RECEIVED: Cheryl Penn Running on Empty in "Verbs" Mail-Art Book (Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa)

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail-art by IUOMA member Cheryl Penn (Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa)

 

July 4, 2011 - Cheryl Penn and I are working on a collaborative mail-art book using a single verb as chapter themes. When we're done, every letter of the alphabet will be covered. (Did I once write: Beware the alphabet?) Chapter "Empty" arrived in New York a few days ago. I was astonished that the Dread of Durban aka Big Sister aka Groot Suster aka CP-SA had chosen the path of pure minimalism, a confrontation with the void - Cheryl is rarely at a loss for words or images. Each chapter has eight pages. Here are two and three:

 

 

 

Marie Wintzer (Japan) has pioneered mail-art holes, another invocation of emptiness. Marie and Cheryl are currently collaborating on the amazing "Ether" book: Is it possible Cheryl has been inspired by Marie's flirtations with nothingness? Here are pages four and five sideways:

 

 

 

Somewhere in the past I must have posted somewhere that "The Whiteness of the Whale" is my favorite chapter in Herman Melville's Moby Dick. And Herman Melville's Moby Dick is by far my favorite novel ever, so I'd like to think I'm acquainted with whiteness - of a particular variety. Pages six and seven:

 

 

A stunning close with page eight:

 

Sure, the old-timers are saying: "We've seen all this before." Indeed we have; maybe even on a famous album cover. But it's fun and perhaps even profitable in some way to dust off the old act once in a while to find out how close you can get to the big emptiness and come back to tell the tale. Take a little time and gaze into the void again courtesy of Cheryl.

[Marie Wintzer]

oh I missed Hi Jacks! :-)))

[cheryl penn]

Hi Jack :-) X

[Marie Wintzer]

Sorry, the little hoarse (!!) was busy with some jolly russians and couldn't come to the rescue. What is this about again? Oh well, they say that every half decent blog needs a hijack. Done.

[De Villo Sloan]

The white night in "Empty"

[De Villo Sloan]

"They only come out at night, mostly..." In the ether no one can hear you scream. (Aliens)

[cheryl penn]

Night Knight? Or White Knight?

[De Villo Sloan]

your white night will catch you if you fall. she does not stoop to conquer. she's just a little hoarse

[cheryl penn]

C.B. I know you're in the Ether - come help meeeeee!!! :-)))

[De Villo Sloan]

Wooden you be?

[cheryl penn]

Are you lost in the Ether Forest? Beware the Wolves. It's much more dense than Running on Empty.