Received: Batgirl Dumpster Dives for Trashpo Mail-Art Triumph (Albany. New York, USA)

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail-art by IUOMA member Batgirl (Albany, New York, USA)

November 27, 2010 - Good friend Batgirl can exchange elegantly penned correspondence with Richard Canard. But on her mail-art list there must be a note by my address that says: "Take out the trash." Inside the envelope I received was such a compressed mass of junk mail, a cereal box, wadded tape, and feathers (yes, feathers) that I finally had to take a knife to it to see what was in there. Batgirl, I seriously did the best I could to keep it intact. If this was all meant to add up to something artistically, I am afraid I got the wrong number, which is a multiple of 0:

Those are my rips, not Batgirl's. As total coincidence would have, Karen Champlin related a story to me this week about having once sent a cereal box to Ray Johnson. Early on, GA sent me a cereal box piece. Was there some cereal box thing in the Old School people are referencing? I am grabbing at straws here in hopes of finding a plausible explanation that will avoid me coming to the conclusion that this is a product of Batgirl losing a few rounds to the dreaded BatBeer: "Stay thirsty, my friend." Here's the rest of it as best as I was able to salvage and scan:

This created a cool scan:

Another A fascinating exchange with my excellent friend Batgirl. I hope there are many more, just with a little more focus and mutual understanding by both parties.

 

Love the new you Batgirl.

Mail-art color of the day: peach (TYCP)

Mail-art word for the day: maya (TYWW)

Mail-art psychic: "Beware of darkness."

[Elaine B(atgirl)]

Well it looks like you opened it on 4 sides, when it was actually folded, so you cut the thing in half. Also, bear in mind that I had some items in mind to use (this hilarous packet of direct mail from the Indian school) but I had no idea what the execution would or should be. I should have just sent you the stuff from the Indian reservation school without modifying it in the least. You may remember I declared early on that I am not an Artist; here's the proof in the pudding.

[De Villo Sloan]

I am easily amused Batgirl; but was genuinely perplexed. Thanks for explaining. Pearls of wisdom from The Grigster - the gift that keeps on giving.

[Elaine B(atgirl)]

Your efforts at opening the thing are clearly an improvement. I finally ditched that glue stick; I don't know if you remember but one of the first things I sent to Mr. Antonin had half of the pieces fall off of it as well. He told me to use rubber cement which I finally purchased with some birthday money and will heretofore employ in future attempts at mail art. Many apologies, DVS, I thought you would find my using the massive amount of tschotchke, stickers, and paper (all from one piece of mis-directed direct mail) amusing.

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Is DVS a Cereal (box) Killer?
Great piece of recycled-reused-reduced mail art :-)
At first I thought it arrived not in an envelope, but
torn-by-the-postal-machine monster!