Male Art - for The New Alexandrian Library Small Books Collection - Erich Sundermann (Austria) David Dellafiora (Australia), Samuel Montalvetti (Australia) and Guido Vermeulen (Belgium)

[cheryl penn]

Corresponding with Erich means entering a world of make believe where lines are simple and borders are easily crossed. The Zine page call for Mail Art Makes the World a Town resulted in a full visual narrative titled The story of Sigi.

I'm not too sure how I'm going to deal with the Story of Sigi in the Zine - but as the starter page for Zine 3 - its GREAT!

This is a page from a chapbook titled Annie Fuente uns Carlo.  Please excuse the varying degrees of light on the images - I am chasing the sun around the house!

From David Delliafiora (Australia) - (Field Study), a book called Frank and Perforate. It sort of reminds me of Frank and John. The title of course perfectly validates the contents of this artists book.

Using hand canceling and perforations onto/into what looks like an ancient stamp catalogue, David perpetuates and fully corroborates book art based in the mail art genre. 

From Samuel Montalvetti (Argentini) a brim filled package which includes this book - similar in content to Davids, but executed in Samuel's own unique style.

As most of us know, Samuel creates small book works by recycling his envelopes - often creating add and pass projects - this one aint going NOWHERE! 

Included in Samuels packed package where his Zine pages and his continuing series of Visual Poetry booklets - I am really pleased to be building a collection of these:-)

From Guido Vermeulen (Belgium)  - Travels with Collages - I think I'm changing the library from small books to ALL books - I cant exclude ONE of the works I have received - size has become an irrelevant issue!

In an expected Guido envelope - The Three sisters of Fate - so much a part of Guido's book as I page through.

Double spread from the book - I think Guido has managed to source Max Ernst's material...

Original Collage too :-) from the Zine series

MANY thanks guys - come on GIRLS - where are your books?

[De Villo Sloan]

That's the price you pay for being the "popular girl." Oh, I had forgotten the Granger thing. Thank you for the reminder.

[cheryl penn]

O - Carina - hello - Erichs drawings are charming - I cant think of the RIGHT word to describe them!

[cheryl penn]

Remember Grangerism?
"Gran'ger·ism noun [ So called from the Rev. James Granger , whose 'Biographical History of England' (1769) was a favorite book for illustration in this manner.] The practice of illustrating a particular book by engravings collected from other books."
Found on http://www.encyclo.co.uk/webster/G/51 so its certainly not a new practice.
De Villo - I'm not worried about the Fee-Male artists :-)) I just want to swop books with them!!!

[De Villo Sloan]

Hmmm... I'm not much use advising about the timing of an exhibit.

Don't be too concerned about Male-Art & Fee-Male-Art. Women are well-represented in the Mail-triarchy.

A lot of the "old" mail-art I've seen from the NY Correspondance School era were these intricate collages made with prints from 18th & 19th century books - botany, history, zoology - and I suspect those folks pulled the pages right out of the books. The collages had to have taken hours & hours & the books would be very rare today. I wonder where they have gone. There were tons of 'em. 

[Carina]

Great work by everyone! Love especially Erich's drawings..

[cheryl penn]

Two more male artists :-) - thanks guys - De Villo - this is really becoming an interesting unique collection - you're so right.  I am still dithering about exhibiting these this year rather than next at a book exhibition - ideas??? I don't want these getting lost - they are each a treasure in their own right.  Thom - Guido's work is just wonderful - everything is taken care of - from external (envelope) to internal - but you're like that too :-) XX

[Thom Courcelle]

Great additions! I, too, am partial to those old prints... like the last one especially with the cut-outs!

[De Villo Sloan]

This is going to be one of the most unique libraries ever. Great work all around, IMHO. I am partial to Guido's collage work with those old prints especially.