Ask Anything

Also expect that when you leave an address you will get mail from unknown members too....

I find all this exciting and giving me lots of ideas. 

Is it in the spirit of the group to find images on the Web, print them and then incorporate them in the physical mail art (changing the images in various ways)? I feel it is but wanted to ask.

In two words Kevin, "Anything goes".

In a few more words, you can  do whatever you like within this genre -- everyone else does.

Some, including me, try and exercise a certain amount of self-censorship (no porn, for example): others don't.

Anything goes;

Go, Kevin, go!

I was asked what was mailart and replied with basically art sent through postal system and can be anything the openness make it more fun.

It can also be Mail Art sent via email. (Although 'traditionalists' like me have as little to do with email art as possible).

Can someone explain to me what fluxus is? Example I can think is Yoko Ono's cut piece where she invites audience to cut a pieces of her clothes with scissors. On basic note from I gathered from google it's a medium which allows people to interactive with the work rather than look like in galleries and museums.

a good start would be to read:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluxus

and follow up on some names and links from there on.

Not Just Yoko Ono......   Dick Higgins, George Maciunas, and lots of more connections. Ben Vautier is also from the old fluxus starters and still acyive and also into mail-art sometimes. So lots of connections......

I got the message below recently from a new member in India. You will see that she has concerns about providing details of her snail mail address.

Can anyone offer her any help on this, please?

Merci!

**************

Val Resh said…

I would suggest using private messages on the site to share addresses.

Cutting: Anyone suggest good book, video, tips, whatever, to get better at cutting out delicate shapes? I don't know how some can cut out seemingly impossibly intricate shapes. Probably practice, practice, practice. Would like to know I'm not alone in this feeling.

Kevin, I use craft knives (Xacto brand) and change the blade (#11) very often. Sometimes I put a piece of tape on the back before cutting which holds delicate shapes like fingers, birds legs, strands of hair, in place. I also have some small, pointed, very sharp craft scissors. Practice is definitely the way to go on this.

Kevin: Enlighten me, please -- how do private mesages work, and where does one find them?

*Thanks!

As far as I can tell if you have already friended someone and then go to their page one of the choices on the left is to send them a message. I'm assuming this message is sent directly to the friend and only to the friend and does not show up in any public area. I'm going to send Valentine a message now and if anyone can find it in a public place, them I am wrong. Kevin

P.S. The message should appear in the inbox on the right of the friend's page.

I got Kevin's message.

Did anyone else??

No.

Didn't get a message from Kevin.

I feel left out, Kevin!

Mim, then it worked. Kevin sent me a message, but you didn't get it. Don't feel left out...we all luv ya!

Can I send a felt envelope through the mail?

I saw a kit on sending a pigeon through the mail on the letter writers alliance website.

I want to know what are the parameters on sending mail ? 

can I send anything through the mail as long as I put enough postage,can i make envelopes out of anything?

thank you,ive been so curious.

I've mailed a collaged CD, a collaged old-time (hard) floppy disk. I've received part of an old telephone (from Dean,) a paint can top, and more. Dean's "trick" is to put enough postage on whatever you're sending, but not a return address! It works every time. Go for it, Samantha!

Galerie du Crabe (x3): Mom Kat once told me that 99 was the limit. When I do a 'mass mailing' to my Friends, I usually break them down into groups of about 6O-70. It works like that. Val

Thank you for your quick answer.

Susan: turn off your computer, go for a walk, enjoy life. Come back later, much later. Val

What is the BIGGEST Mail Art Exhibition that's ever been held? 'Biggest' in terms of number of pieces received.

My forthcoming Post Card Exhinition in Sigean, France, in August, will have well over 1000 contributions.

Can I claim this as the biggest in the world, the biggest in Europe, the biggest in Sigean, the biggest ever, the biggest in 2013, etc?

Can you help?

And then I can write to the Guinness Book of Records. (Or drink a Guinness)

Thank you.

Val

Bravo, Val.

The projects by Guy Bleus (Belgium) used to have more than 1000 participants. But for the current time it surely is a huge project.

Thanks, Ruud.

Mine is a one off exhibition, not an on-going project. So -- unless anyone tells me otherwise -- I WILL claim it is the biggest ever.

I have now more than 1100 postcards.

Guy Bleus did projects (also one off with exhibitions and books to document it) with thousands of participants in the 80-ies and 90-ies. ou can claim the biggest. Knowing history tells another story. Ruud.

p.s. more larger projects were done. Even the first Omaha Show (a fluxus event) that started all these exhibitions was larger.

Thanks again, Ruud.

I will moderate my claim along the lines of 'one of the largest Mail Art exhibitions in recent years'.

That should be OK, I think.

Val

My one-day-only-telephone-box Exhibition must be one of the smallest and shortest too.

You get the prize for the Sigean branch of IUOMA for biggest and smallest/shortest. Good job, Val.  By the way, I've welcomed all the new people posted yesterday, from whenever Ruud started back adding people. Whew. Got response from 2 already.

Apply for a Guiness Book of Records entry. That would make it complete!

Ruud: I just might, but they may ask you to support my claim.

Mim: good luck with the latest influx.

VMH

Ummm this may not be the best place to ask this question but....Would anyone like a few (4) issues of Printmaking Today? If you're not familiar with PT, it's a British publication and somewhat staid. Not a lot of flash. But perhaps some useful info or inspiration for printmakers. Let me know.

qui veut demander sa carte de con ?

http://www.vosgesmatin.fr/vosges/2014/06/20/juge-pour-avoir-present...

"Does anyone have good poetry writing prompts/websites where you go for them? Thanks in advance!"

i discover on Linkeln the use of poetry recipe books to be a poet & writter ; is there any good mail art prompts bloks around ?  

Sevda, you can explore members, go to the members page, see if there are any places that interest you, or names, check out the person's page and see if their work interests you. If they give their address, send them some mail. Put your return address on your mail and see what comes back to you. I can be your mentor. Get my info on my page. Mim 

When you post a BLOG on the main page, insert the image first, and then the text. That way the image appears. Has to do with the NING settings for Blogs.....

?  ?    ?   ??question,

i have found the free art page,

there is free art at iuoma,

is anyone doing free art?

can art make u free?

tell me about yr free art,

soon, free art will be a crime.

free art is available for$1.

NO to free art///////

Carl! Free mail art at least costs a postage stamp, doesn't it?

(What exactly is your question?

Where can we find the free art page?)

dear mrs. de vaan,

yes mail art is very costly, but this is what we do.

send more mail-art today.

free art v. 2.0 is an official group at iuoma and may be

found under groups at the top of every page.

there i discovered another free art page created by some

mysterious person who remains anonymous.

the free art foundation blog is also dysfunctional.

i just have a question about the whole notion of

free-art, if anyone is doing free-art let me know

what it is, i am still working on my idea of free art so many of

the pces i post there are questions.

all art is free expression, we want to put$value on everything.

regards, cb.

free art original group:

http://iuoma-network.ning.com/group/freeart

Just another day in Mentorland...

hello moderator,

if this is a MAIL-art organization/union why do we have members who do not have a actual mailing address listed?  the iuoma site becomes a chat room for all unrelated topics. i think at very least a mailing address,

PO. box number should be provided, this is what we do, put postage on an envelope and send it by hand in the mail. if u can't do that don't be involved at iuoma. i do both, real mail-art and post things electronically.

thats my problem/question, what can be done?