RECEIVED: Card and Guest Mail-Art Psychic from ATC Rebel David Stafford (Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA)

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail-art by IUOMA member David Stafford (Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA)

 

February 17, 2011 - It's not a cellphone, trash from Elgin or a pacifier, it's a beautiful and wonderfully executed Artist Trading Card (ATC) from David Stafford. Mail-art has a tremendous variety and range. I have to admit it was nice to receive this piece and move out of the ether for a while. The high graphic quality and representational nature of David Stafford's card has affinities to a particular strain in mail-art. I once read a blog by RCBz (Minnesota), if I understood correctly, that links this aesthetic to the West Coast of the United States, California in particular. It certainly is refreshing and unmurky. David has a stamp displayed on the card's reverse side:

 I found the quarter in the street. You can find a lot of stuff now that the snow is melting a bit. The quarter might give you a sense of the size of David's piece, if you have some sense of the size of the quarter, which on another plane is deflating and inflating in value before your eyes. But enough of politics and economics. Here is the signature ATC Rebels logo:

Karen Champlin (Oak Park, Illinois) founded the ATC Rebels group here at the IUOMA. With the involvement of David and others, it certainly appears an ATC renaissance is taking place in the network. People are sending and receiving amazing things that we've been fortunate to see on the platform: Here's the other side with the cool stamp again:

And what a bonus! David included a fortune! This means David Stafford is the Guest Mail-Art Psychic for February 17-18 (we have time zone issues), 2011.  Here is David Stafford's Guest Mail-Art Psychic prediction:

 

MAIL-ART PSYCHIC: SPECIAL GUEST DAVID STAFFORD

NOTE: This is excellent for a Mail-Art Psychic entry, when compared to things such as altered pages from the "Book of Revelations" or pages torn randomly from a St. Louis, Missouri, USA telephone book (with the name Sarah Connor highlighted three time?). Although the greatest instance of a Mail-Art Psychic crashing and burning just out of the gate is Marie Wintzer's #63 Japanese oracle citation. As much as she is a good mail-art friend in other ways, Marie is permanently banned from the Mail-Art Psychic throne. 

 

Mail-art color of the day: Candy Apple Grey

 

Mail-art words for the day: Zen Arcade (it's better)

 

MAIL-ART PSYCHIC WALL OF FAME

Angie and Snooky

Anonymous

Anonymous

Anonymous

Church of the Sub-Genius

Da Da Wobbler

Dark wall (deleted)

DKNY

East Bay Ray

Ray Johnson (channeled)

Remote Control Data Corporation

Savage Rain

Terminator-Skynet

Steve

David Stafford

Steve

[David Stafford]

I guess I should know what the responsibilities are for the Prophet job....Will I be required to wear the plastic Sonny Bono page boy helmet?

[De Villo Sloan]

TY for the GREAT card and the comment, David. I'm glad to hear confirmation of this West Coast school, as I'm just discovering it. The pieces fit. And I appreciate you being Prophet of the Eternal Network for a day - not one complaint yet! Of course, Marie doesn't come on until later.

[David Stafford]

Thank you, DeVillo for that incredible exegesis. I'm so honored. I am originally from the West Coast too so I guess I'm part of that movement. The Mel Ramos school of unrepentant pop artists. Great to be part of your Zen Arcade though, for me, Zen Zoological Exhibit is more apt. I inhabit the diorama that Jen has painted for me with quill pen and wooden stool, trying in vain to ape Lisa I's calligraphy. Just when you think he's stuffed, he's turns ever so slightly and waves to the children, noses pressed against the glass.

[cheryl penn]

I like today's card :-) being a fortunate recipient of one of Davids ATC's. Great blog.