RECEIVED: The Spirit of Post-Neo-MinXus in a New Stamp from Marie Wintzer (Saitama, Japan)

[De Villo Sloan]

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

 

March 28, 2012 - A message in this beautiful package of mail-art from Marie Wintzer warns me that this material is meant only for the mysterious Dark wall.

 

Unfortunately, he has been fretting, pacing, and brooding for the last several weeks because he is deeply concerned about MinXus - a mail-art project he, Marie, and Cheryl Penn (South Africa) worked on together until those terrible words "creative differences" (always an allusion to something that is never clearly stated) suggested that the spirit of MinXus had vanished from the face of the earth.

http://iuoma-network.ning.com/profiles/blogs/received-cheryl-penn-s...

 

I feel I must post this material on behalf of Dark wall because it proves beyond a doubt that MinXus is alive, well, and evolving. Of prime importance is this missive that contains a new MinXus stamp created by Marie for Dark wall. I have no doubt that many friends will see it often in the days and weeks ahead. (Tales that Dark wall was abducted by an angry skinhead band from Britain are untrue). The stamped image is included in this great letter from Marie: 

 

 

MinXus is about many things, but especially stamps. Although it is not exactly this simple, it is helpful to apply a general rule that anything with a MinXus stamp is MinXus art, and anyone can make MinXus art. You probably make MinXus art and do not know it. Sometimes it is good to give things a name so you can talk about them. Here is a close-in on the new stamp:

 

 

The story of MinXus has been told elsewhere:

 

http://iuoma-network.ning.com/profiles/blogs/received-dispatch-from...

 

Now, has Marie created Post-Neo-MinXus? I think not. I think the original spirit of MinXus remains intact and through its generosity, kindness, and creativity will always be with us as long as the eternal network endures. I think MinXus endures in Dark wall's heart; he has had to dig a bit to find it. This stamp gives it back to him.

 

Yet, if you are really interested in mail-art, you might profit from an investigation of Neo and Post-Neo. As I have often written to friends: "These are very ancient trade routes we travel today. You might be surprised to discover who traveled them before you." And to give a predictably cryptic answer to a question that has not been asked: "Yes and no." Marie also included visual-textual work that I think is derived from her amazing tryptychs:

 

The poem on the far right is great. I have not had the chance to check if it is by Gertrude Stein or rather something in the spirit of Tender Buttons. Here are the reverse sides of the piece:

 

 

What is MinXus? The work above is MinXus. This work with the older MinXus New York stamp was also included:

 

 

One side of the envelope includes a set of the original MinXus stamps:

 

 

And, finally, here is the front of the envelope:

 

 

I think this mail-art leaves no doubt that MinXus is alive and well. To rephrase a line from William Faulkner's Nobel Prize acceptance speech: "I believe MinXus will not merely endure, it will prevail."

 

And the Dark remains in Dark wall...

 

 

[Marie Wintzer]

[Marie Wintzer]

Dumpster is fine. That's what I asked for anyway.

[De Villo Sloan]

Don't get too excited - it's just a large envelope that looks like it has been stuffed with the contents of a dumpster.

[Marie Wintzer]

Now I can't wait even more!!!

[De Villo Sloan]

Marie, I saw it. Some of the major US MinXus works are on the way to you. The customs declaration alone should be published such as "plastic electric outlet wall cover covered with masking tape & cardboard cover with small metal screw that can be opened to reveal picture of a bird" - stuff like that

[Marie Wintzer]

Youhouuuu, thank you!!! Sometimes it's worth begging.

[De Villo Sloan]

A package of MinXus artifiacts is on its way to you. I have included "Ether Music," the first hole in the Holism series and more. Let us hope they arrive safely.

[Marie Wintzer]

Holism is looking good!

Ehmm.. I'll be the annoying one now, but before he closes the envelope... could he add a little piece of vispo? Any tiny piece of scrap or leftover or discarded or remains or whatever. I know it will be months until he sends anything else. Some leftovers pleazzzz.

[Marie Wintzer]

Glad to see that MinXus is back on some kind of rails. I lost count, but this must be its third life or something. Why is there a difference between one window and another, why is there a difference, because the curtain is shorter.

[De Villo Sloan]

I present to you the first in a new series of haptic Minxus work that shall bear the stamp and the first WILL go in the mail to you tomorrow. I present "Holism"