RECEIVED: Mail-Art from KING KOLLAGE Erni Baer (Hamburg, Germany)

[De Villo Sloan]

"Open Days (2011)" by IUOMA member Erni Baer (Hamburg, Germany)

 

July 29, 2011 - Desperately seeking to ride the wave of the Erni Baer phenom, I am posting two extraordinary, full-size (A4 = approximately 8 1/2 inches by 11) collages Erni sent me some time back.

 

I was an Erni Baer fan before it became fashionable. I have pestered him for a long time to send me some larger pieces so I could have a close look at them. They are spectacular! Long ago Susan Sontag wrote a book titled Against Interpretation. I think that sums up Erni's views on critics. So I will refrain from analysis and just hope you enjoy the work as much as I do. Here is "Tarzan (2011)":

 

I apologize for the terrible scan. You can see in the middle of the collage there is a raised cardboard triangle. This makes the work incredibly unique for me, a gesture toward the haptic. But it blurs some of the amazing images underneath. With "Tarzan," I wondered if Erni was entering the dialog concerning the notorious mail-artist Grigori Antonin (The Minnesota Marauder), the Monkey Purge, and Dark wall's use of Tarzan comics to depict "The Grigster":

 

 

Dark wall took the monkey pics from an old Tarzan comic book that probably should not have been cut up.

 

Erni's mail-art packaging is always tremendous. Here is one surface that works as a collage too:

 

All joking aside, I deeply appreciate this Erni! I love these pieces and treasure them.

[De Villo Sloan]

Yes Erni, Tarzan the British (?) aristocrat who rises to supremacy in Africa, despite ties to his family. Wonder what message that sends us? Edgar Rice Burroughs? No relation to WSB. I think Tarzan even travels to other planets in some episodes. The old comics are great. Not sure of the year on the one Dark wall took apart. Not sure if that's positive recycling either.

 

Thanks again for the wonderful collage, Erni.

[De Villo Sloan]

Thanks for a clear shot of "Tarzan," Erni. I'm scanner reliant, and I couldn't get a good image. The cardboard triangle is wonderful in that piece.

[De Villo Sloan]

Cheryl - thanks for posting another Erni Baer treasure.

 

SH - we can't think of Einstein as a knit-wit, no way.

 

Kat - I can only think to use quality when it comes to Erni's work. The collages are just beautifully made an solid. He packed it with care, as if bound for an art gallery. Just wonderful.

[1cgqtuoblpeqc]

yes, but does that einstein knit his own equations, cheryl?

[cheryl penn]

Another from Erni - made in 2004 - its Antique Erni - "Humafunk"  highly collectible! No, its not for sale.

[1cgqtuoblpeqc]

UHU!!!!!!!!!

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

HAM-BUR-GER! Gota love Herr Haptic Erni's collages! These two are amazing, thanks for blogging, Sloan!

That might just be a rare Tarzan comic book that DW cut up...(so much for making a few thousand dollars on eBay!), but DW is making fun art: priceless.