RECEIVED: Oh Boy's John Evans Fake Collage Add-and-Pass Project (Burbank, California, USA)

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail-art by IUOMA member Oh Boy (Burbank, California, USA)

 

April 12, 2011 - Mail-artist Oh Boy is spearheading what I think is a tremendous add-and-pass project to honor New York City artist John Evans. Who is John Evans? He is mail-art/avant original who has been making collages (more or less one per day) since 1964. The golden touch in the mail-art world: He is closely associated with Ray Johnson. While maintaining the status of well-known unknown, his work has received attention from critics such as Hilton Kramer (who compared him to Joseph Cornell) and been shown in prestigious galleries. For more information, I found a New York Times article:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/26/arts/design/26evan.html

 

John Evans fake collages are receiving a good deal of attention at the IUOMA. This add-and-pass project has a very distinctive New York City quality to it, and you can have serious fun by participating. Oh Boy's They Live Jersey City subway piece provides some excellent guidance and the poster in a collage concept works well too. Here's more of the package:

 

 

John Evans collages incorporate all kinds of found material, which would would work for many artists. Fakes and fan clubs also seem to have a firm place in mail-art history, and this is definitely part of the tradition. Here's more material from Oh Boy - a blank canvas for sure:

 

Cool stamp on the envelope:

 

 

And the usual suspect:

 

 

Many, many thanks Oh Boy for putting me in the John Evans loop.

[De Villo Sloan]

Definitely, thanks.

[Oh Boy]

You can send him birthday wishes:
John Evans

199 East 3rd Street #2B

NY, NY 10009 USA

[De Villo Sloan]

Thanks for the update, Oh Boy. I've seen a few of the add-and-pass sheets posted at IUOMA. Maybe people could post a few reminders. Wow - 80.Happy birthday John Evans.

[Oh Boy]

Project is still running. John Evens just celebrated his 80th birthday.

[De Villo Sloan]

Hey Champ, whereya been? You definitely would appreciate this, and I'd like to see what you'd do. Doesn't it seem like back in the day Ray Johnson type stuff? The minute I saw this I was trying to sign on.

[Karen Champlin]

What a great project.  I hope to get in on it!