RECEIVED: Fake Blogjam Packed with Mail-Art Luminaries + Mystery Mail = Who Are They?

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail-art by Iuoma member Diane Keys (Elgin, Illinois, USA)

 

April 9, 2012 - Nancy Bell Scott (Maine, USA) invented the blogjam last week as a way to post a lot of incredible work in an innovative format. I am borrowing the idea to post work received where (1) I am ridiculously late blogging it or (2) it falls through the cracks and does not fit into themes I am always using or (3) I give up and admit I have no idea who sent it or (4) the mail-art somehow makes me look bad. Thanks to the blogjam concept, you will not notice any of this.

 

The piece above is a fantastic D-Kult item from Diane Keys. David Stafford (New Mexico, USA) sent Diane a very funny, vinyl-album parody piece that I think kicked-off this new wave of using cds and old vinyl for mail-art. Here is the reverse of Diane's Dkult meditation cd:

 

 Mail-art by Diane Keys (Elgin, Illinois, USA)

If you are a DKult fan or member, you might appreciate the genius of the Twister reference in relation to Mr. Stubbs, Ramone, the Shroud of Elgin, etc. If you don't know about it, don't be at all concerned but check out the Trashpo group at the IUOMA if you're curious. The cd is a true, one-of-a-kind D-Kollectible. I'm sure fakes are soon to follow. Just ignore that it is addressed to Dark wall. I'm keeping it.

 

On the subject of cds and mail-art, I was thrilled to receive a beautiful, painted cd from Katerina Nikoltsou (Greece). She has also had a hand in bringing this idea into mail-art, and I especially like this series she did:

 

Mail-art by Katerina Nikoltsou (Greece)

Unfortunately, she used this stunning piece to remind me I need to send her a book chapter that is way, way overdue. I think her Greek spring pieces are lovely and received one recently (this year):

 

The purple background is hideous. Color switch. Katerina makes tremendous stamps. I always look forward to collecting more Katerina stamps:

 

 

Now for a mystery. This is a high-quality photo with a very cool little envelope of items. I've been admiring this for a while:

 

Mystery mail-art

 

 Am I missing something obvious? I can't figure out who sent this. Speaking of pieces, I thought JF Chapelle's (France) holiday cards were outstanding this year:

 

Mail-art by JF Chapelle (France)

 

I thought I had better wait until Easter to thank him, you know, just to be sure.

 

Theo Nelson (Toronto, Canada) has been very kind to send me a number of his distinctive postcards that include poems:

 

Mail-art by Theo Nelson (Canada)

 

 

 Mail-art by Theo Nelson (Canada)

 

 

Here is a postcard-size collage from dear and faithful friend DharmaDaDa Erni Baer:

 

(Mail-art by Erni Baer, Germany)

 

 

Erni has also sent me larger and more complex work that I think deserves no less than an entire blog, so that part shall have to remain and IOU.

 

Prettylily (aka Sue Bowen - Virginia USA) is a good friend dating back to asemic days. We have managed to get very out-of-sync with our mailings. Here is a hand-painted envelope related to Cheryl Penn's (South Africa) Zalop call - a part of the larger, ongoing Fluxus word performance by Ruud Janssen (Netherlands):

 

Mail-art by Prettylily (Virginia, USA)

 

 

 Another mystery:

 

Mail-artist unknown

 

I can't read much of this, but I know part of it has somedthing to do with KDJ's head injury, which means someone with knowledge of the DKult. I still can't figure out who sent it.

 

Susan McAllister sent a piece that arrived last week. I think it is very funny, extremely relevant, and self-explanatory:

 

Mail-art by Susan McAllister (California, USA)

 

 

Many thanks for all the great mail-art! Please keep it coming.

 

MAIL-ART PSYCHIC

 

More d-vinyl unless you're a cd

 

It's a raincoat with holes. When it pours it reigns.

 

Cats & dogs.

 

Waffles.

 

12-3-9

 

Burberry Possum, Cyberdog.

 

Goose is loose. Loose hips sink slips.

 

Empty copper, see?

 

Something to play poker with or 4.

 

Raincoat = A peril.

 

Should have been 5, JL. Something went wrong.

 

Ray says, "I candy."

 

"No expectations" 4 Pip.

[De Villo Sloan]

Reverse side of Alicia Starr Trashpo:

[De Villo Sloan]

Svenja Wahl (Germany) & Alicia Starr (USA) were revealed as the mystery artists in the blogjam. I had another piece by Alicia in the Would Pile for the blog by Alicia. Here it is. I think she was working more along the lines of Trashpo in this one:

 

As a result of this blog a lot of work has made it from the dangerous Would Pile to a more safe and orderly archive!

[PIRO]

De Villo you are  my amigo.

[Marie Wintzer]

Thanks Alicia, so nice of you. I was weighing the pros and cons of blogging on a holiday. The good thing about it is that blogs get drowned less quickly. It's a trade-off I guess...

[Alicia Starr]

marie, it was easter weekend. never blog on a holiday. you would have had many responses to your blog if it appeared on a Monday. you and your work are respected - sky high. this i promise.

[Marie Wintzer]

I have tried to post one last weekend, it was called blogjam wannabe, but I reckon it wasn't a real blogjam as there was no comment at all ;-((

[De Villo Sloan]

Hi Marie, you should try one of these blogjams. I reckon it's like wrestling a greased pig if you try to keep up with the commentary. Well, I think some of the contributors are luminaries, as opposed to loonaries or Illuminati. You have always blogged Theo Nelson's work, so I thought it was high time to post a few. I wonder if he'd appreciate a Holism Manifesto? Shout outs:

 

Karen Champlin was here! KC was here! Where have you been?

 

Angie - thanks.

[Marie Wintzer]

Mail-Art Luminaries :-)) that's a new one too

[De Villo Sloan]

Oh my, the blogjam format certainly has a lot going on at once. Nancy Bell Scott deserves something for inventing this form of chaos. A couple points:

 

Roberto, seriously, thank you. From the asemic books to your trashpo design - you are a good friend & I enjoy your work always. Let's make sure to stay connected.

 

Erni, I knew! A piece fell off in the postal system - a key piece. I didn't know what to make of it. Another mystery solved.

 

Alicia Starr is the artist who created the other mystery mail. It's a great piece. Many thanks again.

[PIRO]

Rejoice DeVillo. rejoice......... Ahhhh and Happy Christmas, opppps i mean Easter.