Pawel Petasz (1951-2019)

On Facebook I read: "Sad news about Pawel Petasz in Poland died in April. No idea this had happened. No mention of it on FaceBook as far as i know? He did some wonderful mail art and will be greatly missed." published by Michael Leigh (UK)

This group is made to honor him and to share some things to keep the memory alive. May he rest in peace.

  • Ruud Janssen

    Michael Leigh
    Michael Leigh Pawel was one of the first mail artists I was in contact with when I started this malarky back in the early 80's. I was always amazed how he made his own paper and constructed his envelopes which folded out to reveal a wonderful collage or a letter typed on tissue paper etc. He will greatly missed. A small selection of his work can be seen to the archive show we are doing at MMU - wish we had room for more.
  • Ruud Janssen

    Biography

    Pawel Petasz was born in Kalisz, Poland in 1951. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk, Poland until 1974. Since 1974 he has been active in the Mail Art scene. Until today he is doing paintings, collages, visual poetry and from 1989 on digital art as well. He published and initiated artists’ books by sending out books and collages that he started. In 1977 he edited the first issue of the Commonpress Magazine and coordinated other issues of this Mail Art assembling of different editors up till the proclamation of the law of war in Poland in December 1980.

    His collages on fragile materials, his envelopes made from hand papermade paper and his texts, that he duplicated with linocuts, radiate the charm of a dissident production.

    The National Museum Schwerin had chosen a photo of his Amsterdam performance for the poster and the cover of the catalogue of its exhibition “Mail Art – Osteuropa im internationalen Netzwerk” (Mail Art – Eastern Europe in the international network) in 1996.

    Literature (selection)

    Barneveld, Aart van: Six Mail Art Projects, Amsterdam 1980.

  • Michael Leigh

    Some envelopes and mailed pieces from the 80's that we have in our archive -