Artless Blog

[DKeys]

Nancy, hope you don't mind me posting this--

This is an excerpt from a note from NBS that I thought was very evocative and poetic. I love the image of mail art being a 'colorful riotous crowd of crazy people"

 

What do you do with received MA? There's so much I love and can't stand to just file away in a box or closet. Right now, four months' worth is on my desk in a big but low box so that it looks like a colorful riot of MA standing up every which way--like a crowd of crazy people or something.

[Nancy Bell Scott]

Such an interesting website, Val! This is not huge, but it's about 10x18 feet, certainly enough to call it a studio (in the house), and I feel lucky. It was finished several months ago and stuff isn't completely settled, but look what happens when you have extra surface. There are three art tables in the photo, u-shaped, with the main work spot straight ahead in front of the window and, as you can see, being shrunk as stuff on the surface closes in on the small open space for actual art work. The other two tables as actual work spaces? Forget it. It won't happen, no matter how much I dream. Whatever surface some of us have gets cluttered with art piles, and you end up with the tiny minimum of flat space you can work with, and you might as well have a small table and a few shelves or a closet. Destiny, I guess! In minor defense, this picture was taken about one minute before I began a massive reorganization 5 or 6 days ago. But the actual work space, I've learned it will probably stay the same 99% of the time. It's pathetic, but I've learned to laugh and forge ahead with the day's work.

[DKeys]

You are so funny V. The picture is one I snagged off the internet since i can no longer do photos either. Your space sounds about the size of mine. You're right that if we worked proportionally to the size of our art space, I'd be limited to making artistamps. Something to think about. As for your cat, you are right to allow her all the space she needs, otherwise when  you aren't looking she will deny you affection. I am so co-dependent on my cat, that if she is sitting in her favorite spot (the computer chair), I will sit on the floor while  at the computer. I routinely purge my art space to create way for the new. sort of like feng shui for mail art--keeps the flow going

[Valentine Mark Herman]

Amazing Diane! Amazing Nancy Bell!

My desk is similiarly crowded. And it also boasts a large cat.

Here's a quote from my web site describing why my art gets smaller and ssmaller.

Regards, Val

"Some artists have studios.

They are lucky.

Some artists can make BIG works of art in their studios.

I don’t have a studio.

 I can’t make big works of art.

At the top of our house I have a Study that I sometimes refer to as my ‘Permanent Installation’. (Other people are less, much less, flattering about it, referring to is as, for example, ‘Val’s junk room’.)

The Mission Control Centre of my Study is my Desk. I have had it for almost 45 years, and it is where all of my literary and artistic works are created.

It is not very big, and indeed the writing surface is only – and I now stop to measure it – 116 by 38 cms, or 44 by 15 inches. Anything and everything I do must be done within and on that very limited space.

But I don’t always have 116 by 38 cms or 44 by 15 inches of space on the Mission Control Centre’s working surface because I have to share it with Bianca – my large black cat – who, when she stretches out and
goes to sleep, takes up at least half of the available space. I don’t know exactly how much working room I have when Bianca is asleep on my Desk but as she takes up between a third and a half of it it’s not very much."

(You can read the rest of this truly amazing and Pulitzer Prize-winning narrative in the Slide Art bit of my www.val-herman-art.eu website. Or not)

 

I'd send you photos of the desk and Bianca, but I can't do photos.

 

[Nancy Bell Scott]

You're right, and they will be harvested when the massive reorganization occurs. Soon, before the hoard starts growing taller rather than wider.

[DKeys]

That's intense Nancy, and I see some uncancelled stamps!!!!

[Nancy Bell Scott]

Love the pix, the window face is a knockout. Here is small portion of MA taking over my desk:

[DKeys]

[Nancy Bell Scott]

Haha, Diane and Val. It sounds like we'd better start scoping out lawyers and hire one, in case all this insurance stuff goes awry, thereby forcing the eternal network to go mainstream and wrecking everything, so never mind. :--}

[DKeys]

That sounds very practical V.  You should also make sure you insure your hands that make the wonderful Mail Art. If you do get crushed at least your heirs will become wealthy, since artists usually only get famous posthumously. Wow did this conversation take a macabre turn:)

[Valentine Mark Herman]

Bonjour Diane! I think I had better extend my life insurance policy to cover 'crushing to death by mail art hoard'. I hope it won't be too expensive. Perhaps I can pay for it in mail art?

Regards, Val