I've posted the pages (so far) by Carien van Hest (Netherlands) from her fascinating asemic journal at AF2. Thanks Carien! I hope you & others carry on with the asemic journal concept.
In a nod (& wink) to the digital I've shared some "glitched asemic vispo" by Kristine Snodgrass (Florida, USA) on Asemic Front 2 this evening. Keep 'em coming!
This is a microscript of Robert Walser, a fascinating writer whom I have always wanted to learn more about. This is a German script, and the letters are around 1-2 mm high. Not technically asemic, but visually inspiring (source: http://www.drawingcenter.org/):
How could I not jump at a piece by Chris Wells (Ohio, USA) shared specifically with our group? So I have that saved for posterity at AF2. Many thanks, Chris, for work of such relevance to recent AF directions:
Also thanks to Chris & the endorsement of Maxima Strange concerning Robert Walser. This is where the group can be so helpful.
Thanks as ever to Borderline Grafix (Texas, USA) & especially for FAB work by the mysterious Princess Olivia Mooncake.
Great stuff here these days! Many thanks & I am moving it all toward the Asemic Front call (which will continue at least through the remainder of 2020 and then we'll assess).
Mail Art Martha! We have fruitfully discoursed upon Trashpo as well.
Wonderful observation: The Nothingness to which Buddhists aspire is similar to the aim of the asemicist (asemic writer).
Otherwise, Dharma (I understand to be the spiritual realm) appears in Beat writing. Kerouac's "Dharma Bums" is notable. Ginsberg writes of "Dharma poetics." The jump to the asemic is easy.
Also I would note asemic writing probably in part is derived from automatic or "spirit writing" where the medium is recording messages from "the other side," which involve non-recognizable or only partially recognizable language.
I feel like Maxima Strange (Ohio, USA) has been in the group forever, but actually she is very new. And here is her first appearance on Asemic Front 2 with some gothic asemics! Many thanks. And of course folks know there is no limit to the amount of material you can submit to Asemic Front.
I've done some collabs (Asemic Front, after all, is about collabs) w/ the Princess Olivia Mooncake work shared in our group thanks to Borderline Grafix.
"asemic poetry" is an area that really hasn't been explored (which I think is a good thing!). Of course I am especially interested to see asemic poems & also asemic-visual poetry hybrids.
(There is no right or wrong here! I'm not slightly suggesting that. I think we can make asemic poetry what we want.)
Here are asemic poems I did early as mail art for Carina Granlund in Finland. The scan date is June 5, 2012!
Carien, from what I've learned in our group, people do spoken asemics for all intents and purposes. Our own John M. Bennett has recordings (of his won performances) you can find online (I'll look) that would be considered asemic.
Ray Johnson did asemic performances of sort of nonsense poetry. I'm told it sounded like stuttering. So did the great mail artist Blaster Al Ackerman.
A lot of sound poetry would be considered asemic in that it's rooted in language but has no conventional meaning.
Things like speaking in tongues & mediums who claim to channel lost languages could be considered asemic.
Actually, you can find a lot of it. But I don't know that people have yet done many consciously considered asemic performances & recordings.
Completed some asemic glitch pieces w/ Kristine Snodgrass (Florida, USA) that are hybrid (glitched hard copy collabs).
Kristine is editing an anthology of women's vispo/asemics w/ Kerri Pullo, Nicole Winborn others. (Connect w/ Kristine of FB is probably best to learn more).
Oh, and it's important to add that Cinzia Farina (Italy and an IUOMA member) is also listed in the announcement of the forthcoming women's asemic-vispo anthology. So - along with Kerri Pullo - that's two members of our group!!!
I'm nearly certain that this used to be text and drawings from a patent. I don't know how it got THIS way but suspect it suffered innacuracies during xerography.
That's great distortion, Fike. I've been working with some starters Borderline Grafix sent and got a major glitch from one of them. I think that's something like what you're doing. dv
I've posted some straightforward b&w asemic texts by John McConnochie (Queensland, Australia) at Asemic Front 2. John works in many styles and I think he has a book out from Michael Jacobson's Post-Asemic Press.
These are "textbook" examples of asemics without the vispo and/or concrete hybrid elements we tend to see in this group.
John's note is something you would carry in your wallet all the time, for the rest of your life. I never thought something unreadable could look so comforting.
De Villo Sloan
Welcome to the group Ms. Strange & Carien van Hest.
Carien, thanks for the asemic journal share. I hope we see more. Also thank you for the m-a. More on that soon.
No Moon Lisa? Oh well
Aug 25, 2020
Carien van Hest
Two more pages from my asemic journal, July 24th was the second day of the journal
The other pages (below) were a couple of weeks later, and getting more and more the hang of it.
The less I think while writing, the easier it is.
Aug 25, 2020
Bradford
Soon, you'll render us a new Voynich Manuscript, Carien.
Aug 25, 2020
De Villo Sloan
I'm with Bradford. I love Carien's asemic journal pages! Thank you!
Aug 26, 2020
De Villo Sloan
Two new pieces from Asemic Front regular contributor, Yayoi S.W. - also an IUOMA member. Many thx!
https://asemicfront2.blogspot.com/2020/08/new-asemic-vispo-by-yayoi...
Aug 28, 2020
chris wells
Aug 29, 2020
borderlinegrafix
Aug 29, 2020
borderlinegrafix
Aug 29, 2020
Carien van Hest
Todays pages
Aug 29, 2020
De Villo Sloan
I've posted the pages (so far) by Carien van Hest (Netherlands) from her fascinating asemic journal at AF2. Thanks Carien! I hope you & others carry on with the asemic journal concept.
https://asemicfront2.blogspot.com/2020/08/a-glimpse-into-asemic-jou...
Sep 1, 2020
De Villo Sloan
Also thanks to the great work shared recently by Chris Wells (welcome back, Chris) & our "Ol' Bud" Boderline Grafix. Asemic Front is ongoing!
Sep 1, 2020
De Villo Sloan
Dharma Asemics
Sep 1, 2020
carl baker
thank u DVS, do u have a dharma practice? meditator?
Sep 1, 2020
De Villo Sloan
In a nod (& wink) to the digital I've shared some "glitched asemic vispo" by Kristine Snodgrass (Florida, USA) on Asemic Front 2 this evening. Keep 'em coming!
https://asemicfront2.blogspot.com/2020/09/glitched-asemic-vispo-by-...
Sep 4, 2020
De Villo Sloan
Welcome Graciela Sarabia to our humble group. Feel free to share, trade asemics w/ other members, ask questions - whatever works for you.
Carl Baker - I have no particular affinity to the Buddha (altho I have some Allen Ginsberg stories). I just happened to take the photo last weekend.
Certainly some asemic calligraphy seems to reference wonderful Chinese & Japanese traditions that have a spiritual component.
I do note many asemic writers seem to be be meditators, meditative, Asemic writing has a spiritual quality for some & I was just recognizing that.
Yer Ol' Bud dvs
Sep 4, 2020
chris wells
This is a microscript of Robert Walser, a fascinating writer whom I have always wanted to learn more about. This is a German script, and the letters are around 1-2 mm high. Not technically asemic, but visually inspiring (source: http://www.drawingcenter.org/):
Sep 4, 2020
Maxima Strange
I love Walser.
Sep 4, 2020
borderlinegrafix
Received from Princess Olivia Mooncake:
Sep 4, 2020
De Villo Sloan
How could I not jump at a piece by Chris Wells (Ohio, USA) shared specifically with our group? So I have that saved for posterity at AF2. Many thanks, Chris, for work of such relevance to recent AF directions:
https://asemicfront2.blogspot.com/2020/09/new-asemic-vispo-by-chris...
Also thanks to Chris & the endorsement of Maxima Strange concerning Robert Walser. This is where the group can be so helpful.
Thanks as ever to Borderline Grafix (Texas, USA) & especially for FAB work by the mysterious Princess Olivia Mooncake.
Great stuff here these days! Many thanks & I am moving it all toward the Asemic Front call (which will continue at least through the remainder of 2020 and then we'll assess).
Sep 5, 2020
De Villo Sloan
Oh & in my trembling, unsteady hands I hold a large envelope received from none other than Maxima Strange! Just picked it up at the PO this afternoon.
The piece is as yet unopened. What can it be?
We shall see!
Sep 5, 2020
Maxima Strange
De Villo, you made me smile.
Sep 5, 2020
chris wells
Thank you so much, DVS! I'm glad to be getting back into mail art & visiting IUOMA after a (too long) break.
Sep 5, 2020
Mail Art Martha
Dharma Asemics? no sense, nonsense, all vey Zen, and you say you have no particular affinity with the Buddha, DVS.
Sep 5, 2020
De Villo Sloan
Mail Art Martha! We have fruitfully discoursed upon Trashpo as well.
Wonderful observation: The Nothingness to which Buddhists aspire is similar to the aim of the asemicist (asemic writer).
Otherwise, Dharma (I understand to be the spiritual realm) appears in Beat writing. Kerouac's "Dharma Bums" is notable. Ginsberg writes of "Dharma poetics." The jump to the asemic is easy.
Also I would note asemic writing probably in part is derived from automatic or "spirit writing" where the medium is recording messages from "the other side," which involve non-recognizable or only partially recognizable language.
Thx for deepening the discussion, MAM.
Sep 5, 2020
De Villo Sloan
I feel like Maxima Strange (Ohio, USA) has been in the group forever, but actually she is very new. And here is her first appearance on Asemic Front 2 with some gothic asemics! Many thanks. And of course folks know there is no limit to the amount of material you can submit to Asemic Front.
https://asemicfront2.blogspot.com/2020/09/gothic-asemics-by-maxima-...
Sep 6, 2020
Maxima Strange
Thank you, De Villo Sloan.
Sep 6, 2020
De Villo Sloan
I've done some collabs (Asemic Front, after all, is about collabs) w/ the Princess Olivia Mooncake work shared in our group thanks to Borderline Grafix.
https://asemicfront2.blogspot.com/2020/09/asemic-visual-poetry-coll...
Sep 6, 2020
Carien van Hest
My first asemic poem. It made me feel frivolous.
Sep 9, 2020
De Villo Sloan
Thank you for sharing, Carien van Hest.
"asemic poetry" is an area that really hasn't been explored (which I think is a good thing!). Of course I am especially interested to see asemic poems & also asemic-visual poetry hybrids.
(There is no right or wrong here! I'm not slightly suggesting that. I think we can make asemic poetry what we want.)
Here are asemic poems I did early as mail art for Carina Granlund in Finland. The scan date is June 5, 2012!
Sep 11, 2020
Carien van Hest
I love your poetry and the use of colors even more.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have performance artists reciting asemic poetry?
Sep 11, 2020
De Villo Sloan
I am thrilled to premier new vispo & prose collabs by Jim Leftwich & poet Jeff Crouch at Asemic Front 2.
https://asemicfront2.blogspot.com/2020/09/af2-exclusive-new-visual-...
Sep 17, 2020
De Villo Sloan
Carien, from what I've learned in our group, people do spoken asemics for all intents and purposes. Our own John M. Bennett has recordings (of his won performances) you can find online (I'll look) that would be considered asemic.
Ray Johnson did asemic performances of sort of nonsense poetry. I'm told it sounded like stuttering. So did the great mail artist Blaster Al Ackerman.
A lot of sound poetry would be considered asemic in that it's rooted in language but has no conventional meaning.
Things like speaking in tongues & mediums who claim to channel lost languages could be considered asemic.
Actually, you can find a lot of it. But I don't know that people have yet done many consciously considered asemic performances & recordings.
It's wide open. Would love to hear some!
Sep 17, 2020
De Villo Sloan
Asemic Front collab by Joey Patrickt (Oakland, Ca, USA) & me.
Sep 17, 2020
Carien van Hest
On the left page I wrote with my non-writing hand, my left hand.
On the right page I made a translation of that with my right hand.
Sep 17, 2020
De Villo Sloan
That is incredible, Carien. You were born for asemics! I hope you keep your journal together and intact. Thx for sharing.
Sep 18, 2020
borderlinegrafix
Sep 20, 2020
De Villo Sloan
That's a beauty, BG!
Completed some asemic glitch pieces w/ Kristine Snodgrass (Florida, USA) that are hybrid (glitched hard copy collabs).
Kristine is editing an anthology of women's vispo/asemics w/ Kerri Pullo, Nicole Winborn others. (Connect w/ Kristine of FB is probably best to learn more).
https://asemicfront2.blogspot.com/2020/09/af2-asemic-glitch-collabo...
Sep 22, 2020
De Villo Sloan
Oh, and it's important to add that Cinzia Farina (Italy and an IUOMA member) is also listed in the announcement of the forthcoming women's asemic-vispo anthology. So - along with Kerri Pullo - that's two members of our group!!!
Sep 22, 2020
Ficus strangulensis
Sep 23, 2020
De Villo Sloan
That's great distortion, Fike. I've been working with some starters Borderline Grafix sent and got a major glitch from one of them. I think that's something like what you're doing. dv
Sep 23, 2020
Bradford
Sep 24, 2020
De Villo Sloan
I've posted some straightforward b&w asemic texts by John McConnochie (Queensland, Australia) at Asemic Front 2. John works in many styles and I think he has a book out from Michael Jacobson's Post-Asemic Press.
These are "textbook" examples of asemics without the vispo and/or concrete hybrid elements we tend to see in this group.
https://asemicfront2.blogspot.com/2020/09/asemic-texts-by-john-mcco...
Sep 27, 2020
Carien van Hest
John's note is something you would carry in your wallet all the time, for the rest of your life. I never thought something unreadable could look so comforting.
Sep 27, 2020
Carien van Hest
Another asemic spread from my journal. This time with an ecoline illustration.
Sep 28, 2020
De Villo Sloan
Carien, that's astounding. Beautiful work. Thx so much for sharing
Sep 28, 2020
De Villo Sloan
I posted Carien van Hest's recent asemic journal entry at AF2.
https://asemicfront2.blogspot.com/2020/09/chapter-2-carien-van-hest...
Sep 30, 2020
De Villo Sloan
I received some colorful asemic calligraphy from group member Jenn Miltenberger (Maryland, USA). Many thanks for a great card!
Oct 12, 2020
De Villo Sloan
Another FAB gothic asemic piece from Maxima Strange (Ohio, USA). Many thanks!
https://asemicfront2.blogspot.com/2020/10/gothic-asemic-gothaseme-b...
Oct 13, 2020
Richard BAUDET
thank you Sylvia Van Nooten
Oct 14, 2020
borderlinegrafix
Oct 14, 2020