone for fear they might be an agent of the other side. You have put your heart into this art that is a protest against something monolithic and ubiquitous. You fear the words: "Take care of this KDJ." Now you wait for her leg to extend and crush you like a roach with her high-heeled boot. Fear not, my friend. Do not relenquish to the external locus (locust) of control.

 

Thank you for this wonderful work. If the DKULT has driven you to this extreme, I want you to know there is support and help for people like you. Feel free to contact me anytime! You are not alone.

 

All my Axes are in Taxes (Xs in TX) - sci fi asemics

 

 Mail-art by Austin Wills James (Dallas, Texas, USA)

 

I am pleased as punch to see old friend Austin Wills James back on the scene again with some powerful new work that has received very favorable responses in the IUOMA gallery and from recipients.

 

Austin has the best handle on the music/mail-art connection I know, and he is moving into areas that show the influence of Fluxus and vispo. Austin had to sit on the sidelines for a while due to an injured arm - not good news for an artist whose work is fundamentally based in precise, meticulous, geometrically oriented drawing.  Things appear to be OK now; maybe even better. He seems to be releasing a backlog of outstand work or else he is on a creative roll.

 

I have several new pieces by Austin I want to blog. I am starting with this fav piece that is perfect for the X-Files: "Alien Asemic #1." I think these are great asemic symbols and presented beautifully with the color background that is one of Austin's trademarks.

 

During the height of the Asemics 16 collaborative book project (that I coordinated with Cheryl Penn (South Africa) many artists contributed to far-ranging, associative discussions that attempted to explore the possiblities and sources of asemic writing.

 

I think Austin was part of the discussions about science fiction and the representation of fictional (?) writing by extra-terrestrial civilizations or problematic artifacts that appear in popular culture that are allegedly real examples of alien writing. Very few ventured into Sci-Fi Asemics during the project. Think about it. This is an area that could be mined for very interesting results' it is already an established part of popcult. And Austin gets the credit for suggesting a merger with asemics. Here is the reverse side:

 

 

As ever, many thanks Austin!

 

And kids, thanks for the great work that is wonderful for the X-Files and mail-art in general. The truth is out there!

[Nancy Bell Scott]

I go away for a few hours and come back to find Frieder trying to make secret trouble again. Be good, Frieder ...

[Svenja Wahl]

No venus from me, DVS! I love Roland Halbritters work, I would bet on him! 

[Ruud Janssen]

Venus cards = Roland Halbritter. He has sent out quite a few.....

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Sloan, you seem to be on the right track...

No use hitting my head against the wahl ;-)

The "1" in the address is similar to your card...

and as with the blog for Bismarck, so too this blog...

(has the Cherry Blossom Connection!)

Bitter/Zart/Spooky - from Svenja Wahl

[De Villo Sloan]

Roland Halbritter and I have never exchanged mail-art, Kat. I suppose he could send something out of the blue, but I'd be surprised.

 

I hope to hear from Svenja Wahl. I think it's possible she did this. The protest against the DKULT (that I think I see) ties in with Svenja's horrible experience during the Cougar Incident on DK's blog and then being enlisted to appear in a fairly exploitive performance supposedly in the name of animal rights.

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

However...the hand-writing experts see no similarities to the hand-writing on Venus de Pillow card and the script of Roland Halbritter :-(

Otto von Bismarck mail art call - from Roland Halbritter

[De Villo Sloan]

Thank you for the information Frieder. And we eliminate you from the list of suspects for German Mystery Mail-Artist. I am starting to believe this might be a prank rather than a protest against the D-Kult.

 

Alicia - thank you for filling me in. So it is DuChamp. I drew a blank. The juxtaposition of the images is wonderful and way beyond my crude attempts and understandings. Much of this material must have come in during the holiday season and got out of order. I suppose it is a kind of time travel. This is not another case of mail-art recovered from under the car seat.

 

Hi Angie

 

Nancy, yes! Geez, I'm glad someone else appreciates Austin's alien asemics.

 

DK, as ever I am honored. I took the high road not spreading the rumors about D-Kannibalism & the DULT's alleged ties to the American Meat Institute & the horrific, botched biopoetry experiements dating back to the 1950s.

 

If the Venus De Pillow is revealed not to be a protest against the spread of D-KUNST! in Europe, then I definitely owe you an apology.

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

F.S., nice tradition to send the Venus de Villo...who did it?

I see the initials at the bottom...look like "H" and "R" and I know that

Roland Halbritter is in Germany...perhaps?

There is no cancellation mark to say if the post code is 977207?

OR, is it yours F.S.?  It's a mystery!

[Frieder Speck]

Germany is a small country and the venus is very old and its a kind of tradition to send a venus to someone. I sent several but not the pillow one. And I try hard to keep the secret !

[De Villo Sloan]

Thanks for the comments. LOOK! I think Frieder Speck is on the verge of a confession.

 

Frieder did you send the Venus of De Pillow? Or do you know the identity of the artist?