NEW DIRECTIONS IN TRASHPO (III) - "Vessels of Love" by Diane Keys +! Mail Art Martha, Eduardo Cardoso, KDJ, Richard Canard, Jeanne Kasten, Neil Gordon, Svenja Wahl, The Blessed Father, Rebecca Guyver

[De Villo Sloan]

Cover of Vessels of Love by Diane Keys: This first full-length Trashpo collection by the undisputed Queen of Trash includes the complete "trashPo Manifesto" and DK's acclaimed collaborations with vispo legend Ficus strangulensis.

February 27, 2013 - MinXus-Lynxus has proudly announced the publication of Vessels of Love by Diane Keys. This book, many months in the making, contains stunning examples of DK's work along with English translations. You will find, for the first time anywhere and all under one cover, the complete "trashPo Manifesto" and collected documentation of the Ficus strangulensis/Diane Keys Shotpo collaborations. 

FREE - SPECIAL LIMITED TIME OFFER! - NO DINERO!

Trash Poets, DKulters, IUOMA Members

FREE DOWNLOAD!

Vessels of Love by Diane Keys

http://www.scribd.com/MinXusLynxus

ADD THIS TIMELESS D-KLASSIC TO YOUR PERSONAL LIBRARY!

Mail-art by Diane Keys (Elgin, Illinois, USA)

 Mail-art by Diane Keys (Elgin Illinois, USA)

And the reverse:       

Deepest thanks to DK!

Trashpo by Mail Art Martha (London, England)

Trashpo by Mail Art Martha (London, England)

The legendary Mail Art Martha of London sent me an envelope of her wonderful art. She works with found material, so it is very likely she was making Trashpo long before Jim Leftwich (Virginia, USA) introduced the Trashpo concept in the Eternal Network circa 2005. Certainly this work by Mail Art Martha, constructed upon a rain-spattered envelope that was rescued from total decomposition, exhibits a rare talent and ingenious mind.

 

From IUOMA postings, I learned that Mail Art Martha is known for her “Trash Trolley,” which she wheels gallantly to numerous locations. Certainly it has a utilitarian function, yet the trolley must surely bring art out of the galleries and institutions and “to the people,” as they say. It must help Mail-Art Martha challenge accepted notions of what is art and stimulate thought about the relationship between art and life. 

Note received from Mail Art Martha (London)

I think her envelope is lovely:

And the reverse:

.

Many thanks to Mail Art Martha!

D-Kabbalistic mail-art from Eduardo Cardoso (Sines, Portugal)

Visual poetry by Eduardo Cardoso (Sines, Portugal)

TrashPo Litzer Prize winner Eduardo Cardoso is a versatile artist and visual poet who seems always eager to challenge himself and his audience. He has sent several extraordinary missives during the past few months, including the material posted here that mainly concerns DKult. The opening scan (above) is one of Eduardo Cardoso’s signature minimalist visual poems. 

Mail-art by Eduardo Cardoso (Sines, Portugal)

This DKult stamp uses the Fluxus network stamp as a basis for the design.

Here is the reverse:

In addition to the red stamp shown above, Eduardo is a master of cryptic stamps and symbols, which can be seen on the envelope he sent:

And on the other side:

Many thanks to Eduardo Cardoso! Make sure to visit his amazing site!

http://eduardocardoso.weebly.com/

KDJ "The Disappeared" (Orlando, Florida, USA) - She's "out there"

Mail-art by KDJ (Orlando, Florida, USA)

Some IUOMA members might recall that once upon a time there was a promising mail-artist from Florida named KDJ. Her work ranged from lovely artists books to edgy Trashpo. KDJ, at one point, was deeply involved in DKult. Then last year she joined the ranks of “The Disappeared.”

Originally relegated to my “Crank File,” I decided that it is best to share this communication from KDJ with her few remaining fans. The card arrived circa Halloween 2012. It is authentic. KDJ – while officially among “The Disappeared” – had clearly been reading our humble MinXus-Lynxus blog and took exception to several entries that mentioned her:

The quotes she has chosen have been pulled out of context, wildly distorted, and thus might seem to you far more hurtful than ever intended. Without conducting a long search, I do recall comparing KDJ to a “one hit wonder” (is that not really a flattering comparison?). In the end, to speak in terms of the beliefs of the DKulters, we will all be called to The Great Landfill where we will walk with Ray and HE will end the perplexity of The Great Confusion here on earth, or so some believe. Did I say KDJ’s work has been “relegated to the landfill”? Perhaps I did BUT what about “moldy grapes”? We cannot remember a thing about “moldy grapes.”

I am very pleased to know that KDJ is not completely among “The Disappeared.” Perhaps someday she will return completely to the Eternal Network. It would be a great privilege to welcome her back.

CorresponDANCE from Richard Canard (Carbondale, Illinois, USA)

Mail-art by Richard Canard (Carbondale, Illinois, USA)

Mail-art veteran Richard Canard has, among many other achievements, had a hand in shaping Trashpo as we know it today. He is a very faithful correspondent and usually sends along some interesting found material that goes well with the literary gems he seems to produce effortlessly and prolifically. I adore this Moosehead Beer piece that is part of a holiday material as well as classic Trashpo.

Richard Canard is a tremendous resource about the history and culture of mail-art, and he is a terrific correspondent.

As ever, my deepest thanks to Richard.

Trashpo noir from Jeanne Kasten (Olathe, Kansas, USA)

“TrashPo Study in Black and White” by Jeanne Kasten (Olathe, Kansas, USA)

This work by Jeanne Kasten is a superb, open field composition that juxtaposes a variety of found texts. Numerous narratives and chance association metaphors are possible. One can also note disruptions, contradictions, and fragmentation. For no particular reason, I like the Lindsey Buckingham concert ticket.

All in all, in my humble estimation, “TrashPo Study in Black and White” is a compelling work.

And the reverse:

Many thanks to new friend Jeanne Kasten!

Neil Gordon (Wethersfield, Connecticut, USA)

Mail-art by Neil Gordon (Wethersfield, Connecticut, USA)

Neil Gordon frequently works in the Trashpo genre. He sent (above) an advertisement page torn from the venerable New Yorker magazine with scribbled cryptic writing that – well-known to initiates – represents the complex symbolism of D-Kult. You see references to Wilhelm Reich’s theories that inform at least some part of DKult: orgone energy and Reich’s bizarre cloud-busting experiments to control weather.

This is classic Trashpo composed on a piece of some kind of of cereal-energy-chocolate bar box. Neil has arranged bits of found material to create a new text. Here is the reverse side:

The language component is more pronounced on this side. Neil Gordon’s style is grounded in DaDa and the later, related Punk aesthetic that has had such an impact on mail-art. He has a clear understanding of the Trashpo concept going back to Jim Leftwich. 

And the reverse:

I am very pleased to receive this work from friend and correspondent Neil Gordon.

Shades of "Creature of the Month" from Svenja Wahl (Heidelberg, Germany)

Mail-art by Svenja Wahl (Heidelberg, Germany)

Faithful correspondent Svenja Wahl sent this absolutely stellar example of her highly distinctive collage work. This piece is relatively large: approx. 8.5 X 11 inches. I am guessing the cardboard upon which it is composed was chosen for the lush and wonderful red. 

The box also had strings secured, which must have held something, perhaps during the past holiday season. Svenja left the strings so the piece has a fiber art component and is also haptic. The strings are rubber band-like. Dark wall declares they play notes when plucked, and this piece is actually a musical instrument. 

Svenja has a feature she posts at Yoma called “Creature of the Month.” Using her collage talents, she has created a menagerie of absurd, humorous, frightening, appalling, surreal, exotic, fantastic creatures that defy description.

Make sure to visit Svenja Wahl’s blog to see more fantastic art!

License to Ill - The Blessed Father (San Diego, California, USA) joins the Trashpo All-Stars

Mail-art by The Blessed Father (San Diego, California, USA)

What a treat to receive my first mail-art from The Blessed Father! While his work might not be Trashpo in the Diane Keys or Jim Leftwich sense, I doubt anyone would disagree The Blessed Father is a Trashpo master in a larger sense; perhaps he has even broadened and enriched the genre.

I have not taken much interest in mail order quacks and preachers since the days of Dr. Wilhelm Reich and his orgone products and the Church of the Sub Genius. However, The Blessed Father has captured my attention and admiration.

Many thanks to The Blessed Father. I look forward to establishing a regular correspondence as soon as things settle down a bit!

Meditative Trashpo by Rebecca Guyver (Suffolk, UK)

Mail-art by Rebecca Guyver (Suffolk, UK)

Rebecca Guyver sent along this very colourful Trashpo that also includes some meditations about language and insights:

I will add, to connect the two themes in Miss Becca’s message, that Trashpo differs from merely “found art”  because of the importance of textuality and language: ties that can be made to poetry.

A belated thanks to Miss Becca!

[DKeys]

KDJ did some hand modeling awhile back to pay her way through college. I think that is what she is referring to

Interesting how our brains edit things sometimes. I read "Only your imagination can make all those surreal breasts."

Agreed Rebecca, that DVS is being humble by not including his name on the front cover.

Ficus, love your post. I think DVS needs to do a translation of it for me to understand completely. I'm impressed that you are a Dick head in training, as for so many it comes completely naturally

[Ficus strangulensis]

Howdy you-all-uns!

Reading below, I learn that I have become venerable [but I think penicillin will cure that].

Also, I recently slogged thru "The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick" and now qualify as a Dick-head-in-training. But apropos to the discussion [v.i.-] PKD makes the point [OH! How many TIMES does he make it in the 900 pages condensed by editing his 8000 pages!?] that one must look for the divine in the trash of the alley for the power of evil [ignorance, authority, conventional religion, etc.] has co-opted the stuff we consider holy]. Just another reason for making things holey.

Y'r ol' Bud,

Fike

[De Villo Sloan]

Oh! Oh! Dim light bulb going off in my feeble brain!

Is KDJ saying "sour grapes"? You know, expression denoting envy? I'll bet she is! D-Koded!

And you can have a crafty AND crazy mother. Dangerous combination.

[De Villo Sloan]

Hi Svenja - thanks for the (what I'm considering) Creature of the Month. Only your imagination can make all those surreal beasts. And picking that beautiful red box - now that is aesthetic Trashpo!

Great to hear from you Nadine - I thought mail-art from none other than KDJ was a big score for a head-banging Kulter, such as I am. Maybe others receive work from her too; I don't know.

KDJ certainly has turned cryptic. I puzzled over the "crazy" or "crafty" mother. I think even that misreading is insightful. But "moldy grapes"? She's referring to some blog comments I made. Now as I explained, those things are pulled wildly out of context. But I don't ever remember making any sort of connection with "moldy grapes." Well, you can take the girl out of the Kult but you can't take the kult out of the girl, or however the expression goes.

[Svenja Wahl]

Thanks for the great blog, DVS! 

Nadine: Whose mother was the craziest - still laughing here!

[Nadine Wendell-Mojica]

I love it that I thought it said "crazy" not "crafty". Even funnier.

[Nadine Wendell-Mojica]

Beautiful work. I wish I knew how to 'download'. Whose Mother was the Craziest, wonderful.

[De Villo Sloan]

Martha - You were very much a legend in my mind when I sent you some Trashpo/DKult material. I do not recall exactly when or how, but I did mention to you that I saw a resemblance between what you were doing in your work and the products of the Trash poets. Certainly you've had contact with numerous Trashpo folks anyway.

Trashpo is not exactly found art; it emphasizes language and texts in found material and the arrangement. You do that wonderfully.

It is a real thrill to be able to exchange mail-art with you and to add your work to the archives.

Rebecca - having an ancestor who was a Colonel in the American Revolution and yet another, I am very proud, who served in the Thomas Jefferson administration, I am a bit conflicted about this British Colonialism thing as well as the MinXus stance on the restoration of the French Monarchy. But enough of politics and long-forgotten history.

Translating and editing Trashpo is a challenge. When I first began corresponding with DK about the project, I said my goal was to provide linearity so it could be read in a more conventional way on the page. However, the result might really be a kind of concrete or visual poetry. We will see. As I think you know, translation requires some degree of interpretation. DK's work offers serious challenges, especially in terms of what is intelligible and what you have to reconstruct. The Shotpo pieces are a perfect example. Sometimes Ficus would shoot a letter out of Diane's poem with his gun perfectly. So it was a deleted letter. But other times a letter would only be partially removed and I had to decide if it was a deletion or not because I decided not to deal with fractured letters - a letter was either there or not.

So I suppose I handled it very well.

DK - I meant to respond: Yes, I receive extraordinary Trashpo & this blog represents a small part. I think it is because I sent out the DKULTNY material. Eduardo Cardoso's stamps are a real gem, IMHO. 

 

[Mail Art Martha]

I am honoured to have received such praise. I would never have imagine I would reach the status of 'legendary' while still breathing. Thank you! It is super to see my own among all these fantastic trash.

So Rebecca you also have a trashhound, today mine, which is borrowed, refused ( ha! refused, rubbished, trashed...) to search the park for human detritus, he preferred to take a ball from a little boy and play football with it. A job to prise it from him, little boy and attached grandfather very angry. I don't think I can go back to the same park.

[Rebecca Guyver]

Diane, don't you think DVS might be just a tiny bit English? His self-deprecation isn't sounding very American. No matter what, he deserves some adulation for translation and assemblage, not to mention blogging. DVS, DVS.  OK, cheers to Ficus too.

On more serious business, Found this with the trash hound.  I take credit.  She mostly just barks.Turns out Battisford/Ringshall folks - trash found in border area - are more exotic than previously thought.