Received: Marie Wintzer's Mail-Art Punkture Dilemma (Saitama, Japan)

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail-art by IUOMA member Marie Wintzer (Saitama, Japan)

 

January 10, 2011 - Marie Wintzer's holes have been appearing across the mail-art network recently. I know some of them are angry. Having been involved in the original (W)Holy War with Marie, I feel a strong connection to this piece. I am very glad I received it. From the outset, mail-art holes have been concept or conceptual pieces. Many of the holes made during the last few months have been designed for interaction. The piece above, at present, is not a hole really, at least not yet. (Can someone translate what it says for me?) It is a wooden square, the sides a little more than an inch in length, covered with paper. When I poke around with my finger, I can feel the form of a hole inside. My inclination is to puncture it and turn this into a mail-art hole. Yet I cannot bring myself to do that because all the found language on the outside is so nice. Puncturing this, I would make it something else. I am not sure if I want to be responsible for that. Here's the other side:

I just adore these lexical pages Marie uses. I like the found poetry here. In the center, there is a glued contusion (a former hole mended?) that suggests a place to strike. That is probably not where I would do it. I like the surface of the other side better. This is all just idle speculation, though, right now I am going to leave it as it is and admire it. I am going to think about this for a while before acting. Marie always does the greatest envelopes:

The stamping looks like something I'd do:

What's cooking at Marie's Mailbox these days? You tell me:

http://www.mariesmailbox.blogspot.com

[De Villo Sloan]

Thank you Marie and everyone else who provided advice about how I should do this performance with Marie's hole. As you know, I am a pioneer of the mail-art hole performace. You will find in the documentation of my work I sustained lasting injury to my fingers doing the holes that brought so much joy to so many. Marie, you are a good friend, and I cannot deny your request. Yet insist on complete artistic freedom. I will prepare for the performance. I wish all of you were here to assist me; but I know that is not possible. I will post the results Marie.

[Marie Wintzer]

Thanks for a great post, Sloan (and you got great macros, cool!). You should take the advice of the people here below and open it. Not from the side of the tanuki stamp, but from the one of the dictionary pages. There is something inside, not the same thing for everyone. The hole had to be closed for mailing purposes, but maybe with the cold weather it got glued together. Can you try?

[De Villo Sloan]

Thanks for the info. I'm going to make it a hole. Is it always the same thing inside? I am sure to find the "angry wee fellow"? I'm wondering what Marie put in there: Pandora's Hole.

[Jen Staggs]

Mine underwent a delicate surgical procedure.  I kept hearing a muffled, angry ruckus, gently peeled back a couple of layers of the lexicon, and KAPLOW!  There was an angry wee fellow cursing and spitting at me!  A dental tool or scalpel of some kind is a useful probe for such delicate work...

[cheryl penn]

Then dont - there are so many of these critters scattered across the globe there are enough to form an army.   Maybe you've got the General - best then to leave punkturing alone.

[De Villo Sloan]

I'm looking for instructions and advice. Maybe it is stuffed down in the envelope. I still am reluctant to punkture it.

[cheryl penn]

Didn't Marie tell you to open the hole if it was closed??? I got those instructions:-) THE GUY CANT BREATHE!!