ADD & PASS

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Comment by De Villo Sloan on December 21, 2020 at 1:40am

Hi Mim, yes, and you probably remember back before the DSF fakes. I think he was actually an IUOMA member at one point & was either kicked out or driven off the platform (which is incredibly unusual). There's a bizarre history going back several years. 

Jenn, so sorry you attracted his attention. Gergels are very unusual in the network so I hope it doesn't tarnish your view of mail art.

Mail art is a genre where to an extent you become a public figure or persona. The established figures develop a trusting relationship with their audience. People build relationships over months and years. Again, "bad apples" don't survive long. 

Mah Nu - I think you've come to the right place to get a grasp of how the network functions. The interesting things you are doing, like cassette culture, are genres that thrive in the Eternal Network. So I'm looking forward to seeing more of what you're doing.

Yeah, when I got into this in the late 70s (Lord, I'm old) there was downright pornography, violence, extreme politics & all forms of insanity in the mailbox (along with extraordinary art). The network - after all - was mainline counter culture in the beginning. 

That's changed, of course. And in my decade at IUOMA we've - collectively - dealt with people freaking out over things that have shocked them in the mail. We've talked about it a lot, in fact. Ruud Janssen's concept of "unspoken rules" has worked surprisingly well.

When Ray Johnson was alive he was called in for questioning over some nudity in mail art someone received by accident. I don't remember the story completely but even bunny rabbit Ray was accused of being a pronographer.

Comment by Mim Golub Scalin on December 21, 2020 at 1:20am

You're are correct De Villo Sloan, Gergel is the bad apple for sure. I've been very fortunate not to experience others, even though I have all my information on my page. 

He's not pranking, he's being dishonest. 

Comment by Jenn Miltenberger on December 21, 2020 at 1:19am

Welp... DVS he apparently is still passing fake DSF stuff, I was passed some recently. 

I have a lot of experience with “Gergel” and spoke privately with some of you about it but if you’re curious you can message me directly. 

Comment by Mah Nu on December 21, 2020 at 1:18am

Thank you all very much for your feedback and advice... as a newer artist in this network, it means a lot to me... (and sorry for taking up so much space in this discussion on this matter). As an artist who appreciates erotic and unconventional work, I also know it is important to be sensitive and consensual with how the art engages others. He definitely seems like someone I do not have the interest or time to spend on... thanks again <333

Comment by De Villo Sloan on December 21, 2020 at 1:13am

My view is that Gergel is a menace.

Sometime last year he sent me FAKE add & pass sheets attributed to DSFCult & I almost blogged them but checked w/DSF who knew nothing about them & didn't want them published.

I get the prank thing in mail art but I believe this incident was different, 

Mail art has very few "bad apples," but it is my personal view that Gergel is one of them.

Comment by Mim Golub Scalin on December 21, 2020 at 12:37am

Mah Nu, Gergel is a stalker and involves people who don't want to be involved, like the guy who's the director of the art museum. A guy I know, when I contacted him he said that Gergel was employed at the museum before he came there, what capacity he didn't say, and that he was disguntled. 

He also stalked a female mail artist last year and sent explicit mail art which she wasn't interested in. She had to close down her PObox. The last batch with the St.Pete's/Tampa postmark, with his tell-tale markings, I was the first recipient so they went into the "file" next to my studio table. If they'd have had other participants, I'd have sent them to Josh.

Comment by Fleur Helsingor on December 21, 2020 at 12:24am

Speaking of Josh Ronsen's project: I've received two of those little zines that he made from add-and-pass sheets and they are great!

Whenever I get a sheet that looks full but I can't figure out who started the add-and-pass, I send it to Josh.

Comment by Fleur Helsingor on December 20, 2020 at 7:39pm

I recycle those, too.

If I remember correctly, his last name is "Gergel."

I've also received envelopes containing sheets like those from Tampa/St. Pete with a "Shirley Gergel" return address. I suspect that those are really from Dennis G.

More for the recycle bin.

Comment by Susan Weisberg on December 18, 2020 at 10:15pm

Glad to  have my instinct confirmed.

Comment by Mim Golub Scalin on December 18, 2020 at 10:11pm

Yes, that’s Gergen. I recently got a batch from him. Newly minted. No I’ve had them before. I recycled them.

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