Spontaneous Asemics

[Carien van Hest]

I am curious how members view the phenomenon of spontaneous asemics and if they ever experience something like I did this afternoon. I was tidying my workspace and while lifting a pile of paper I detected marks of ink that got stuck to the plastic protection of my table.

Couldn't believe my eyes and started smiling. Yes and I even tried to read it. 

Asemics! Asemics everywhere!

[Alan Brignull]

You're not the only one. This is the reflection of a chrome towel rail on textured bathroom tiles

[Carien van Hest]

Amazing, Alan!

[Yvonne Kettner]

love it!

[De Villo Sloan]

Great topic & great examples,

Yes, once you get the concept of asemic writing, you are likely to start finding asemics everywhere. Other people in the group have noted this too.

I think this is one way art increases awareness. For instance, once you have seen Picasso's Cubism, don't you start noting geometric patterns and planes in everyday life?

We've called them "found asemics": Some asemic writers/artists use found examples - usually via photography - and never resort to painting or calligraphy.

Our group. in fact, pioneered "Eco-Asemics" where apparent language is found in nature. The late Guido Vermeulen (Belgium) did some early work. Our dear Nancy Bell Scott is noted for it.

(none of these terms are written in stone (no pun). They're just descriptive.)

Seeing language in the world around us is an interesting exploration of the human mind because we know the world through the filter of language. Humans are unusual that way.

[Carien van Hest]

They sure are. 

I definitely wil find other asemics from now on. And the example you gave, yes, it works that way.

The other way round is also the case. In photography I'm a rust lover and in decay you can find things too. Maybe because we are not used to leave the abstract alone.

Here is in an example of something I photographed. Entitled the Ballerina:

[De Villo Sloan]

I hope others will share new "Spontaneous" or "found asemics." Here are some "blasts from the pasts" not everyone has seen. 

Damaged, decomposing floor tile by Nancy Bell Scott (Maine, USA). Before you laugh, pieces like this got Nancy's work into a serious academic study of asemic writing. Looks like a blanc verse poem to me.

The great Richard Canard (Illinois, USA) sent me Matzoswhich - I admit - do look like ancient tablets. Edible asemics?

Here is a pic I took of a natural wall of limestone in a ravine. I think it looks textual.

[De Villo Sloan]

And Carien van Hest, here is a collab using rust by Diane Keys (Illinois, USA) & Gerda Osteneck (Canada). I don't know if it was intended to be asemic but I posted it on Asemic Front in 2017.

A lot of our folks use concepts of "decomposition" & "deconstructive" asemics. Gerda Osteneck sends me paper she finds that has literally decomposed in the outdoor elements. (Altho Trashpo folks in particular are very careful to send sanitized materialy.)

[Jayne Barket Lyons]

Love your ‘found asemics,’ Carien! Very cool! And DVS, it’s always nice to see the examples you give to educate (refresh our memories) on found asemics. Nice discussion!

[Alan Brignull]

Also, look up the Runamo Stone — some natural cracks which antiquarians have been trying to read for centuries.

[Carien van Hest]

Did that. Very interesting, thank you.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runamo

[De Villo Sloan]

By coincidence, a FB post presented pics of Andy Warhol's "oxidation" paintings, which use decomposition as well. Very different from soup cans!

I hope the link works, These are probably at Ubu.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10164070899850704&set=pcb.1...

[Carien van Hest]

Asemic puzzle