RECEIVED: Cryptic Mail-Art Vispo Puzzle from Atte Ourie (Helsinki, Finland)

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail-art by IUOMA member Atte Ourie (Helsinki, Finland)

 

February 20, 2011 - Could there be a mail-artist more mysterious than Atte Ourie? These colorful cards are appearing across the globe. (Finland is finding a place on the vispo map thanks to Atte and Satu Kaikkonen). I see Atte's pieces as a melding of visual poetry and the cryptic strain in mail-art. They seem to be a part of some vast project, a gigantic puzzle. If we could assemble the pieces, we might have some idea of Atte's intention. Much time has been spent at the IUOMA trying to crack the code but nothing convincing has emerged. Atte remains silent. The pattern followed on the cards (above) are shapes (maps? asemic writing?) surrounded by words (and #s occasionally) (cut-up? found?). Words appear on the address side:

If you can figure this out, you're further adrift in the ether than I am. That's assuming - as in Gertrude Stein's quote about Oakland - there is a "there there." Another card:

Flip of it:

More classic Atte Ourie:

Definitely follows a formula:

Thank you for your mail-art and your friendship, Atte.

 

MAIL-ART PSYCHIC

 

Mail-art color of the day: distressed paw paw

 

Mail-art quote for the day:

 

REVIVE THE PLEISTOCENE.

Save the substrate.

Let us have huge animals

and diversity of plants

whose trunks

and tendrils

intertwine

in veldts

and subtle forests.

 

- Michael McClure, from Jaguar Skies

[De Villo Sloan]

I know Katerina, Atte keeps the communications one-way. I do like the work, though.

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

How can we discover the true identity of Atte? And a mailing address? Don't ya just want to send a reply mail art? Now, we could sit down and try to decipher.....but perhaps it is a pure asemic expression, not meant to mean. Ya know what I mean?

[De Villo Sloan]

tripping - good one

[cheryl penn]

Wonderful to see Atte walk among us again. I hope he's thinking of tripping to Africa once more.