Asemic Writing for Mail-Artists

I am documenting all the books and zines Clemente Padin has published (well, those in my archives anyway) on the mix that is or has been called experimental/concrete/visual/semiotic/asemic poetry... For all these entries visithttp://mailartinternationale.blogspot.com

The second image has been used by me many times during conferences in Belgium on coding and decoding Vispo works. Some amazing reactions in Liege one day where former resistant fighters (against the nazis during WW II) said that they used similar visual codes to communicate amongst themselves; till my conference they had not realized they also made visual art and not only resistance! It is the same I replied but in a very humble tone!

How to watch a dying language

"Code Enforcement Officer"

I know many Asemic Comrades here are friends/fans of Marie Wintzer - her boekies, vispo, asemics, etc. Poet, critic, biographer, master stylist Tom Clark featured some of Marie's work on his excellent "Beyond the Pale" blog today.

http://tomclarkblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/marie-wintzer-sight.html

I had the great pleasure of discoursing with Tom on the MinXus-Lynxus blog a while back. He related that in his New York City days in the 1960s he remembered Ray Johnson and always thought highly of him. It's always a wonder to me to witness the cycles of history.

So take a gander!

we need more code enforcement or is that CODEX enforcement!

john

JMB (nice post below, BTW), Guido Vermeulen's earlier post of work by Clemente Padin also speaks to this idea of codes, which can be central to some asemic writers.

Certainly enforced codes are necessary to maintain the control of all sorts of vested and powerful interests. So who are the real Code Enforcement Officers among us?

Now some people can approach asemics as creating codes or types of codification. An asemic code might be the most perfect of all - as it can never be "cracked."

Guido Vermeulen generously sent me a copy of his book Travels with Collages. I think we all know with Guido there is a strong overlap with his collage, vispo and asemics. I think you can see it in the book. I have posted excerpts at MinXus-Lynxus:

http://minxuslynxus2.wordpress.com/2013/05/03/minxus-mail-bag-spect...

Guido also sent a copy of his 70 words for JMB, which I think is a pretty great poem:

Front porch asemics

Yeah, those 70 words are very cool indeed -

thanks to Guido!

john

A new chapter, "GAsemic Chromatography," has been added to the ongoing "GAsemics Series," a Kerri Pullo & De Villo Sloan collab featuring Kerri's Asemic Mom.

Complete chapter at MinXus-Lynxus:

http://minxuslynxus2.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/kerri-pullo-de-villo-...

I received one of Richard Canard's Haptic-Asemic-Visual-Object poems. I am a big fan of his Haptic-Asemic poem from a few years back that was either a soda or beer can that had been run over by a truck. The tread marks made some interesting asemics.

"kerripo"

concrete asemic poem or asemic concrete poem

artist book poem by Cheryl Penn

Jim Leftwich & John M. Bennett

Welcome K.S. Chambers & Raphael L. I hope this asemics group will be a resource for you. Make of it what best suits you. There are a few features I want to point out:

1) If you are interested in trading mail-art with asemic writing, you have over 100 contacts here to start.

2) Folks regularly post work in the comment stream here, so you can keep abreast of all the different things going on in the far-flung asemics community. Thanks John (and Jim) and Guido (and Cheryl) for the recent posts.

3) Please feel free to post your own work, ask questions or make comments. You have nothing to feel self-conscious about. As fortune would have it, the group ranges from some of the most recognized visual poets/asemic writers anywhere to members who are just plain curious. It has proven to be a very congenial and interesting group.

4) If you have a chance read through the old threads. We have had quite a time here!

Ancient text - weathered (lime green) tablet style asemics from Kerri Pullo. 

http://iuoma-network.ning.com/profiles/blogs/asemics-stamps-folios-...

WA Rodgers in Maryland, USA sent this really interesting decomposed Trashpo that has a great weathered asemic page. The decomposed paper makes some of the writing unintelligible. Eco-asemics? Trashemics?

More Semic Asemics:

Susan, I have the book. It looks as if she used some sort of paper mache process (just guessing). It's totally realistic but not like someone just mailed muddy, rained-on paper.

"Sardine Oil for WA Rodgers"

Asemic footprints, definitely!

Let's start the FOOTPRINT RIOT, chek it out the new group on Iuoma:
http://iuoma-network.ning.com/group/footprint-my-mail-art-id

Moan Lisa sent this staple piece that - I think one way you can see it - is as asemic. 

Looks as if the 14 Secret Masters have gotten to Moan, eh JMB?

More

http://iuoma-network.ning.com/profiles/blogs/moan-lisa-looks-back-o...

or maybe the Neoists!

john

Jim Leftwich & John M. Bennett

Claudia McGill in Pennsylvania, USA sent me some great asemics. More blogged @ IUOMA:

http://iuoma-network.ning.com/profiles/blogs/asemic-writing-asemics...

Ecosemics in garden

Asemiotics of Garbage

Reject from a chapter I am putting together for one Cheryl Penn's book project. If I do an asemic book I'll call it "Rejects" or "The Deleted."

Great to have you back, Guido.

Thanks JMB - I appropriated "Asemiotics of Garbage" for the folks in the Trashpo group also.

Still working on the chapter for Cheryl Penn's book - gotta give it the best shot I can. Enough outtakes for 5 chapters:

What does the asemic symbol mean? Nothing, of course or whatever you want.

Received work from Bruno Neiva in Spain. Many group members will recall he was very active in Asemics 16 and engaged in those weighty discussions, buried far down somewhere in this comment stream, about what might and might not be considered asemic writing:

Documentation at MinXus-Lynxus:

http://minxuslynxus2.wordpress.com/2013/08/08/minxus-mail-bag-blue-...

A really great approach to asemics, IMHO, by meeah Williams (Brooklyn, NY, USA):

Asemic Writing 3 (from E. Coles)

Thank you, Rebecca & E. Coles for some very fine asemic work! 

After 25+ page drafts I have selected 8 to send to Cheryl. Here is another one of the rejects. 

DVS, early on I worked out that you never sleep but now I see that you are the ultimate perfectionist! Who knew.

I've liked many of the 'rejects'.

Rebecca, like many great geniuses my sleep is a series of short naps, sometimes difficult when the need becomes overwhelming in a public place.

Thanks for the interest 8/25 pages have been selected.

Standing at the theater helps.

It is possible to sleep with your eyes open.