New Mail-Art project!

[Emilie Leonard]

Hi everyone, my name's Emilie Leonard i'm a Fine Art student from Plymouth, England. 

I'm setting up a Mail Art project as part of my dissertation which is focusing upon the concept of money in relation to an artist's identity and the art industry as a whole. Alot of my research so far has gone a long way to backing up my view that an excess of money has a negative impact on an artist's identity, turning art and the art industry into a commodity and numbing the raw spark of an artists creativity. Through this i began looking for people creating art in a positive, non-monetary driven way which lead me to Mail-Art.

I would love to receive work in response to this concept, specifically the effect of excess money within the art industry and how it affects an artist's identity. 

I am new to this so any advice would also be appreciated! 

Please post art to:

6 Tothill Avenue

St Judes

Plymouth

Devon

PL4 8PH

Many thanks! Emilie 

[Valentine Mark Herman]

Bonjour! I think that artists -- especially mail artists -- are like writers in the sense that there are lots of them, of which only a very, very few manage to make a living from their work. The vast majority of artists and writers 'do it for fun', or as a hobby, and if they succeed in selling anything, then it's some sort of welcome 'bonus' for them. Footballers, and most sports people, are like this too -- they play football, tennis, whatever, because they like doing so, and have no hopes or even desires of making a living for it. When artists and writers do well in the cultural market place, I don't agree with you that their creativity is negatively challenged. Au contraire, their market success frequently enables them to be full time artists/writers, and with this security their work often gets better and better.

Regards, Val

PS Please send a cheque!