RECEIVED: Mail-Art Stamps and Asemics from Katerina Nikoltsou (Thessaloniki, Greece)

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail-art by IUOMA member Katerina Nikoltsou (Thessaloniki, Greece)

 

April 14, 2011 - This is turning into a series on Katerina's Nikoltsou's mail-art. She is currently working in the areas of asemic writing, haptic poetry, and sandpo, among others. Additionally, Katerina is making and circulating stamps that identify these mail-art trends? movements? The stamps above are on the reverse side of this asemic work she sent:

 

 

This piece by Katerina Nikoltsou is most closely aligned with the organic school of asemic writing that has been discussed at the IUOMA. She is not overly concerned with exploring the forms words and symbols make on a page: linearity, the suggestion of syntax. The stamped letters are derived from concrete poetry (it's interesting that in linguistics, S and Z are closely related - the sounds are made by pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth in the same place).

 

Through the stamping, Katerina is able to fracture the letters into what might truly be called asemics. The paint or ink shapes (overlays) also work as asemics using a different and (literally) more fluid approach. Katerina is an accomplished painter, and the ghost of a landscape or at least the suggestion of painterly composition adds to the complexity of the piece: vispo. It's fascinating (at least to me) to watch the hybrids constantly emerging in these areas. I like Katerina's piece very much and think there's a good bit going on. Her envelopes:

 

And over:

 

Many thanks Katerina, and there is more!

[Marie Wintzer]

S and Z, is it a battle of soft against "strong" consonants? Or maybe they just look good together. Which they do. Really enjoying this piece!

[De Villo Sloan]

Kat, this is a VERY interesting one to me. Thanks for the background.

 

Cheryl: Yes. 

[cheryl penn]

I am building a Grecian Monument with all Katerina's art :-).  The exposure to asemics in the Asemics Group has been a good starting place to experiment and post examples of these kinds of works.  Thanks DVS and Momkat. A question - is asemics art? I know I'm probably stirring here - but where does this form fit I wonder - YES I KNOW I THINK TOO MUCH :-))))