Hannah Höch (fan club)

HANNAH HOCH BIRTHDAY BOX

COVER OF THE BOX MY HH BIRTHDAY BOX

HANNAH HOCH BIRTHDAY BOX

INCOMING MAIL FOR HH BIRTHDAY BOX PROJECT (AS OF 11-05-19)

Here are a couple of photos of the box I for HH Birthday Box Project. I enjoyed making it.

To date I have received mail from:

• Carmen Kennedy
• Charlotte Geister
• Cascadia Artpost
• Judi Dagan
• C. Mehrl Bennett
• Katerina Nikoltsou
• Willie Marlowe (as others have stated, Willie has returned the HH mail I sent him)

Another wonderful box! What an exhibition they would all make together- but I am sorry, Jayne, that my little contribution has not yet arrived.  I shall have to consider sending a replacement . . .

I have made a start on the documentation booklet that will be going into my HHBB.  I had thought of just printing out a list but this seems a much nicer solution which has the added bonus of making use of all the envelopes that have done such a good job of bringing the various presents safely here.  It is not finished, and has yet to be sewn, but as a 'work in progress' I think it is showing some promise . . .

This card from Jayne B Lyons arrived on Halloween; it was quite a fright coming out of the envelope!

Looking at photos of the very few boxes that have been so far finished and posted here, I can see them making a wonderful exhibition but, alas, as you say Jennifer, they are scattered to the four winds and such a thing is all but an impossibility although perhaps the show is even better being a thing of the imagination?

I am thinking of approaching some places near here for a possible showing of the contents of my box, maybe getting interest enough to be able to promote a larger project, but past experience tells me it is unlikely to come to anything.  When we are all dead and gone, the world will find a way of making money out of our efforts, then we shall be exhibited ad nauseam.  Ha, ha, ha . . .

I owe Cecil a letter so I will see if he has any suggestions.

First of all, the boxes are all so wonderful and I look forward to seeing more of them.

Debra, what a lovely birthday card you have created for HH. Thanks you for your kind comments about the project, and just so you know, I would be happy to exchange gifts with you. I, like some other participants have mentioned, consider this a "living" box.

Jennifer, thank you for your comments and your wealth of information. I recently heard about the IMCAC and will check it out the next time I am in Santa Fe. 

Mary Anne, a huge thank you for all your efforts. Wouldn't it be lovely for everyone to meet up at a physical exhibit.  Just putting it out there to the universe. 

I'm enjoying all of the work received so far! I just received Judi Dagan's & Willie Marlowe's. I'll try to post pictures in the next few days. And I enjoyed Willie Marlowe's too!  I thought it was a straight return of our envelope from her to us, but it was really quite thoughtful, with a personal note appreciating my contribution & a nice explanation of what Hannah Hoch has meant to her as an artist & how she always shared HH's work with her students. I've been looking at a lot of HH's paintings (not collages) online & see a connection with W.M.'s paintings. They are quite nice. It will be a while before I have a chance to finish my box, but I'll post a photo of that too when it's done. And I love the 'envelope book'. Very clever!

Hi Rosalie, I think you might have just answered a question I have been mulling over all evening.  Willie didn't want to be included in the project (fair enough) and said that he would return anything that had been posted (beyond the call of duty I think) but if he sends things back he is part of the project (in an unusual and very interesting way) and should be included; shouldn't he?  He has made a contribution surely?  I am thinking he maybe just doesn't want bothering with all sorts of un-necessary stuff from strangers - we all of us only have so much time and money to spend - so I have worked out a way of including him, in the documentation I am planning; that I hope will give him some credit without offending him.  Its only a modest list in any case but I am very keen to buck the trend of only having on-line documentation and am determined to send out something.

There is a big drawback to my little envelope book;  now I am desperately waiting for more mail just so I can make use of the envelopes!  The madness of my mail art world . . .

Just back from the post office, and Rosalie Gancie - your mail arrived. Thanks so much. I will write a blog post about the HH happenings once I get more gifts for my box. I must say, I feel like a real cheapskate - a number of you have sent envelopes filled  with lots of great artwork! Such talent we have in the group! I read the recent comment from Carmen, and I also like the idea that the project is “living.” Mary Anne, when I opened Willie’s mail yesterday I was thinking the same thing - for a person who didn’t want to participate, Willie ACTUALLY participated by sending our own mail back, along with some other goodies. 

Oh - and for those in the U.S. - Shutterfly.com offers a free 6x6 soft covered photo book every month. You only pay $7.99 for shipping (cause you know, nothings really free - haha). I made a photo book from all the different photomontage pieces I made, plus photos of my HH box. I’m going to keep the book inside the birthday box.

Here are photos of the book cover and some of the book pages...

Jayne, the book you made is awesome! Thanks for the information. I just may make a book too. What a great way to document the project. Thanks again. 

You all amaze me with this project.  Jayne I love your photomontages. Your book is a great way to preserve and keep the project alive for the future.  Carmen, thanks for your offer to exchange something.....I’m still getting out from under a backlog at the moment, so perhaps down the road.  Thank you.  I am with you all in spirit.

I tried to see Cecil Touchon’s collection - the Ontological Museum last February, but perhaps it wasn’t open yet.  I did go to a gallery that represents his work and did see a few of his large collages.  I do love his work.

My box so far...

Sorry to be late but I had to recover from SEA-FIRE-HUMAN Exhibition...

My first 14 postcards left sunny Greece at the 6th of November...:(

...but for Hanna, better late than never!!!:)

Thank you all participant artists so far:

Bibiana Padilla Maltos-U.S.A.

Mary Anne-U.K.

Carmen Kennedy-U.S.A.

Judi Dagan-Israel

Jayne Barket Llyons-U.S.A.

Katerina Nikoltsou - Greece

John Bennet-U.S.A.

Charlotte Geister-Germany

Pietro Romano Matarrese - Italy

Cascadia Artpost-U.S.A.

Rosalie Gancie - U.S.A.

Dear Maria,  the Eternal Network works to its own heartbeat so there is no late . . .

Yet another interesting box - everyone is doing so well with these. 

I am trying to keep track of the photos of everyone's creations and am thinking of printing them out as an addition to my box; or stealing Jayne's idea and, if there are enough of them,  making a photo book (if I can find the readies) which would also go into the box.

Everyone has done such interesting work that I am sorry I shall probably not be here to take part in the 150th birthday celebrations - the Hannah Hoch Fan Club is sure to come up with something amazing then . . .

P.S. Maria, I notice an interloper on your list of participants - no one from Italy on my list!

I am glad that everyone's box is turning out so different.

Hi Hannah fans, now here comes my box with all the very precious birthday presents around! A fine card from Judith arrived yesterday; thanks so much!

the project was so inspiring with a lot of wonderful surprises! Thanks to everybody! Charlotte

Well done Charlotte. Another fine creation.

I have been busy today playing with one of those on-line photo book producers and I have got along way towards a book of the various completed boxes - six so far - using images posted by their creators. Rather surprisingly it seems to be going quite well (my computer skills not being the most advanced) and I am thinking it worth persevering with so if anyone else has the time and means to post their finished (or in-progress) boxes I will endeavour to include them and make it a proper job.

If I win the lottery within the next few weeks I will send everyone a copy but as it is it's too pricey though I might be able to stretch to a second copy for Cecil Touchon's archive (if he wants one) so that the project will be recorded somewhere; just to prove our existence!

My own box is in a dither because I have two possibles and can't make up my mind which to decide on!  As the saying goes; I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure . . .

Mary Anne - good news! Your Hannah Höch mail arrived in my p.o. box today! Awesome!! Thanks so much.

Charlotte. Love the Hannah B.Box and all the terific gifted mail art. So impressive to see them all grouped together.The one standing up is particparticularly awsome. I spotted a pair of Norwiegan  runners in the group. Glad to see that reached their destination. I will do some posting soon. Judi♤♡♢♧

Dear Jayne - Only just arrived?  I am sorry it has taken so long - it must have gone by the scenic route!

Dear Charlotte, I have just been looking over your photos - trying to spot the Norwegian runners that Judith mentioned, when I noticed that my envelope to you has been given a good postmark - 50 years of Monty Python . . .  -  Those labels are not supposed to be cancelled by anything so you have been blessed twice over. You lucky bunny you . . . 

I hope to have more of my box done today - but I've been saying that for a few days! Will try to post a photo tomorrow - even if it's just a 'work in progress'.

Dear Rosalie,  don't rush it!  Mine is nowhere finished yet so you are far from the last . . .

Dear Heleen, don't fret so. No-one is in a hurry (i hope - at least, I'm not) Things get done in their own time and, if not, well there is another November next year . . .

Thanks for the encouragement regarding Time! And thanks, Jennifer, for that link. I like it a lot. I also watched an interesting lecture which discusses HH's Ethnographic series & her connection to images of the 'New Woman', gender issues, & the Ethnographic museum. Gave me a chance to see the images she encountered in their original contexts: 

Alexandra Foradas on "The Strange Beings from Hannah HÖch’s
Ethnographic Museum”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk85l0hn_9A

Hannah mail art arrived from Maria Chorianopoulou , from Athens to Thess :-) Many thanks!

officially GREEK mail art!

Willie Marlowe sends Hannah Homage and returns mine,

so I can put all n the birthday box!

What do you think? Is the figure in the center of this collage Hannah? I found the photo as part of an artical about Leonora Carrington.  In the texts artical Hannah was not mentioned. Given that both delt with gender issues and dada/surealistic art style, I kinda think it must be Hannah. ♡♤♡♢♧♡

Hey Judi, I don't think that it is Hannahs face, because it is too long. She had a rather round face when you look at her from the front.Your collage photo reminds me of a sequence of the surrealistic film " the andalusian dog" by Luis Bunuel. there is a scene where an eye is clipped with a razor blade from nearby. Dali experimented with different possibilities to get surrealistic images. Thanks again for your collage card! Hugs Charlotte

I am not sure either. I think the length of the faces might be similar, as does the hair, but I see differences in the dhape of the mouth.

This collage comes from the book 'Lebensbild', subtitle 'a collaged autobiography'. We can spot differences and similarities. Anyhow, an interesting question, Jufith, which causes us (at least me) to train / improve observation :-)

* shape, I mean :-) 

This is the complete picture:

The more I look at it and think about it, I think it is Hannah. Max Ernst( or another Dadaist ) may have been the bridge between them. Also, that hairstyle is Exclusively Hannah's.  As for the elongation of the face, that is due to the shadows in the Photo. It makes me happy to think that this is a photo of Hannah that was not widely publicised. (Possibly /probibly from Leonora Carringtons private photo album.)

Hello dear Hannahers!

This week I received works from Horvath Piroska from Austria and Susan Gold from US...

It is amazing how beautiful my box turns...

I started thinking for an exhibition...

I promised to myshelf I will not organize an exhibition next year (as every year...) but I think that it is so interesting to introduse Hannah's work to Greek audience and mail art too... (once again)

Thanks to Catherine Bennett I am involved to this project and I see that it deserve my best...

We will see...

Love & peace & mail art

Maria

P.S.Correction

Susan Gold from Canada

Maria

Dear Maria, the Birthday box was done in such a wild rush - it would have been even better if we had given ourselves more time to send out invitations, spread the word, drum up enthusiasm in the furthest corners of the Eternal Network . . . 

An exhibition would be a great way to promote Hannah's work but it could keep until 2021 if you wanted a year off . . .

Dear Mary Anne, I'm just thinking...

My plans for June 2020 till September 2021 is to move to the Island of Naxos...Maybe I will stay there for the rest of my life, maybe not...I do not know what are the possibilities to make a mail art exhibition there...

Yesterday I went to the cinema to see the great Corean movie "Parasite".

At the entrance of the cinema there was an instalation on the ceiling with trestles and I thought it would be a nice idea to hang Hannah's presents there...

I started a conversation with the manager about mail art and the project and he was interested, planing the event on February or March 2020...

I know it sounds too much in a hurry but we just have some thoughts...

We will talk again about it...nothing is sure...Ι just wanted to share my thoughts with the Club...

Waiting for thoughts and advices

Maria xxx

I shall have to think of you as Ariadne from now on . . . 

Greetings Birthday Boxers.

I am still beavering away.  Made a start (at last) on prettifying my box and sorting out the contents.

I am still planning on mailing out a list of participants though it may not get done until after Christmas. 

This will have a complete list of everyone who 'signed up' to the project plus the best list I can manage of the unofficial participants; those who sent things to just one or two of the 'officials' without becoming too involved.  They deserve a credit I think.  So far I have four names there.  If anyone else has some unofficial contributors I would be happy to add them to the list (just for the sake of completeness).

Some people have hinted that they may continue to add to their box, which is good news for the promotion of Hannah's work, but I am not sure how that affects the documentation.  Perhaps we have reached the point where everyone will take the project off into their own domains?  I am in uncharted waters.

I am also still collating images of the finished (or near finished) boxes.  Any new pictures would be very useful . . .

I thought this would all be over early November but it looks as though our collective imagination has been given a good shove and it looks like I will still be shuffling about well into next year.

Yippee!

dear birthday boxers.  Here are a couple of snaps of the inside of my 'work in progress' box.  Not much quite finished but gives an idea . . .

inside empty and . . .

inside full 

Another glimpse of the work in progress - I am planning a little photo book of images of the finished boxes.  This is to be the title page . . .

Mary Anne...

I like the idea to think of me like Ariadne...

To be honest I had a grandmother from Krete and a grandfather from Naxos...!!!

As I and my partner in life, we both like wine, now I see a relationship with Dionysos too...

You are amazing!!!

Never thought about the connection...!

Love

Maria

Judy, I found this by accident tonight! Photos of Martha Beauvoisin Nougé of the Belgian Surrealists who appears in her husband Paul Nougé's surrealist photos. In any case, it's a new name for me to research. http://camarademocratica.blogspot.com/2011/04/paul-nouge.html and https://www.inner-magazines.com/music/a-surrealist-and-a-composer

Received great HH Birthday cards from Judith Dagan and Maria Chorianopoulou. Computer troubles here so I hope this post shows up.

I am very happy you received Hannah's bday card dear Rosalie!!!

I sent cards to all...!

In my mail art blog "resistmailartfestival.blogspot.com" I opened a page for my incomimngs for Hannah's project...

Please visit here:

https://resistmailartfestival.blogspot.com/search/label/130%20YEARS...

Good morning to all of you from Greece...!!!

Love and peace and mail art!

Maria

Giselle, Thanks so much for sharing that fab information. I am loving how Hannah has led us to new paths to explore. 

 Curses on spell correct ! NOT  Gissell.

Rosalie. ♡