Fluxus and Mail-Art , Fluxus or Mail-Art

[Ruud Janssen]

Are you working both in Mail-Art and Fluxus? If yes, what is the difference for you when you work in one of the fields

[Ruud Janssen]

Hi Mehrl,

Thanks for the comment. I am doing just that for some time now. That MB needs a word that rimes with IUOMA is his choice. He is even part of the IUOMA group on Facebook......... Is he a member or not? He has to make his mind up I guess.

[carl baker]

OUR FLUX,

what if someone fluxus and does'nt know he/she is fluxing, is he/she still flux?

i work for fluxus, this is mail-art etc.

thank u. ACME.

[Ruud Janssen]

new artists still learn from the past.Old artists are part of the past.

[Ruud Janssen]

when something irritates it hits a nerve.

We shouldn't worry on what others call our work. We should only just do our work. Artists and art critics shouldn't sit in the same chair.

[Heleen de Vaan]

But by Visual Mom's words I learned that sometimes the artist is the art critic (so there's only one chair)  :-)

 

[Heleen de Vaan]

I agree with Ruud, who says we should not worry about how people call our works, but just do our work.

However, apparently I need some 'labels', too :-)
To answer Ruud's question "Are you working both in Mail-Art and Fluxus? If yes, what is the difference for you when you work in one of the fields?", I have the following thoughts:

For me there's indeed a difference between the mail I'm sending out. I register (if I don't forget) my outgoing mail, and in my little archive (just a notebook) I distinguish my 'mail art' from my 'fluxus' mail. So in this notebook there's (abbreviated) MA mail and there's Flux mail.

For me, mail art is mainly Art: drawn, painted, certain collages (not all), and also stamp prints if I carved or designed the stamp by myself. And nowadays some fabric, thread and so too, when used in a more 'art' than 'craft' way. (Please don't misunderstand: I'm speaking for myself, not 'judging' others or so - every mail that has been sent to me by a mail artist I consider mail art! - unless they name it otherwise, of course :-) )

The pieces of my outgoing mail which I'm giving the label 'Flux' mainly is spontaneous, made fast (as to me 'fluxus', flowing, goes rapid - the word 'flux' pronounciated for Dutch sounds a bit like 'vlug' - fast). It is not always 'art'-like, and a little weird (not according to me, but according to narrow-minded people, or my brother :-).
And by sending it to someone, there's communication, which also is essential, to my opinion, for fluxus.
Examples of works I consider 'fluxus' rather than 'mail art', are e.g. pieces of wood in a not-really-appreciated-(by-the-post-company)-size-or-shape, sent 'naked'; a coaster; a cardboard package, altered a little (like this part of a pizza box, alas you can't see the back side here); napkins in their original plastic package;  the CD I had found in the street, also sent 'naked' (but the post company protected it by adding an envelope, oh how I love this extra 'communication'!) and that kind of things.

Thinking this way, to my opinion also W. Reginald Bray is a Fluxus artist as well. For the ones who don't know him: he posted himself, and onions, and tried to post a baby (alas not accepted by the Royal Mail). More than 100 years ago!

Am I a 'real' fluxus artist when I call some of my outgoing mail 'fluxus'? To my opinion: 'yes', and maybe to other's opinions 'no'. So be it, it's okay, too. However, most people around me don't know what 'fluxus' is (they don't even know 'mail art'!..).

I happened to have bought a book in 2011, 'Fluxus and the essential questions of life', edited by Jacquelynn Baas, and I didn't (take time to) read it, but I watched the pictures, and my conclusion was - and still is - that my idea of my own 'fluxus' is correct. At least for me.
And I will think any other artist creating 'fluxus' art, too, when he or she considers it 'fluxus', too!

[Ruud Janssen]

labels are always fun. You never can have enough of them.

[Ruud Janssen]

That book I still have to order. Where did you order it? (essential questions of life....)?

[Heleen de Vaan]

Here (a paperback / softcover version), but I see it's also available here, and a hardcover version here (there is a bookstore from Libris in Breda, too, so I think your local book shop might order it, too).

If you wish I can lend/send it to you, let me know! 

As I have a huge pile of books-still-to-be-read, and this one isn't on top of this pile yet, I probably won't miss it, the coming years :-) .

 

'Can never have enough labels', I didn't see it that way before, but I think you are right :-)

[Alicia Starr]

Diddo Heleen. Succinctly stated.

[Ruud Janssen]

it aqctually is a mail-art card for the future.

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Those have to be nice "fuzzy" "Haptic" "FluXus" letters, Ruud! And for 2015!

How about FluxFest Chicago, 2014?

Pity it is in the winter (February)...if it were in May, I'd be there :-)

I am sending a FluxBox...is it FluXus? or Mail Art? or BOTH!

It is what it is (and i have the rubber stamps to prove it :-)