Vispo by Carmela Rizzuto (Sunnyvale, California, USA) "quoting" Carl Baker (Peterborough, Ontario, Canada)

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail-art by IUOMA member Carmela Rizzuto (Sunnyvale, California, USA)

July 26, 2014 - Carmela Rizzuto sent me this gorgeous mail-art. While I am well-aware of the visual arts dimension of the work, I read this primarily as an asemic, visual poetry text. The concept is enhanced by the fact that Carmela uses a fragment by visual-textual poet Carl Baker of Canada. This mail-art could be fairly viewed as a collaboration between Carmela and Carl, although I see it more as an example of “quoting” (related to appropriation) where Carmela builds her work around Carl’s unique sensibility using a theme and variation pattern.

Carmela Rizzuto included this very kind message that explains just about everything, including an isolated section of Carl Baker’s work. The piece also has a cut-up quality, but the fragmentation is subsumed into a very cohesive piece.

Deepest thanks to Carmela Rizzuto (and Cark Baker as well) for sending us such a lovely piece! This is the spirit of mail-art at its best, IMHO.