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!

[Frieder Speck]

This time I keep the secret this time I keep the secret This time I keep the secret

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Another super blog, Sloan...or Pillow Villo!

Each art work is mysterious and amazing

and ya just gotta loooove SnookyDog! xxx

p.s.

Okay, F.S., to whom belongs the Luftpost mail art????

[Frieder Speck]

I know the secret I know the secret!

[Nancy Bell Scott]

Great blog, DVS--a very interesting read, not to mention choice of worthy works to blog together. Mystery ties *most* of them together. Love Austin's sci-fi asemics. Alicia has been doing incredible things with Duchamp's face for a while. It doesn't get old.

[Alicia Starr]

DeVillo, the man in the image is duchamp. his face is printed on an old magazine ad page. The magazine depicted life in Borneo back in the 40-50's? maybe 60's. Not sure. Glad it made it to you. It's a holiday card of sorts. 

[DKeys]

Great blog DVS-and such amazing mail art. Alicia amazes me because each piece has her distinct style, yet each is mutually exclusive and are completely different than the next. I'm always surprised by her work. I received an amazing piece from her yesterday.  Angie's holiday series were so uplifting-as you said conventional yet turned on its ear (Snooky's). Who would think a cute little dog butt would make such festive decorations. the mystery art looks...mysterious. Have you tried to use the DKoder ring to decipher it? I bet the sender left clues embedded throughout. Maybe microfische under the stamp? Angie, do they even have microfische machines anymore? Is that how you spell microfische? Austin's asemic piece looks to be written in Lemurian-now that's someone who speaks my language. thanks for posting all this. I hope to catch up on blogging the great art I received this week. Sometimes I feel sorry for people that don't get to experience the joy of receiving mail art. Dkult is still trying to recover from claims they practice cannibalism. It was a rumor started by a disgruntled teenager that spread like communion wafers. We shall overcome though and membership is on the rise since we instituted the auto pay option.