Cryptic Post-Pop by Stan Askew (Pasadena, California, USA)

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail art by IUOMA member Stan Askew (Pasadena, California, USA)

December 24, 2015 - Without further delay, I am thrilled to document two pieces by Stan Askew. These are large (approximately 3.5 X 6 inches), sharp images mounted on sturdy cardboard. Stan Askew’s work has been discussed in my West Coast mail art survey and elsewhere as well. His post-Pop sensibility is evident here along with his tendency to build cryptic symbol systems.

Stan Askew’s fascination with symbol systems and the self-referential push his work to a boundary of the visual-textual without ever exactly crossing over into the realm of vispo. This mirrors perfectly a condition of mail art.

And the reverse:

The piece dated April 3 is much earlier than the late September 2015 date on the envelope. For whatever reason, Stan Askew must have held onto the collage for a while.

Thanks to Stan Askew!