Brain Cell - Ryosuke Cohen

[Ruud Janssen]

What are your thoughts about this project? Would be interesting to know what you think. Do you participate. Since when, How much times. Do you know the concept? Will also try to publish a few samples here (or others can help me with that)

[Ruud Janssen]

Sample of Brain Cell 604

[Ruud Janssen]

A typical envelope from Ryosuke Cohen that contains Brain Cell.

[Ruud Janssen]

i Always sent one piece of mail where Ryosuke chose one mark that he used for the collage.

[Ruud Janssen]

No, with chose one mark I mean he just copied one of the rubberstamps I used on the mail-art and reproduced that on all the papers. Actually he lets students do that. I met Ryosuke in Koeln in 1990 when he and Shozo Shimamoto and Myumi Handi where there for the "Sacred Run' event.

Ryosuke speaks english but rarely reacts with content to your mail. He only sends out his brain cells to just anybody that send him mail. That is the success. Everybody gets the newest mail-adresses and can use them.

[Peter Dowker]

Wilma, If you're having trouble with the "loosey goosey" aspect of these sheets due
to your symetrical aesthetic, start by disregarding the "whole" and take a little trip over the surface looking at each individual submission, they're fascinating. You might come out the other side with a greater appreciation for the complete sheet.

[Carla Cryptic]

Also, they are remarkably symmetrical for this sort of collage. Do you not like the body ones either? They are brought together in the shape of a human body (his, most often, I'm thinking... can't remember off the top of my head though...). Sometimes they seem TOO symmetrical to me. Just shows how differently we all see the same things, eh? Takes all kinds to make a world. :)

[Ruud Janssen]

First BRAIN CELL from Japan #1
Going through the archive one finds historic things. The FIRST BRAIN CELL from Ryosuke Cohen in Japan. When you go through the participant list (just click on image to enlage) you will notice that there are some oldies on the list. Five actually already passed away.

[Ruud Janssen]

[Ruud Janssen]

the photos are from http://iuoma.blogspot.com/ where I have been posting stuff since 2004 (soon 5 years of blogging!). Just search for Ryosuke Cohen of Brain Cell on the blog and you will fins these samples. There are the high resolution files. This new IUOMA-platform transforms any image to low resolution to keep the system functional with all these data....

[Carla Cryptic]

Wow! So cool to see Brain Cell #1! :) I think the first one I got was around #14 or something like that.

[Ruud Janssen]

still have to look for more early numbers....... I was already in contact with Ryosuke before he started this concept in 1985.

 

[Reid Wood]

It's nice to see you posted this. I knew I had been participating a long time, but I didn't remember that I was on number 1.

Reid (State of Being)