Grigori Antonin knocked on my door

[Marie Wintzer]

 Imagine my surprise when I found an envelope from GA in my mailbox with a familiar Hello Kitty stamp on it. I rubbed my eyes in disbelief, rubbed them a little bit stronger, but it was really him, sending me mail from the Peninsula, one of the best hotels in Tokyo. The one and only Grigster was downtown, a few stops down the Yurakucho line, and he didn't tell his faithful Marie Antonette!! It's a shame, really. I would have loved to meet him. Imagine! A mail art legend like him! But I understand he also wants to keep the mystery around him, so it's fine. I laughed reading his letter because I imagined him asking his way in the metro, walking and walking, up and down the numerous stairs, meeting weird people etc....

 

And he did bring his mail art material and a bag of goodies with him, which is great! I got various prizes, including a ticket to see the Minnesota Orchestra (February 19th of this year, unused?), an a scholarship to the off scene Akademie of Hamburg.

 

A lot of No John Rays/Cavellini prints, and a baseball card featuring Hideo Nomo (LA dodgers).

 

My favorite part, along with the letter, is a blurred snapshot of somebody's face, possibly a self portrait. Or not. But I'll believe that this is Grigori leaving his footprint on Tokyo, and it fits quite well with the envelope made out of a japanese Fujicolor package.
GA, this was a surprise alright!! I hope you enjoyed the Elvis convention and the city! Thank you!

 

[Marie Wintzer]

DVS, you avoiding the topic of how you knew about the communication stuff says it all.

I wonder about the baseball card too? That doesn't seem to fit anything.

[De Villo Sloan]

Oh, and my dearest Cherry Chan, lest I be accused of sidestepping in blue suede shoes your question: I have no more facts than those you have given me. Obviously, this is a case communications miscommunicated.

[De Villo Sloan]

Brilliant commentary, Thom, on The Strange Case of Grigori Antonin, which has a history too long to relate here. For example, I'll mention the fake Ray Johnson mail-art that turned up in Japan just about a year ago. Our friend's name - without suggesting blame - was associated with that.

 

Marie, being as objective as I can: Your story appears to have holes in it. Thom is right. Perhaps there are clues in this incredible work you have blogged. Grigori's work is always thoughtful and considered. He is a master of concealing things in bits and pieces that at first look random.

[Marie Wintzer]

I mean communication problems, not miscommunication :-)

[Marie Wintzer]

Ok, The list of skeptics is growing by the hour. I'm starting to wonder, now....DVS, how did you know the letter mentioned miscommunications before even seeing it??? Ahaaaa. Food for thought.

Thom, you have a LOT of imagination! And am I also going back in time to see that concert last February? Would be nice.

 

 

[Thom Courcelle]

I know we have that expression here, DVS, but if I owned those blue suede shoes, Marie, I would never take them off...
I cannot believe how brilliant this "mysterious" Grigori is... First the mystery stolen poste of Carl T. Chew, and now the elusive Grigori! It's like a Griffin & Sabine thriller! Now, I suppose, you'll have to figure out how all the puzzle pieces he left you are supposed to 'fit" together... Like, are you supposed to use the 10 pesos to buy a train ticket to the airport, where a chauffeur will guide you to an awaiting plane that will whisk you off to Minnesota for a Brahms concert, where a man with a fedora and a postage stamp stuck to his tongue will give you another clue to your next rendezvous? Holy cow, the adventure begins, Marie! You only have to figure-out the next step!

[De Villo Sloan]

[De Villo Sloan]

I agree Kat. I would have gone out of my way to meet a mail-artist who had traveled that far. Which leaves another question - did she really meet him? We have an expression over here: Don't ask; don't tell.

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

What? Ya never heard of a "Japaness stamp"? The spell chick knows ;-)

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

If Grigori really WAS in Tokyo, then tis a pity you two could not meet! Tis a great piece, Marie! And full of many stamps too. IF Grigori was NOT in tokyo, or Japan...well then, hmmmmm:

1. he has a dear friend in Japan to whom he sent this with instruction to add a Japaness "Hello Kitty" stamp and mail it to you

2. he sent it to Sloan...who then sent it to a friend in Japan...who then put on a "Hello Kitty" stamp and sent it to you

3. he sent it to "a"...who sent it to "b" ...who sent it to "c"....who sent it to a friend in Japan...who sent it to you.

In any case...tis mysterious and wondrous! And full of amazing things!