The South African Connection

[cheryl penn]

Mail art from Iona Bennie, Cape Town

Iona Bennie in Cape Town, a fantastic artist in her own right sent me this contribution to The World is a Town Project.  Made of recycled novel paper and what could be telephone book paper/newspaper ,  words lie within the frail skin surface.  Layering of many,  many words, a recontextualisation of that which has already been written.  Is that not the essence of a hyper-palimpsest?

 

 

Underneath.  Yes, its always about underneath isn’t it?   Trying to stitch things together, words and phrases to make some sense of it all. 

Iona – a FAB – thank you.

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Mail Art from Lauriana Glenny, Gillits.

Under the Needle – works which explore the theme of being found "under the needle of the Master Seamstress".

Lauriana has posted images of her latest mail project on the IUOMA website.  You all know what a treat you are in for.  Again, the attention to detail is fantastic.  When the envelope arrived, all stitched closed I thought – do I open this?

How to do it?  Let me give you some advise – A tiny pair of scissors and  lots of patience – you’ll be well rewarded. 

A haptic piece, stitch by stitch Lauriana is building a narrative.

A narrative that will again become part of the world as she posts it.

Thank you Lauriana - your work is ALWAYS appreciated - the time and effort and the results :-)

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Ok - Blogging takes up ALOT of time BUT it is essential to say thank you for the wonderful mail I receive.  So I'm thinking Country Blogs.  Sort of World Town Province Blogs.

Received Second Week February 2011 from my fellow Seffrikins :-)

From Lesley Magwood Fraser:

My second ATC (lucky me :-) - of course the note put it in context -

The accompanying note (I love receiving notes :-)

ABSOLUTELY!! Housework SUCKS!!!!

Lesley is a REGULAR contributor to ALL my projects - in fact sometimes, she's the project :-) !  Another Red contribution.  One of these days I'll show the book - beautiful work, wonderful contributions. MAN! Iuoma has been good.

The note of course:

GREAT relief on my part, despite all her new IUOMA friends, Lesley is NEVER stopping playing with me :-)))

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Mail Art From Heather Miller:

Knowing my love of words and poetry and language stuff, Heather often sends me things that make me go dust off brain cobwebs:

All words are pegs to hang ideas on.

Right.  That would be Henry Ward Beecher.  One of whose famous sisters was Harriet – authoress of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, an anti-slavery journal.  Back to Henry.  He was a forthright clergyman, abolitionist etc – and then of course there was the Beecher-Tilton Affair. I’ll leave that one to you if you’re interested enough :-)

My o-dear Beecher quote:

"If men had wings and bore black feathers, few of them, would ever be clever enough to be crows"

I wonder, is the alphabet a peg to hang words on?

Word for the day: EFFICACIOUS:  the power or capacity to obtain the desired effect.

But I prefer the next one.

SYMMETROPHOBIA -  A fear of things symmetrical.  I had forgotten that one

Another beaut:

Dichotomous: contrasts.

I love the fact that I got all these words with more than five letters Heather :-) - thank you.

 

 

 

[Heather Miller]

thanks Cheryl. Still get a thrill when I see my work on your blog. you are so clever. Mwa

[Marie Wintzer]

You're right, the 2 newbies are a-mazing, wow!

[cheryl penn]

Sawubona Katerina :-) Yes, there are, but they dont belong to IUOMA - I haven't persuaded them yet :-) If I start speaking Zulu is there a translator for that I wonder??

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

KALIMERA Cheryl! You mean to say there are MORE SA gals? I bet they make great boekies, too!

[cheryl penn]

WAIT until you see the two newbies later :-)

[Marie Wintzer]

SA power! Love the red stamp!

[cheryl penn]

MOMKAT ;-) hello - good to have The Greek Connection here too!

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

mmmmm..."συμμετροφοβία"....."διχοτομική"....ok, tis Greek-to-me ;-)

'Agree with Sloan, these gals in South Africa have brought a whole fresh breeze of creativity here!

[cheryl penn]

Thanks DVS :-) Heather - Les had her 2 pieces returned too - the monkeys have invaded the P.O. too... :-( Thanks for all the mail - its a treat.

[De Villo Sloan]

I am a HUGE fan of the SA Mail-Art School. The work of all the artists is so original. You are bringing vitality and innovation into the network - just tremendous.